Kamal Ghorui
As Mumbai Indians gear up to face Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23, 2026, uncertainty surrounds the availability of Rohit Sharma, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.A decision on Rohit’s participation will be taken just before the toss, with the team management closely monitoring his fitness ahead of the high-profile clash. There are encouraging signs from the Mumbai Indians camp. Rohit was seen batting in the nets on Wednesday, undergoing a controlled training session. However, ESPNcricinfo suggest he mostly faced throwdowns and avoided big shots during his 25-minute stint, indicating a cautious approach in his recovery.The injury, sustained earlier this month on April 12, has already ruled him out of MI’s last two matches against Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans. If Rohit is deemed fit to bat but not field, MI could use him as an Impact Player to manage his workload. This would allow the team to utilize his batting strength without risking further strain on his hamstring.In case Rohit is unavailable, Danish Malewar is likely to continue as an opener alongside Quinton de Kock, having filled in during his absence.
A Key Figure Against CSK
Rohit Sharma is the leading run-scorer in the history of the Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings rivalry, with 913 runs across 31 matches. He holds a significant advantage at today’s venue, having surpassed 500 IPL runs against CSK alone at the Wankhede Stadium.The Mumbai Indians (MI) currently lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) 21–18 in their 39 overall head-to-head encounters in the IPL as of April 2026 . When including their matches from the defunct Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20), the record stands at 22-19 across 41 meetings. These teams have met in a record four IPL finals (2010, 2013, 2015, and 2019). MI has won three of those four championship clashes (2013, 2015 and 2019). Although MI leads historically, CSK has been more successful recently, winning 5 of their last 6 meetings between 2022 and early 2025. MI won the most recent encounter on 20 April 2025 by 9 wickets.
