IPL 2026: CSK vs MI, Match 44 – Top player battles to watch out for

The Mumbai Indians head to the Chepauk to face arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings in yet another face-off of the IPL’s most successful teams in the tournament’s ‘Clasico’.

The two sides meet at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai after facing off at the Wankhede Stadium on April 23. On that occasion, it was the Super Kings who prevailed, winning by a whopping 103 runs, which is the first time the Mumbai Indians have been beaten by over 100 runs.

Sanju Samson’s century propelled Super Kings to 207/6 after being put into bat before Mumbai Indians were bundled out for 104, with Akeal Hosein picking up four wickets. These two sides have not had the best of seasons, but still possess enough star power with players who can change the course of games single-handedly.

Here are the top player battles to watch out for from Match 44:

3) Shivam Dube vs AM Ghazanfar

While Shivam Dube has evolved into one of the most dangerous spin-hitters in the game, he has not been at his fluent best in 2026. He has scored just 150 runs, striking at 140.19, and has been used sparingly all season. He is still a potent six-hitter against spin bowling and has shown glimpses of his threat through the season.

While the Mumbai Indians have had a poor season, one of their bright spots has been the bowling of Afghanistan mystery-spinner AM Ghazanfar. He has picked up 10 wickets in six games this season, and despite going at an economy of 9.4, has looked MI’s most threatening bowler. Ghazanfar had Dube bowled in the previous encounter between these two sides.

2) Dewald Brevis vs Hardik Pandya

Dewald Brevis has yet to get into gear in IPL 2026. After missing the first few games with a side strain, he has scored just 54 runs in five matches with a highest score of 41. Despite this, he goes around the world as one of the highly rated batters in the shortest format. In the previous encounter, he was troubled by the short ball, eventually falling to Ashwani Kumar while trying to lift a short ball over the third-man boundary.

With this in mind, his matchup against Hardik Pandya would be one to keep an eye out for. The MI skipper has yet to make a mark with the ball in IPL 2026, but his hard-length bowling could trouble Brevis. The pair has met in four innings, with Brevis having scored 25 runs off 15 balls against Hardik, while being dismissed once.

1) Sanju Samson vs Jasprit Bumrah

Sanju Samson scored a marvellous century the last time these two teams met. The opener played fluently, finishing unbeaten on 101, which was the backbone of the Super Kings’ ascent to 207 at the Wankhede Stadium. Ensuring he does not get off to a flyer like in the previous encounter will be on Jasprit Bumrah’s shoulders. Mumbai’s ace speedster has had an underwhelming season, picking up just two wickets in eight matches for the team in blue and gold.

This is a balanced matchup, with the pair having met in 14 innings. Samson has scored 84 runs in 74 balls off Bumrah’s bowling in the IPL, while being dismissed twice. Neither one holds the upper hand in the matchup, but as the star players of their respective teams, they will be expected to come up against each other.