The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have long had a dominant position in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Both have been the most reliable teams and have won the championship a record five times apiece. Notably, they have also faced off in four IPL finals, with Mumbai emerging victorious in three of those encounters. Their prospects of qualifying for the playoffs are called into question, though, as they haven’t received the start they would have liked in the ongoing IPL 2025.
In 2013, the Mumbai Indians, led by Rohit Sharma, underwent a metamorphosis. In past seasons, they managed to recover and earn postseason positions even after losing early games. Despite their early setbacks, this trend has kept their fans hopeful. However, in 12 of their 15 seasons, CSK has made it to the playoffs, making them one of the most reliable teams. Legendary captain MS Dhoni, who led the club to five championships, has received a lot of praise for their achievements. They advanced to a record eleven finals and were formidable competitors even when they lost.
In their 2025 season opening, CSK and MI faced off, with the former emerging victorious after a close contest.
But since then, both teams have had challenges. While Mumbai has lost two straight games and is still without a victory, Chennai has won one and lost another. Chennai defeated MI in the season opener between the two teams because their bowlers skilfully took advantage of the home field. When CSK faltered against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their subsequent game, RCB won for the first time in Chennai since 2008.
However, MI suffered yet another defeat at the hands of the Gujarat Titans (GT) following CSK’s defeat. Their bowling and batting departments appeared to be in disarray as a result of captain Hardik Pandya’s poor choices about the starting XI.
Both teams have experienced early defeats as a result of their struggles with tactical blunders. The team hasn’t been able to carry out their plans well, thus Pandya’s return to MI as captain hasn’t been ideal. Moreover, their bowling has been hindered by Jasprit Bumrah’s absence. Ruturaj Gaikwad replaced MS Dhoni as captain, but the transition has not gone smoothly.
The 2025 season has not been great, despite the fact that both clubs have a history of making impressive comebacks. Due to CSK’s patchy results under a new captain and MI’s selection and execution problems, both teams have committed mistakes. These teams run a real risk of missing out on the playoffs if they don’t make amends quickly. There is minimal room for poor starts because the competition is fierce in a 10-team format. MI and CSK’s prospects of earning a postseason berth will drastically decrease if they don’t make a quick turnaround.
India
