MI vs CSK Highlights IPL 2022: Finisher MS Dhoni steers Chennai Super Kings to three-wicket win over Mumbai Indians

Both Mumbai and Chennai have won two games each in the last four games between them. Just one out of those four was played in India, with the remaining three hosted in UAE.

With five losses from six games, Chennai also stare at the elimination. A defeat tonight would take the defending champions closer to exit from the tournament. Mumbai are already in a tricky spot with six straight defeats. The two teams have just 1 win in 12 games this season.

How good has been Maheesh Theekshana for Chennai! Bowling with an action that is far from conventional, the off-spinner from Sri Lanka has taken six wickets in just three games.

West Indian left-arm spinner Fabian Allen also didn’t impress in his first game for Mumbai, taking 1-46 in his four against Lucknow. Mumbai could try out Mayank Markande in his place.

vs GT: Lost by 3 wickets

vs RCB: Won by 23 runs

vs SRH: Lost by 8 wickets

vs PBKS: Lost by 54 runs

vs LSG: Lost by 6 wickets

vs LSG: Lost by 18 runs

vs PBKS: Lost by 12 runs

vs RCB: Lost by 7 wickets

vs KKR: Lost by 5 wickets

vs RCB: Lost by 23 runs

Skipper Rohit Sharma took ‘full responsibility’ for Mumbai Indians' sixth consecutive defeat after KL Rahul's ton outwitted the IPL heavyweights.

"It's not coming off, I take the full responsibility of no putting the team in the situation of what they expect from me," said Rohit in the post-match presentation.

Ishan Kishan has 191 runs from six games but the young opener needs to punch above his weight in tonight's crucial games. Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav have shown individual batting brilliance but the Mumbai outfit needs collective firepower of batters against Chennai. 

The most prolific batter for Chennai against Mumbai has been former skipper MS Dhoni. He has got 589 runs against the opposition. 

While Lasith Malinga remains the most successful MI bowler against CSK with 31 wickets to his name, Kieron Pollard is the standout bowler from the current lot. The West Indian has picked up 14 wickets against Chennai.

Jasprit Bumrah is all set to play his 200th T20 game if he takes the field tonight. The pacer has been the lone bright spot in an otherwise lacklustre bowling effort from the five-time IPL winners.

Dewald Brevis countered with 31 off 13 balls in the previous game and this game will be the South African batter's first brush with the MI-CSK IPL rivalry.

Mumbai Indians will rely heavily on Ishan Kishan at the top. The youngster has got just 42 runs in his last three games after notching up consecutive fifties in the first two games of IPL 2022.

Chris Jordan bled 38 runs in 11 deliveries against Gujarat Titans and also gave away 25 runs in 18th over. Chennai could include Dwaine Pretorious, who has picked up four wickets in two games this season. His economy has been 7.62.

Robin Uthappa is all set to play his 200th IPL game. He will become the seventh player to reach the landmark. The veteran batter also needs 81 runs to complete 5000 IPL runs.

Rohit Sharma (c), Anmolpreet Singh, Rahul Buddhi, Ramandeep Singh, SuryakumarYadav, Tilak Verma, Tim David, Arjun Tendulkar, Basil Thampi, Hrithik Shokeen, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer, Mayank Markande, Murugan Ashwin, Riley Meredith, Tymal Mills, Arshad Khan, Daniel Sams, Dewald Brevis, Fabian Allen, Kieron Pollard, Sanjay Yadav, Aryan Juyal and Ishan Kishan.

Former India tweaker Harbhajan Singh even compared the MI-CSK game to the India-Pakistan rivalry on the international stage.

“This match was like India vs Pakistan in terms of rivalry. This was a big match for players and also in terms of fan following," he told Sportskeeda.

Mumbai have won five out of eight games at the venue and they flaunt a 59.38 win per cent against Chennai. First win of season on the cards?

Mumbai Indians have endured six straight defeats and a loss tonight will take the tally to seven - the most consecutive defeats by any team at start of an IPL season.

One of the biggest concerns for Mumbai Indians has been the form of skipper Rohit Sharma. The opener has scored 114 runs from six innings, and the team will expect him to turn up in this crucial game. Rohit has been the top performer for Mumbai against Chennai Super Kings, with 661 runs against the four-time IPL winners.

Talking about Head to Head record, Mumbai Indians have won 19 out of 32 games against Chennai Super Kings. But they enter the contest on the back of six losses on the trot.

Ravindra Jadeja (c), MS Dhoni, Moeen Ali, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dwayne Bravo, Ambati Rayadu, Robin Uthappa, Mitchell Santner, Chris Jordan, Adam Milne, Devon Conway, Shivam Dube, Dwaine Pretorius, Maheesh Theekshana, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Tushar Deshpande, KM Asif, C Hari Nishaanth, N Jagadeesan, Subranshu Senapati, K Bhagath Verma, Prashant Solanki, Simarjeet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary.

While Ruturaj Gaikwad eyes another big knock, the onus will be on Robin Uthappa and Shivam Dube if he falters. The Uthappa-Dube pair shared a 165-run stand – the highest for the third wicket in the history of IPL. They steered CSK to their first and only win of the season against RCB.

For Chennai, the biggest positive is Ruturaj Gaikwad finding his lost mojo with a brilliant fifty against Gujarat Titans. But Ravindra Jadeja will expect his bowlers to shoulder more responsibility tonight. The skipper himself hasn't looked his usual self with the ball.

Chennai have been missing Deepak Chahar and Adam Milne's absence piles further pressure on the defending champions.

Matheesha Pathirana, a 19-year old medium pacer, was a part of Sri Lanka's U19 World Cup squads in 2020 and 2022.