Mark Boucher, Mumbai Indians’ head coach, put it bluntly: "Mumbai Indians without Jasprit Bumrah is straight away not a good thing." The five-time IPL champions will feel his absence deeply as they take on Chennai Super Kings in what is billed as the first El Clásico of the 2025 IPL season at Chepauk.
Bumrah, recovering from a lower back injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, is expected to return only in April. With their pace spearhead missing, Mumbai face a formidable CSK unit that has dominated this rivalry in recent meetings, winning four of their last five encounters, including three in a row.
CSK have built their squad around their home fortress, maximising spin-friendly conditions at Chepauk. The acquisitions of Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal, and Deepak Hooda bolster an already potent attack featuring Ravindra Jadeja. Their strategy is clear: choke opposition batters on slow, turning tracks.
The only selection dilemma for CSK is who will open alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad—Rachin Ravindra or Devon Conway. With a solid middle order of Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, and Deepak Hooda, plus finishers like Dhoni and Jadeja, CSK look well-balanced.
The absence of Bumrah is not Mumbai’s only headache. Skipper Hardik Pandya is out due to a one-match ban for slow over-rate violations, while Suryakumar Yadav’s poor form—just 28 runs in five T20Is against England—adds to their concerns. However, SKY remains unfazed: "The harder you work, the luckier you get. I believe in the process, and I know the runs will come."
Without Bumrah, MI’s pace attack will be led by Trent Boult, supported by Deepak Chahar and Reece Topley. All-rounder Corbin Bosch provides flexibility, while former CSK spinner Mitchell Santner will aim to use his knowledge of Chepauk conditions to his new team's advantage.
Despite losing Ishan Kishan, MI have strengthened their batting by picking Ryan Rickelton, who is expected to play a crucial role alongside Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma. With Rohit Sharma anchoring the top order, Mumbai's batting still carries firepower. The key question is whether they can adapt to CSK’s spin-heavy attack.
Historically, Mumbai have a slight edge over CSK, winning 20 of their 37 meetings. But in recent years, CSK have had the upper hand, and their dominance at Chepauk gives them the psychological advantage heading into this contest.
With a depleted squad, MI will need to produce something special to overcome CSK’s spin trap and break their recent losing streak in this high-voltage rivalry.
Probable Squad: Chennai Super Kings: - Ruturaj Gaikwad (C), Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar, Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, MS Dhoni (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Matheesha Pathirana, and Khaleel Ahmed.
Impact Substitute: Shreyas Gopal / Mukesh Choudhary
Mumbai Indians: - Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickleton (WK), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (C), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Impact Substitute: Karn Sharma
