IPL 2026: MI win toss, opt to bowl against CSK; Dhoni and Rohit miss out

MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are set to miss today`s game (Pic: IPL)

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bowl first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. MI are currently seventh in the points table, while CSK sit eighth, with both teams having four points from six matches.

After winning the toss, Hardik Pandya said he was happy to bowl first and make use of the green-tinged surface to restrict the opposition to a low total.

"We are going to bowl first. I think a lot of boxes were ticked. The intensity was there, and we needed that kind of a game where everyone contributes. It was a perfect team effort. It was also a conscious effort that no matter what happens, intensity is in your control. We just want to enjoy ourselves. This pitch looks green, but it did in the game against KKR as well and played pretty well. It's going to be a good track. We want to see what we are chasing. Same team," Hardik Pandya said.

CSK captain Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that he would have preferred to bowl first as well. He also confirmed that MS Dhoni is missing the match due to a recurring calf issue.

"We would have bowled first as well, but it was a 50-50 call. It looks like a good wicket, and at Wankhede, you have to bat well regardless of whether you're batting first or second. It's about putting up a strong performance even if you bat first. We are doing well, but we haven't been able to capitalise on key moments. However, I think we pulled things back well with the ball in the last game. Even with the bat, we started well. It's just about making the most of those crucial moments to secure a win. Everyone is confident and ready to go," Ruturaj Gaikwad said.

Confirmed Playing XI for both teams:

Mumbai Indians (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya(c), Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Krish Bhagat, AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar

Chennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Mukesh Choudhary