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IPL 2026: Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will square off against Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 44th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, May 2.

CSK and MI have faced each other 40 times in IPL history, with Chennai winning 19 matches and Mumbai emerging victorious in 21. The head-to-head record suggests that MI hold a slight upper hand in the upcoming clash, though Chennai cannot be ruled out.

The two sides last met on April 23 at the Wankhede Stadium, where CSK clinched a commanding 103-run win over MI. Sanju Samson was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 101-run knock off 54 balls.

Will MI Hold Upper Hand Over CSK?

Speaking on Star Sports, former cricketer Mohammad Kaif claimed that MI appear stronger than CSK on paper, given the number of match-winners in their squad.

He also pointed out that questions have been raised recently about MI’s poor form in IPL 2026, while CSK have largely relied on Samson’s performances.

“On paper, Mumbai Indians look stronger than Chennai Super Kings because they have a lot of match-winners and experienced campaigners in their side. But when you look at recent form, a lot of questions get raised because MI haven’t been winning many games. That said, on their day, if they play a dominant brand of cricket, they can be very hard to stop. Chennai, on the other hand, have only had Sanju Samson firing so far. They are relying heavily on his performances to win games. That is why Mumbai head into this crucial match with the upper hand,” Kaif said.

MI Aim To Get Back Into Winning Ways

Currently, CSK sit seventh in the IPL 2026 standings with six points and a net run rate of -0.121. They have played eight matches, winning three and losing five.

Meanwhile, MI occupy ninth place with four points and a net run rate of -0.784. The Mumbai-based franchise has played eight games, winning two and losing six.