Chennai, March 22: The El Clasico of Indian Premier League (IPL) between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians will return as the two most successful franchises lock horns in their opening match of the 2025 season at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday.

With CSK relying on their formidable spin attack and MI missing key players, the home side will start as slight favourites in a contest that could set the tone for both teams’ campaigns.

Five-time IPL champions CSK have built their squad with a clear focus on maximising their advantage in spin-friendly conditions at Chepauk. They strengthened their spin department in last year’s mega auction by acquiring Ravichandran Ashwin, Noor Ahmad, Shreyas Gopal and Deepak Hooda, adding to the experience of Ravindra Jadeja.

With these reinforcements, CSK’s strategy to choke opposition batters on slow, turning tracks could be crucial against MI’s power-packed batting line-up.

At the center of it all will be MS Dhoni, whose presence remains a source of inspiration for CSK fans. The veteran keeper-batter, who has been with the franchise since the IPL’s inception, will once again play a key role both behind the stumps and in guiding his bowlers tactically.

Mumbai Indians, on the other hand, will be without their pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who continues to recover from a back injury. His absence, particularly in the death overs, could leave MI vulnerable against CSK’s aggressive middle order.

Adding to their concerns, regular captain Hardik Pandya is also unavailable for this match due to a one-game suspension for a slow over-rate violation in the previous season. In his absence, India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav will lead MI in a crucial away fixture.

CSK will also have a decision to make regarding their opening pair. One of New Zealand’s dynamic batters, either Rachin Ravindra or Devon Conway, is expected to partner captain Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top. Their middle order features a strong Indian core in Rahul Tripathi, Shivam Dube, Vijay Shankar and Deepak Hooda while Dhoni and Jadeja will provide the finishing touch.

For MI, they will rely on an explosive top order featuring Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar and Tilak Varma. The departure of Ishan Kishan has left a void, but the South African wicketkeeper-batter Rickelton has the firepower to fill that role.

MI’s bowling attack is yet to be at full strength. While they boast experienced pacers like Trent Boult, Deepak Chahar and Reece Topley, the team will have to carefully manage their resources in the absence of Bumrah. The presence of all-rounder Corbin Bosch could offer some flexibility, while former CSK spinner Mitchell Santner’s familiarity with Chepauk conditions might prove useful.

CSK have dominated MI in recent meetings, winning four of their last five encounters, including three consecutive victories. Mumbai will be eager to turn things around after finishing at the bottom of the table last season, a campaign marred by Hardik’s appointment as captain over Rohit Sharma.

The match will also offer a first glimpse at how the new ball-change rule in the second innings influences team strategies. With CSK banking on spin and MI dealing with key absences, the Chepauk showdown promises an intriguing battle between two IPL heavyweights looking to start their season on a winning note.

Squads:

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni (wk), Devon Conway, Rahul Tripathi, Shaik Rasheed, Vansh Bedi (wk), C Andre Siddharth, Rachin Ravindra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Anshul Kamboj, Deepak Hooda, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Khaleel Ahmed, Noor Ahmad, Mukesh Choudhary, Gurjapneet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Matheesha Pathirana.

Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Robin Minz, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Shrijith Krishnan (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Will Jacks, Mitchell Santner, Raj Angad Bawa, Vignesh Puthur, Corbin Bosch, Trent Boult, Karn Sharma, Deepak Chahar, Ashwani Kumar, Reece Topley, VS Penmetsa, Arjun Tendulkar, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Jasprit Bumrah.

When: Sunday, March 23

Where: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

Broadcast: The match will be televised live on the Star Sports Network.

Streaming: The match will be live streamed on JioHotstar app and website.

New Chandigarh, March 22: Punjab Kings’ new head coach Ricky Ponting is all pumped up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and shared his thoughts for the season including building the best-ever team in the franchise’s history to lift their maiden title.

In his latest conversation with meta creators at New PCA stadium in New Chandigarh, the Australian World Cup-winning captain looked quite confident of the new squad built in this season’s auction and is backing them to lift the trophy this year.

“The overall vision for this team is to win the IPL. I told the guys on the very first day when I joined the camp in Dharamshala that we were going to create and become the greatest Punjab Kings team that’s played. That’s the journey that we’re on and that doesn’t happen overnight. You’ve got to create that,” said the former Australian captain.

Explaining the winning mindset he is trying to bring to the team, Ponting added, “Winning is really an attitude thing. If we turn up to play, the opposition turns up to play, if they want to beat us, then it feels like they’re taking something away and I don’t want to let anyone take anything away from me or take anything away from my team.”

Additionally, the new head coach believes that the team has the right balance of young and experienced players, which will be another key factor in ensuring their success in the tournament.

Revealing the youngsters who have already impressed him in practice, Ricky said, “Priyansh Arya, I think is a very special potential opening batsman for us going forward in the tournament. Depending on which way we go with our overseas make-up, he’s very exciting. Suryansh Shedge is also someone who has been very impressive in our training so far.”

“When I talk about energy and fun, another player that I am impressed with, is Musheer Khan. He’s brought a lot to the group already. He has got an infectious attitude, and around the training ground and around the team so far, he’s been someone that I’ve really enjoyed working with,” he added.

He further revealed how he banks on the overseas experienced players to set the right example for youngsters as the latter looks up to them. “I put a lot of the bait on them to ensure that they’re setting the right example. Because a lot of the young domestic Indian players look up to the overseas boys and if the overseas boys aren’t doing the right thing, then it’s easy for the young Indian guys to not do the right thing either. So I empower the overseas guys to be the leaders and lead the way,” he said.

Punjab Kings will begin their season against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 25. After another away game against Lucknow Super Giants, they will be back to their home ground, to play two home games against Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings.

Kolkata, March 22: The grand stage is set for the much-anticipated opening clash of IPL 2025, as Kolkata Knight Riders take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the iconic Eden Gardens. However, the season opener is now under the looming threat of rain, with weather conditions in Kolkata posing a significant challenge.

With the city placed under an Orange Alert by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), concerns are growing over whether the blockbuster opener will proceed as scheduled.

Forecasts indicate a 74% chance of rain during the day, which increases to 90% by evening, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and strong gusts of wind. Despite the high probability of rain, there is still some hope. The AccuWeather Rain Probability Index suggests a gradual decrease in rainfall chances as the day progresses.

The unrelenting weather has already caused disruptions in the lead-up to the match. On Friday evening, a spell of rain hit Kolkata around 6 PM, preventing both KKR and RCB from completing their scheduled training sessions.

A light drizzle was also reported across Kolkata and Howrah on Saturday morning. Adding to concerns, even KKR’s practice match earlier this week was hampered by the weather.

If the match does take place, Eden Gardens promises an electrifying contest between bat and ball. Traditionally, the venue has been a batting paradise, with short boundaries and a high-scoring history. It was at this very ground that Punjab Kings chased down a record 262 runs, the highest successful chase in T20 history.

The numbers suggest that teams batting second have won 55 times in 93 matches, compared to 38 victories for teams setting a target.

However, Kolkata’s famed duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakaravarthy have often dictated terms with the ball, making spin a crucial factor, especially if the conditions assist turn. The dampness on the pitch could also aid seamers early on, making the powerplay overs a decisive phase in the game.