The upcoming showdown in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) is going to be an action-packed encounter as two of the league's most popular teams Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians face off in the third match of the tournament on Sunday at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. With both teams boasting five IPL titles each, this rivalry has become one of the most anticipated fixtures in IPL. 

As they prepare for this clash, a high-octane battle is expected to unfold, with both sides stacked with explosive talent. Last season was a big disappointment for both teams. CSK narrowly missed out, while MI spent their entire campaign, sitting at the bottom with four victories from 14 games.

Both teams are packed with players capable of turning the game with their big-hitting ability. CSK, in particular, will be bolstered by the presence of cricket legend MS Dhoni, who once again will look to defy his age and delight fans with his trademark six-hitting show. Chepauk is CSK’s home ground and spin will play a crucial role. Veteran spinner R Ashwin, along with Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad will lead CSK’s spin attack. 

On the other side, Mumbai are also loaded with firepower. Although, they will be without their regular captain Hardik Pandya, who is serving a one-match ban for a slow-over rate offence incurred last year, the team is far from lacking leadership or quality. Pandya’s absence means that Suryakumar Yadav will take the reins as the captain for this match. Under Yadav, MI would aim for a destructive start, however, history speaks against them as they have never won the opening game of their season since 2012. 

Head to head

Matches - 39

MI Won - 21

CSK Won - 18

Chennai Super Kings Probable XII: Rachin Ravindra, Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Shivam Dube, Sam Curran, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), R Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana, Khaleel Ahmed

Mumbai Indians Probable XII: Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Trent Boult, Satyanarayana Raju/Ashwani Kumar