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The two most successful IPL franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are off to a rather slow start in the 2026 season. Despite winning 10 IPL titles combined, the two franchises have managed a mere two victories and faced four defeats each in their first six matches.

Former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels that both franchises rely heavily on their star players and have failed to adapt to the current T20 format at the desired pace. He believes that emotional attachment to the marquee players could be proving detrimental to their performance.

Manjrekar said on SportStar: 

"CSK and Mumbai Indians are slightly guilty of being emotionally connected and invested in the big-name, big-brand players a bit too much, CSK even more so with Dhoni. This means that you're not getting people who are in their prime. It's like living in the past a little bit. It's just about getting guys who are in their prime in T20 cricket. It's such a modern-day format, so it's best to be current with everything that you do with your team."

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At CSK doubts loom around the role MS Dhoni would play in this year's campaign as he is sidelined with an injury this season. Although the team has experimented with new talent, the right combination still eludes them.

Their season began on a rocky note with three consecutive losses however the two consecutive wins were undone as they stumbled to a 10-run defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Mumbai Indians too face their set of struggles. Veteran opening batsman Rohit Sharma, 38, has been their most consistent performer this season so far. However, marquee players like Suryakumar Yadav and captain Hardik Pandya have failed to maintain consistency and even premier pacer Jasprit Bumrah picked his first wicket of the season in the sixth match against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

 MI faced a string of four consecutive losses after their opening match win but finally managed to find their rhythm with a convincing 99-run victory against Gujarat Titans.

With both teams seeking much-needed momentum, the encounter at the Wankhede stadium promises to be an important one not just to acquire the much-needed two points, but to try and ascertain a stable team composition.

For the time being, the message from experts to both the franchises is clear in a fast-paced T20 format, teams must try to procure players at their peak and must overcome nostalgia if they want to reclaim their lost glory.