Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings Prediction & Preview – IPL 2026 (23 Apr)
Match summary
Our preview of Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede in IPL 2026: form, injuries, likely XIs, pitch, weather and expected scores.
Match details
| Match | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, 33rd Match |
|---|---|
| Series | Indian Premier League 2026 |
| Date | 23 Apr 2026 |
| Start time | 2:00 pm GMT / 7:30 pm local |
| Venue | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Status | Played |
| Our pick | Chennai Super Kings |
| Toss pick | Mumbai Indians |
Matches in this series
Match preview
Mumbai Indians host Chennai Super Kings in the 33rd match of IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai began with a win over Kolkata, lost four in a row, then beat Gujarat Titans by 99 runs in their most recent game.
Mumbai’s batting has not been consistent. Naman Dhir is the top scorer with 154 runs, and Tilak Varma struck an unbeaten 101 off 45 balls last time. Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton have 137 each, while Suryakumar Yadav (121) and Hardik Pandya (96) have been quiet. Jasprit Bumrah took his first wicket of the season in the last match, and Ashwani Kumar took 4/24 against Gujarat. AM Ghazanfar has been a consistent wicket-taker.
Chennai lost their first three matches, beat Delhi and Kolkata, then lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad. Injuries are a major concern: MS Dhoni is doubtful, Nathan Ellis and Khaleel Ahmed are out, and Ayush Mhatre is likely to miss the rest of the season. Sanju Samson, who made an unbeaten 115 against Delhi, is their key batter, while Ruturaj Gaikwad has just 82 runs in six innings. Sarfaraz Khan has 148, and Anshul Kamboj leads the wicket charts with 13.
Powerplay runs will matter on this ground, and 40–60 are possible in the last five overs. Our preview picks Chennai Super Kings.
Wankhede is widely seen as a batting-friendly venue, with true bounce and good pace that allow free stroke play. The red-soil wicket gives fast bowlers some early swing and bounce in the powerplay before settling into a batting track. The fast outfield and relatively short boundaries boost scoring.
A warm, humid evening is expected at the 7:30 pm local start, with temperatures of about 28–31°C that cool gradually, mostly clear skies and very little chance of rain. High humidity may make conditions slightly uncomfortable and increase the chance of dew in the second innings.
Expected scores
| Innings | Predicted | Actual |
|---|---|---|
| First innings | 175–195 | – |
| Second innings | 165–185 | – |
Chennai Super Kings
Despite their injury worries, CSK have Sanju Samson and Anshul Kamboj in form, and our preview gives them a slight edge over an inconsistent Mumbai batting order.
Toss pick: Mumbai Indians
FAQ
Will Rohit Sharma play for Mumbai Indians?
He missed the last two games through injury and remains doubtful, although our possible XI lists him.
Is MS Dhoni expected to play for Chennai Super Kings?
He is listed as doubtful, and Ayush Mhatre is also likely to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
Should the toss winner bowl first at Wankhede?
Dew is likely in the second innings, so teams may prefer to bowl first and chase.
Probable XIs
Expected line-ups from our preview. c = captain, wk = wicketkeeper.
Mumbai Indians
- Rohit Sharma
- Ryan Rickelton
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya
- Naman Dhir
- Mitchell Santner
- Shardul Thakur
- Trent Boult
- Mayank Markande
- Jasprit Bumrah
Chennai Super Kings
- Sanju Samson
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Shivam Dube
- Dewald Brevis
- Jamie Overton
- Matthew Short
- Anshul Kamboj
- Noor Ahmad
- Mukesh Choudhary
- Gurjapneet Singh