Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will face off as early as the second day of the IPL 2025 season, adding to the excitement around the tournament, which gets underway on March 22 in Kolkata. Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium will host the El Clásico of the Indian Premier League on Saturday, with organisers scheduling the high-profile clash early in the season.
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Unlike last year, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will meet twice in the league stage, with the reverse fixture taking place at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 20. In IPL 2024, fans missed out on a double-header between the two most successful franchises, as they met only once at Wankhede, where Chennai secured a 20-run victory.
The anticipation for these blockbuster clashes has only grown since the organisers announced the IPL 2025 schedule on Sunday, February 16.
NO HARDIK FOR MI IN CHENNAI
Notably, Mumbai Indians will be without their captain, Hardik Pandya, for the high-profile match in Chennai. Hardik was handed a one-match ban in IPL 2024 following Mumbai Indians’ final league game. Since MI did not qualify for the playoffs, the suspension carries over to the IPL 2025 season.
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Hardik was penalised for three over-rate offences in IPL 2024. As per league regulations, when a team fails to maintain the required over-rate three times in a season, the captain faces a one-match suspension.
It remains to be seen who will lead Mumbai Indians in Chennai, as they have multiple players with captaincy experience. Rohit Sharma, one of the most successful captains in IPL history, is an obvious choice. Additionally, MI have India’s Test captain Jasprit Bumrah and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav in their squad.
Hardik Pandya was under immense pressure last year, as MI finished at the bottom of the table with just four wins in 14 matches. He faced scrutiny and even booing from MI fans after replacing Rohit Sharma as franchise captain.
Hardik will be hoping for a turnaround in MI’s fortunes, and their opener against the Super Kings will be crucial for their confidence.
Mumbai Indians will have a demanding schedule in IPL 2025, as they do not have more than two consecutive home games at any point in the season.
Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings will enjoy a strong home advantage, playing four of their first six matches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. However, only one home game has been scheduled for CSK in May due to the excessive heat in the city during that month.
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) IPL 2025 Full Schedule
- 23rd March, CSK vs MI, Chennai
- 28th March, CSK vs RCB, Chennai
- 30th March, CSK vs RR, Guwahati
- 5th April, CSK vs DC, Chennai
- 8th April, CSK vs PBKS, New Chandigarh
- 11th April, CSK vs KKR, Chennai
- 14th April, CSK vs LSG, Lucknow
- 20th April, CSK vs MI, Mumbai
- 25th April, CSK vs SRH, Chennai
- 30th April, CSK vs PBKS, Chennai
- 3rd May, CSK vs RCB, Bengaluru
- 7th May, CSK vs KKR, Kolkata
- 12th May, CSK vs RR, Chennai
- 18th May*, CSK vs GT, Ahmedabad
Mumbai Indians (MI) IPL 2025 Full Schedule
- 23rd March, MI vs CSK, Chennai
- 29th March, MI vs GT, Ahmedabad
- 31st March, MI vs KKR, Mumbai
- 4th April, MI vs LSG, Lucknow
- 7th April, MI vs RCB, Mumbai
- 13th April, MI vs DC, Delhi
- 17th April, MI vs SRH, Mumbai
- 20th April, MI vs CSK, Mumbai
- 23rd April, MI vs SRH, Hyderabad
- 27th April*, MI vs LSG, Mumbai (*Afternoon Game)
- 1st May, MI vs RR, Jaipur
- 6th May, MI vs GT, Mumbai
- 11th May*, MI vs PBKS, Dharamsala (*Afternoon Game)
- 15th May, MI vs DC, Mumbai
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