IPL 2026, CSK vs MI: Key player matchups
What's the story
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) will square off for the second time in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The much-awaited reverse fixture will be held at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 2. In their first meeting this season, CSK claimed a 103-run win over MI at Wankhede Stadium. Here are the key player matchups.
#1
Sanju Samson vs Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah, who is in his worst IPL phase, could be even more lethal against MI's arch-rivals. He will definitely target the CSK top order. Bumrah would hope to remove the dangerous Sanju Samson, who scored a ton against MI in the previous fixture. According to ESPNcricinfo, the former has restricted Samson's strike rate to 113.51 while dismissing him twice in 14 T20 innings.
#2
Suryakumar Yadav vs Akeal Hosein
Suryakumar Yadav would also want to end his run drought. After scoring a half-century against Delhi Capitals, his scores read 6, 33, 0, 15, 36, and 5. Spinner Akeal Hosein was the star for CSK in their first fixture against MI, also dismissing Suryakumar Yadav. Notably, the West Indies spinner has dismissed SKY twice in eight T20 innings, with the latter striking at 114.28.
#3
Ruturaj Gaikwad vs Trent Boult
Another interesting battle to watch out for! Although Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a rescuing half-century in CSK's last fixture (versus GT), he is yet to break the shackles this season. He will face a fired-up Trent Boult in the Powerplay. The left-arm pacer has dismissed Gaikwad thrice in six T20 innings. Gaikwad has a strike rate of 109.67 in this matchup.