Mumbai Indians (MI) host Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Wankhede this Thursday, 23rd April 2026, and the one name everyone is talking about before a ball is bowled is MS Dhoni, who could finally be making his return after his fitness recovery and that changes the CSK equation considerably. Our MI vs CSK Today Match Prediction backs Chennai to win this one, and we break down exactly why through team previews, player form, toss and free betting insights.
Today’s Match Winning Percentage
Series: Indian Premier League 2026
Teams: Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings
Date: 23 April 2026
Time: 7:30 PM LOCAL (IST), 2:00 PM GMT, 7:00 AM PT, 10:00 AM ET
Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Broadcast: Star Sports 1 HD / Star Sports 3
Streaming: JioHotstar
Mumbai Indians Preview and Performance
The Mumbai Indians (MI) needed that. After four straight losses, they beat Gujarat Titans in Match 30 and did it convincingly enough that the dressing room had reason to breathe again.
They batted first and posted 199/5, though the total had very little to do with the top order. Tilak Verma came in with MI wobbling and simply took the game away from GT, 101 off 45 balls, an innings that shifted the whole complexion of the match. Naman Dhir made 45 off 32 to give it a decent platform, but Tilak was the story.
The bowlers then finished it cleanly. Bumrah got a first-ball wicket of Sudharshan and bowled three overs for 15 runs, exactly the kind of powerplay spell MI needed from him. Ashwani Kumar was the standout with four wickets in four overs for just 24 runs, and Ghazanfar came in late, bowled 2.5 overs for 17 and took two wickets including one in the last over to wrap things up. Santner took two with the ball and Hardik picked off Jos Butler at a key moment. GT folded for 100 in 15.5 overs and the game was long gone by then.
Two wins from six, seventh on the table, four points. The win was necessary but MI are nowhere near comfortable yet. Match 33 against CSK is the kind of fixture where the top order needs to actually show up, not just Tilak.
The Rohit Sharma situation adds another layer of uncertainty. Bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has said he is fit and has been training hard in Ahmedabad, but he sat out the GT game on April 20 and nobody is quite sure when he comes back. Against CSK, MI need answers from more than one batter.
Chennai Super Kings Preview and Performance
The Chennai Super Kings are in a difficult spot heading into Match 33, eighth on the table with two wins from six games and a net run rate of -0.780. The season has had no real rhythm to it. Three losses to start, a brief recovery with back-to-back home wins at Chepauk against KKR and Delhi Capitals, and then a 10-run defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 18 that knocked the wind out of that momentum. CSK have not been able to string results together and it is starting to show in the table.
The batting has been carried largely by two players. Ayush Mhatre had 201 runs and was shaping up as CSK’s most dangerous batter, but a hamstring tear against SRH has ended his season entirely. That is a significant loss. Sanju Samson has 192 runs and remains a key figure in the middle order, Sarfaraz Khan has chipped in with 147 at a strike rate of 170.93 and Shivam Dube has made 123, but skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad has managed just 82 runs in six matches and his form at the top is a real concern for this side.
With Mhatre gone, CSK are looking at Urvil Patel as the likeliest replacement. He averaged a strike rate of 212.5 in IPL 2025 and holds the record for the fastest T20 century by an Indian batter in domestic cricket, 28 balls, so the firepower is there if he gets the nod. Anshul Kamboj has been the one genuine bright spot all season with 13 wickets, firmly in the Purple Cap conversation, and Jamie Overton has supported well with eight.
The biggest talking point going into the MI clash is MS Dhoni. Head coach Stephen Fleming confirmed on April 17 that Dhoni is fully fit and training at full intensity, but he was not in the playing eleven against SRH on April 18. His return against Mumbai Indians would give CSK a serious lift, both in the dressing room and out in the middle. Whether Fleming and Gaikwad pull that trigger could well define how this match 33 goes.
Today’s Playing XI Prediction — MI vs CSK, Match 33, IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians (MI):
Quinton de Kock (WK), Danish Malewar, Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Hardik Pandya (C), Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Allah Ghazanfar, Trent Boult.
Impact Player: Mitchell SantnerChennai Super Kings (CSK):
Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Sanju Samson (WK), Urvil Patel, Dewald Brevis, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, MS Dhoni (WK/BAT), Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Anshul Kamboj, Noor Ahmad.
Impact Player: MS Dhoni
Key Players to Watch — MI vs CSK, Match 33, IPL 2026
Mumbai Indians (MI)
- Tilak Verma (Batter): 101 off 45 balls against GT last match, and he leads MI’s run charts with 144 runs this season. When MI were wobbling, he took the game away single-handedly. Form does not get much better than that right now.
- Suryakumar Yadav (Batter): 328 runs in his last 10 matches at a strike rate of 157.69. SKY at Wankhede is a fixture CSK’s bowlers will have circled already. He hits angles that simply should not exist.
- Jasprit Bumrah (Bowler): The wickets have not flooded in yet but his economy of 8.14 tells its own story. That first-ball dismissal against GT was a reminder that when Bumrah is in the mood, the game shifts before the crowd has settled.
- Ashwani Kumar (Bowler): 4/24 against GT and suddenly one of the most talked-about bowlers in this tournament. Nobody saw that coming at the start of the season. CSK would be wise not to take him lightly.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK)
- Anshul Kamboj (Bowler): 13 wickets in 6 matches and the Purple Cap is his to lose right now. MI’s top order has enough firepower but Kamboj has made better batting lineups look ordinary this season.
- Sanju Samson (Batter/WK): 185 runs in 5 innings with a 115 not out already on the board. Mhatre’s injury puts more on his shoulders now and Samson has never looked like someone who shies away from that kind of responsibility.
- Jamie Overton (All-rounder): Season best of 4/18 and three more against SRH just last game. Quietly CSK’s most reliable bowling option and the kind of player who turns up when the pressure is highest.
- MS Dhoni (WK-Batter): His first appearance of the season if the fitness holds up and Wankhede is about as fitting a stage as it gets for him. The finisher role is unchanged but what he does to a dressing room’s belief is harder to put a number on.
MI vs CSK Weather Report Mumbai | April 23
Wankhede gets a clear evening with temperatures cooling to around 29°C to 30°C by match time and absolutely no rain in the forecast, so a full game is guaranteed. Humidity climbing to nearly 70% through the night means dew will be a factor in the second innings, which could make life difficult for spinners and nudge both captains towards chasing at the toss.
Also Read: LSG vs RR Today Match Prediction — Match 32, IPL 2026
MI vs CSK Match 33 Pitch Report — Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Wankhede is a batter’s ground and this pitch will be no different, with the surface offering consistent pace and bounce, short boundaries between 64 and 72 meters, and a lightning fast outfield that makes even good deliveries disappear. Pacers account for 71% of wickets here and teams batting second have won 54% of matches, so with dew expected to build through the chase, both captains will want to bowl first when they walk out for the toss.
MI vs CSK Toss Prediction — Match 33, IPL 2026
Our IPL toss prediction backs CSK to win the toss the toss and put MI in to bat, with dew, short boundaries and a chasing-friendly surface all pointing in one direction at Wankhede. If Hardik Pandya calls it right instead, do not expect a different decision — bowling first is the only logical move for either captain tonight.
Toss Prediction: Toss winner will bowl first. We back CSK to win the toss.
Today’s Betting Insights — MI vs CSK IPL 2026
- Who will win the toss Today: CSK to win the toss and elect to bowl first.
- Top Batter to Watch: Sanju Samson
- Top Bowler to Watch: Jasprit Bumrah
- Free Betting Tip: CSK are favourites to win this 33rd match IPL 2026.
Looking for more betting tips for IPL 2026? Check our IPL Betting Tips
MI vs CSK Today Match Prediction — Who Will Win Match 33, IPL 2026?
Our IPL today match prediction backs Chennai Super Kings to get over the line here and snap their two-match losing run at Wankhede. MI’s bowling has shown improvement but defending a total on this surface, with dew settling in and CSK’s middle order carrying real firepower, is a tough ask. CSK to win, chasing, with Samson and the potential return of Dhoni making the difference in the back half of the innings.
Prediction: CSK to win Match 33, IPL 2026.
