Last Updated on 30 seconds ago by Charbel Coorey

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will meet for the second time in IPL 2026. CSK won the first encounter by a huge margin of 103 runs at the Wankhede Stadium and host MI for this crucial encounter.

CSK are seventh in the points table with three wins in eight matches. They lost their last game against the Gujarat Titans by eight wickets. Batting is still an issue for the Super Kings, as they remain inconsistent. Sanju Samson is the only in-form batter, and the batting looks in all sorts when he fails. 

Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 74* runs in the last game, which will be a confidence booster despite his slow start. The likes of Dewald Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan, Urvil Patel, and Shivam Dube – plus the bowlers – must take responsibility if CSK are to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

On the other hand, things are going from bad to worse for MI. They are ninth in the table with only two wins in nine matches. They lost their last match against SRH by six wickets even after scoring 243 runs. Ryan Rickleton (123* runs) and Will Jacks (46 runs) provided a good start, but their main concern – bowling – was exposed once again.

Bowling-wise, none of the bowlers except for Allah Ghazanfar have shown much promise. They’ve leaked runs and have failed to pick up wickets, with Jasprit Bumrah’s average of 132 a huge issue. Defeat here will all but rule them out of playoff contention.

Match Details

IPL 2026 44th Match: CSK vs MI Probable Playing XIIs

There are talks that MS Dhoni will play this match, but it looks very unlikely. 

Chennai Super Kings: 1. Sanju Samson, 2. Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), 3. Urvil Patel, 4. Sarfaraz Khan, 5. Dewald Brevis, 6. Shivam Dube, 7. Kartik Sharma, 8. Jamie Overton, 9. Akeal Hosein, 10. Noor Ahmad, 11. Anshul Kamboj 

Impact Sub: Mukesh Choudhary

Rohit’s availability for this match is not confirmed. MI may bring in Sherfane Rutherford for Trent Boult in this match.

Mumbai Indians: 1. Will Jacks 2. Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3. Suryakumar Yadav, 4. Naman Dhir, 5. Tilak Varma, 6. Hardik Pandya (c), 7. Robin Minz, 8. Allah Ghazanfar, 9. Trent Boult, 10. Jasprit Bumrah, 11. Ashwani Kumar

Impact Sub: Shardul Thakur

MA Chidambaram Stadium Pitch Report and Weather

The pitch at Chepauk is expected to be a good one for batting in this match despite being on the little slower side in the last game, especially in the first inning. But it was a day game, and it is expected to be better during the night match. The wicket got easier to bat on in the second innings in the last match played here. 

The average first innings score here this season has been 204 runs. Teams are expected to prefer chasing but batting first won’t be a bad option either. 

It will be 31 degrees Celsius at the start of the game with no chance of rain. Humidity will be around 70-80% during game time, so dew is expected to play a role.

Fantasy Cricket Tips for CSK vs MI: Players to Watch/Key Stats

Top Wicket-Keeper Picks:  

• Ryan Rickelton scored a brilliant century in the last match. He is looking very positive at the crease and will be a key batter for his team at the top. He will have to be cautious against the likes of Akeal Hosein and Mukesh Choudhary.
• Urvil Patel should play this match. He’s ultra-aggressive in his approach and looks to take on the bowling from the word go. He can create panic amongst the MI bowlers if he gets going. Urvil will be a top differential pick.
• Sanju Samson scored a brilliant century in the last meeting against MI. He has 304 runs in eight matches this season, averaging 50.66 with two centuries at a strike rate of 169.83. Samson has one of the highest probabilities to make a 30+ score in this match, according to SPODA AI predictive analysis.

Key batter picks: 

• Ruturaj Gaikwad scored 74* runs in the last match and took his side to a respectable total. He looked quite fluent towards the latter half of his innings. He has a good record against MI as well as Jasprit Bumrah. Gaikwad has a 47.62% probability of making a 30+ score today, as per SPODA AI predictive analysis.
• Dewald Brevis has been far from his best this season, and that’s a big reason for CSK’s poor performance. However, he scored 21 off 11 in the last match against MI. Brevis is a key batter for CSK in the middle overs, and he can wreak havoc on his day.

Top all-rounder picks: 

• Jamie Overton is another asset for Super Kings. He is bowling well in the middle overs with his pace and bounce, and he can tonk the ball down the order. Overton has 136 runs and nine wickets in seven matches this season. 
• Will Jacks will open the innings and may bowl an over or two if required. He looked in excellent touch in the last game against SRH (46 off 22). Jacks should enjoy the batting conditions at Chepauk, and you can’t miss out on him for this match.

Key bowler picks: 

• Noor Ahmad has nine wickets in six matches against MI. He has been a little inconsistent this season, but he, alongside Akeal Hosein, broke MI’s back in the last match against them. Noor has a 37.13% chance of taking 2+ wickets, according to SPODA AI predictive analysis.
• Akeal Hosein picked up four wickets in the last game against MI and turned the match in CSK’s favour. He’s bowling well and will bowl the crucial overs for CSK in this match. 
• Anshul Kamboj has 14 wickets in eight games this season at an economy of 8.56, and his bowling strike rate is 11.80. Kamboj has been the best bowler for CSK and will bowl in the powerplay, middle overs and then in the death overs as well. You can try him as captain in a couple of teams.

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Other Players to Consider for Your Fantasy Cricket Teams

• Jasprit Bumrah
• Hardik Pandya
• Shivam Dube
• Spencer Johnson (if plays)
• Sarfaraz Khan

Other Matchups and Facts 

• Head to Head: 40 matches, MI 21, and CSK 19. CSK has won 7 of the last 10 games.
• Sanju Samson vs. Jasprit Bumrah (T20s): 84 runs, 2 dismissals in 71 deliveries.
• Suryakuamr Yadav vs. Noor Ahmad (T20s): 64 runs, 2 dismissals in 49 deliveries.
• Shivam Dube vs. Jasprit Bumrah (T20s): 23 runs, 3 dismissals in 35 deliveries.
• Sherfane Rutherford vs. Noor Ahmad (T20s): 40 runs, 3 dismissals in 29 deliveries.
• Ruturaj Gaikwad vs. Trent Boult (T20s): 34 runs, 3 dismissals in 31 deliveries.
• Sanju Samson vs. Trent Boult (T20s): 32 runs, 3 dismissals in 27 deliveries.
• Will Jacks vs. Noor Ahmad (T20s): 29 runs, 2 dismissals in 22 deliveries.

IPL 2026 44th Match: CSK vs MI Dream11 Prediction Today

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article, as well as your own instincts, to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

IPL 2026 44th Match: CSK vs MI Match Prediction: Who will win?

Both teams are struggling, but Mumbai’s bowling is looking abysmal at the moment, and this gives CSK the upper hand in this match. CSK will have to perform with the bat if they are to win while MI will have to be spot on with their bowling. It promises to be a thriller of a contest.

Chennai Super Kings to win.

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