Big picture: IPL's most-storied rivalry
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI). The winningest IPL teams, with five titles each, will renew IPL's most-storied rivalry on the opening weekend of the new season.
It's also a changing rivalry. An entire generation was used to seeing MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma walk out for the toss and call the shots. In IPL 2024, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Hardik Pandya took over captaincy but neither could lead their team to the playoffs. While CSK narrowly missed out, MI finished rock bottom and Hardik faced up to hostile receptions from their fans.
Hardik has likely won the MI fans back by helping India to the T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy titles, but he will miss Sunday's game at Chepauk because of an over-rate offence from last season, with Suryakumar Yadav set to stand in as captain. Jasprit Bumrah's injury - he is likely to be unavailable until April - disrupts MI's balance even further. How can they replace two irreplaceable players?
History is also against MI. The last time they won the opening game of their season was way back in 2012. Coach Mahela Jayawardene said he was reminded of it even before their first press conference of the season.
As for CSK, they're back to their happy place - spin-friendly Chepauk. They have packed their squad with slower bowlers in a quest to maximise their home conditions. While R Ashwin will roll back the years - he has already said "it feels like 2011 again" at a recent book launch in Chennai - along with Ravindra Jadeja, Noor Ahmad might provide a peek into the future with his left-arm wristspin.
Dhoni's arrival in Chennai last month was enough to cause a stir. Imagine the kind of frenzy that could grip IPL 2025 if he reprises his age-defying six-hitting from last season.
A full house at Chepauk, where the gates will be open to the public three hours before the start of the game, will be quite the spectacle.
New loyalties
Deepak Chahar has played all of his 81 IPL games with Dhoni in the same squad at both CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS). For the first time in his career, he will go up against Dhoni and CSK. Chahar and Trent Boult could form a mouth-watering new-ball partnership for MI. Mitchell Santner, who was also a familiar face at CSK for a number of years, has also found a new home at MI.
Rookie seamer Anshul Kamboj, who made his IPL debut for MI last season, has moved to CSK for IPL 2025. Given his ability to swing the new ball both ways, he's a candidate to replace Chahar at CSK along with Khaleel Ahmed.
Team news & likely XIIs
CSK's players are injury-free, but they have a problem of plenty. Devon Conway or Rachin Ravindra? Vijay Shankar or Deepak Hooda? Sam Curran or Jamie Overton? Khaleel Ahmed or Anshul Kamboj?
Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Devon Conway/Rachin Ravindra, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt), 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Deepak Hooda/Vijay Shankar, 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), 9 R Ashwin, 10 Noor Ahmad, 11 Matheesha Pathirana, 12 Khaleel Ahmed/Anshul Kamboj
In the absence of Hardik, Suryakumar will lead MI in their opening fixture. South Africa allrounder Corbin Bosch, who won the SA20 with MI Cape Town, might be brought in to provide the balance that Hardik usually does, unless MI lean towards an extra overseas spinner in Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Satyanarayana Raju, who often bowled at the death in the Andhra Premier League, might come in as an Impact Player, in place of one of the batters, when MI bowl. Raju, 25, was among the first group of bowlers to bowl at the nets on the eve of the game.
Mumbai Indians (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ryan Rickelton (wk), 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Naman Dhir, 6 Robin Minz, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Corbin Bosch/Mujeeb Ur Rahman, 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Trent Boult, 12 Satyanarayana Raju/Ashwani Kumar
Big question
MI have previously had high-profile overseas players like Kieron Pollard and Lasith Malinga. This season they have some relative unknowns in the IPL like Ryan Rickelton and Bosch. With two of their highest-profile Indian players unavailable for their opener in IPL 2025, how will they manage without compromising on their batting depth or bowling options? Is Bosch the best candidate to slot in for Hardik?
In the spotlight: Noor Ahmad and Suryakumar Yadav
Noor Ahmad, the 20-year-old Afghanistan wristspinner, has already been named by Gaikwad as a player to watch out for from CSK. His ability to turn the ball both ways at quick speed could give CSK's attack a potent point of difference, especially at Chepauk. The last time he played a franchise T20 tournament on spin-friendly surfaces, he was often unplayable and came away with the Player-of-the-Tournament award in CPL 2024. Noor isn't new to the Super Kings set-up: he has already worked with Stephen Fleming at Texas Super Kings in the Major League Cricket (MLC) in the USA.
Suryakumar Yadav has not passed 15 in his last five T20 innings - and fifty in his last nine innings - but MI have brushed off any concerns around his form. In his last innings against CSK at Chepauk, in 2023, he was tied down by Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana and Moeen Ali on a slow track. Can he turn things around on Sunday?
Key stats
Boult has been bossing Gaikwad, having dismissed him three times in 26 balls in the IPL while conceding only 23 runs.
Suryakumar has struggled against Jadeja in the IPL, managing 45 runs in 59 balls at a strike rate of less than 77 while being dismissed three times.
Ashwin is the leading wicket-taker at Chepauk in the IPL with 50 strikes in 42 innings at an economy rate of 6.26.
CSK have won five of their last six matches against MI, including three on the trot.
Pitch and conditions
A slow track, which might aid spin, is likely to be rolled out for Sunday's game. There's a chance that both teams could pack their XIs (or XIIs) with three frontline spinners. Dew was a major factor during IPL 2024 and also during TNPL 2024, but the new IPL rules, which allow the team bowling second to get the ball changed on demand once anytime after the tenth over in evening games, might help counter that.
Quotes
"It [CSK's opening combination] is decided, but it is not good to reveal here (laughs)."
Gaikwad keeps his cards close to his chest
"The show must go on. There are boys who can take up the responsibility and are very keen to take the field tomorrow."
Suryakumar backs MI's newbies to step up in the absence of Hardik and Bumrah
Next three fixtures
CSK will have a four-day break before they face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at Chepauk once again on Friday. They will have a shorter turnaround before they meet Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati next Sunday. They will then head back home for an afternoon game against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 5.
MI will continue to be on the road. Hardik will be back to lead them against his former team Gujarat Titans (GT) in Ahmedabad on March 29 before they make the trip to Mumbai for their first home fixture of the season, against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders, on March 31. From the high-scoring Wankhede, they will go to a potentially low-scoring Ekana stadium where they will face Lucknow Super Giants on April 4.
