Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) face off in Match 3 of IPL 2025 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on March 23. Both teams have won five IPL titles and are meeting in a high-profile clash on the first Sunday of the season. Several question marks remain on the likely CSK vs MI playing 11 and we look to clear the air around some of the choices.
CSK missed the playoffs in 2024 despite playing all home games at Chepauk. The surface didn’t assist spin as it used to, and that’s an area they’ll want to fix in 2025. Their squad this year has strong spin options again, with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja playing key roles. They also have a slightly less power-heavy batting unit compared to previous years.
Mumbai Indians are without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, but Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav bring experience. Interestingly, MI haven’t won their opening match of an IPL season since 2012 – also against CSK at this venue.
ALSO READ: CSK vs MI Dream11 Prediction
The two teams will likely focus on big-hitting resources and handy spinners for this fixture at the Chepauk. As such, expect line-ups that are slightly different to what they might regularly field elsewhere,especially for Mumbai Indians.
Chennai Super Kings have a very strong line-up with only a few spots up for grabs. Deepak Hooda is likely to pip Rahul Tripathi and Vijay Shankar to the XI because of his part-time off-spin capabilities. Tripathi could be used as an impact substitute.
CSK XI: (confirmed) Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Rachin Ravindra, Deepak Hooda, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni(w), Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Khaleel Ahmed
Impact Players: Rahul Tripathi, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Vijay Shankar, Jamie Overton, Shaik Rasheed
Check out the IPL 2025 Points Table
ALSO READ: CSK vs MI Dream11 Top Captaincy Picks, Players to Avoid
Mumbai Indians are without captain Hardik Pandya, who is serving a carried-over over-rate fine from last year. This makes their balance slightly off. With Jasprit Bumrah also out, Mumbai Indians have their task cut out against a strong CSK side in their backyard.
Mumbai Indians XI (confirmed): Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Satyanarayana Raju
Impact Players: Vignesh Puthur, Ashwani Kumar, Raj Bawa, Corbin Bosch, Karn Sharma
READ: CHE vs MI Predictions, Odds & Betting Tips
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