The opening “El Clasico” fixture of IPL 2026 at the Wankhede Stadium delivered a major talking point before the first ball was even bowled, with neither MS Dhoni nor Rohit Sharma taking part. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bowl, and he backed an XI that matched the one from their win over Gujarat Titans just three days earlier—while also confirming that Rohit, still managing an injury concern, was not ready to return. Chennai Super Kings, meanwhile, made only a single tweak to their lineup, and the change came as a surprise to many given the backdrop around Dhoni.
Dhoni’s continued absence despite net buzz
MS Dhoni had been nursing a calf injury ahead of the season, but the build-up to Thursday’s match had stirred optimism after he was seen batting and keeping during the Wankhede nets on the eve of the game. That sighting naturally sparked expectations of a comeback, yet those hopes did not translate into matchday participation. On Thursday, Dhoni did not even make an appearance at the venue.
Even with the net session adding fuel to the speculation, CSK bowling coach Eric Simmons had already tempered the expectations ahead of time. Speaking during the pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Simmons made it clear that there would be no forced timeline for the veteran’s return.
- Simmons said Dhoni would play only if he felt ready and if the medical team cleared him.
- He added that he would not announce anything “sitting here,” underlining that the decision would be based on fitness and clearance rather than guesswork.
Rohit Sharma ruled out again after hamstring setback
Rohit Sharma’s situation followed a similar pattern. He had resumed training prior to the clash after suffering a hamstring injury during Mumbai’s home match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 12. However, during the training sessions, he did not appear fully convincing, and by Thursday his status was confirmed as unavailable.
As MI players completed their warm-ups, Rohit looked visibly out of the contest in the dugout before Pandya formally confirmed his unavailability for the game.
Only one change for CSK as MI name unchanged XI
With Rohit still sidelined, Mumbai Indians stuck with an unchanged combination from the side that beat Gujarat Titans three days earlier. Chennai Super Kings responded with just one alteration to their XI. Instead of the replacement many might have anticipated, CSK brought in Prashant Veer, with Matt Short making way.
Lineups and impact player options
While both franchises entered the contest without two of their biggest names, the matchup also carried a broader season storyline: the two most successful teams in IPL history—each having won five titles—are currently positioned in the lower half of the points table, having managed only two victories from their first six matches.
Mumbai Indians XI
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Naman Dhir
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Tilak Varma
- Hardik Pandya (capt)
- Sherfane Rutherford
- Mitchell Santner
- Krish Bhagat
- Jasprit Bumrah
- AM Ghazanfar
- Ashwani Kumar
- Impact Player options: Will Jacks, Raj Bawa, Shardul Thakur, Danish Malewar, Mayank Rawat
Chennai Super Kings XI
- Ruturaj Gaikwad (capt)
- Sanju Samson (wk)
- Sarfaraz Khan
- Dewald Brevis
- Shivam Dube
- Kartik Sharma
- Jamie Overton
- Anshul Kamboj
- Noor Ahmad
- Gurjapneet Singh
- Mukesh Choudhary
- Impact Player options: Prashant Veer, Matt Short, Matt Henry, Akeal Hosein, Urvil Patel
