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Peter Green - March 21, 2025
What better way to spend the first Sunday of the IPL season than with a classic Chennai vs. Mumbai showdown? The Chennai-Mumbai clash is one of the biggest attractions in the whole of IPL and to see it in the third game of the season, that too on Sunday is a special feast.
However, neither team managed to secure a top four finish last season. For Mumbai Indians, it was another season to forget as they finished at the bottom of the standings with just four wins recorded to their name.
Meanwhile, Chennai had a chance to secure a top four-spot in their last regular match-day against Royal Challengers Bangalore. But the RCB side defeated them and grabbed a ticket to the playoffs, knocking the 2023 champions CSK out of the race.
The Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians share one of the most intense rivalries in IPL history. They have faced each other 36 times, with Mumbai holding a slight edge with 20 wins, while CSK has won 16. In their last six meetings, CSK have been the better side, winning five of the last six games. .
At the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, CSK has dominated historically. Out of 10 encounters, CSK has won 7, while Mumbai has managed only 3 victories. The slow, spin-friendly surface has often played into CSK’s strengths, favoring their spinners and middle-order stability. While Mumbai lead the overall record, CSK have a clear home advantage at Chepauk.
Chennai Super Kings:
CSK retained core players including Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ravindra Jadeja, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, and veteran captain MS Dhoni.
The team reacquired opener Devon Conway and brought back all-rounder Rachin Ravindra using the Right to Match card. Notably, CSK secured the services of veteran spinner R Ashwin, marking his return to the franchise. Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad was also added to bolster the spin department.
Mumbai Indians:
Suryakumar Yadav will captain MI in their IPL opener against CSK, as regular captain Hardik Pandya serves a one-match suspension due to a slow over-rate infraction from the previous season.
Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is set to miss the early games of the season owing to a back injury. Additionally, spinner Allah Ghazanfar has been sidelined due to a spinal fracture, leading to the inclusion of Mujeeb Ur Rahman as his replacement.
Ravichandran Ashwin (CSK) – The experience of one of the all-time best IPL bowler, R. Ashwin is definitely a strong player to watch out for. He picked up 55 wickets combined from the last five IPL seasons.
Rachin Ravindra (CSK) – A valuable addition to the squad considering his all-rounder ability. He is so good as an opening batsman, scoring 222 runs from 10 games last season.
Trent Boult (MI) – Trent Boult is one among IPL’s most dangerous bowlers. He picked up 78 wickets in his last 67 matches in the campaign and is likely to cause a damage to the CSK batting attack in the first and last 6 overs.
Captain- Ruturaj Gaikwad
Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Deepak Hooda, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curren, MS Dhoni, R. Ashwin, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad.
Captain- Suryakumar Yadav
Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickleton, Tilak Varma, Will Jacks, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult.
Match Prediction & Betting Options
CSK kick off their campaign at Chepauk, where they have historically dominated Mumbai. Starting the IPL with a match against the arch-rivals makes this a widely anticipating encounter. However, the traveling Mumbai squad lacks firepower, with Bumrah and Hardik Pandya unavailable.
Meanwhile, Chennai enter this match with their vintage spin combo, Jadeja and Ashwin along with a set of bowlers who have some flare. With a three-match winning streak against Mumbai and a strong spin attack, Chennai are well-positioned to start with a win.
Moving on, Chennai scored over 200 just once in their last five meetings against Mumbai Indians. However, the first 10 overs have been good for Mumbai as they netted over 81 runs in their past three meetings against Chennai.
Additionally, Mumbai Indians have lost a wicket under 22 runs in three of their last five meetings against CSK. With Chennai’s balanced bowling attack and Mumbai’s historical struggles at Chepauk, expect Mumbai to lose an early wicket—making the under 22.5 runs wicket loss bet a strong option.
