Five-time IPL title-holders Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings haven’t had the best of IPL seasons by their standards in 2025. Lack of consistency and form have marred their campaign so far, and as both sides gear up for the return leg of the IPL Clasico at the Wankhede on Sunday, Mumbai will look to avenge their earlier defeat in their season opener and continue the brief momentum they received in their last two matches.

Mumbai Indians have recently breathed new life into their campaign with back-to-back victories over Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, Hardik Pandya’s men, currently seventh on the points table, still find themselves navigating a crowded mid-table race, where several teams are locked in a similar battle for playoff contention.

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Pandya’s men came up with the perfect exhibition of their skill and meticulous planning in their previous match at the Wankhede, where the surface offered grip for spinners and assistance for seamers as MI strangled SRH’s power-packed batting line-up with clinical precision.

However, they can’t afford to go with the same strategy against a spin-heavy CSK side as the ploy could boomerang on them. With the likes of Afghanistan’s Noor Ahmed and the experienced Indian pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in their ranks, CSK have the tools to exploit such conditions.

After blowing hot and cold initially, Mumbai’s top-order batting has finally picked pace, with former skipper Rohit Sharma gradually returning to form. Rohit may not have registered a big score yet, but his aggressive start against SRH laid the foundation.

Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav are both in sublime touch, while Ryan Rickelton and Will Jacks have brought much-needed stability and firepower to the batting line-up. MI would also hope for Naman Dhir to continue his explosive cameos in the death overs.

The bowling unit also looks a potent attack with the experienced campaigners — Trent Boult and Jasprit Bumrah leading the pace attack. Pandya, too, has led the side impressively with both the bat and ball. They however, will be worrying about the fitness of leg-spinner Karn Sharma, who suffered a finger webbing injury while fielding against SRH. With little recovery time between games, his availability remains uncertain.

CSK, on the other hand, ended a four-game losing streak with a five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants, but their overall form continues to be patchy. However, a return to the Wankhede, the scene of many iconic battles between these two IPL giants, could reignite their campaign, especially with MS Dhoni back in the spotlight.

Back as full-time captain, MS Dhoni will look to lift CSK’s morale, contribute with the bat in crunch moments and carefully manage his ongoing knee issues. Plagued by injury concerns, CSK’s squad has seen some fresh inclusions, with former MI batter Dewald Brevis and ‘local’ talent Ayush Mhatre. But with both players still acclimatising, their inclusion in the XI might be delayed.

Squads:

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (c&wk), Dewald Brevis, Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddharth, Ayush Mhatre, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, VIjay Shankar, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana.