The much-anticipated clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2024 witnessed a heartwarming moment even before the first ball was bowled.
As both franchises gathered for training prior to the blockbuster clash, Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya surprised everyone with a warm embrace for veteran wicket-keeper MS Dhoni. The premier Indian all-rounder was seen sprinting all the way from his training group to CSK’s to hug his former Men in Blue skipper Dhoni.
Dhoni, having stepped down from the CSK captaincy this season, still commands immense respect across the cricketing fraternity. Pandya’s gesture, captured by a fan in the stands, sent a wave of delight across social media.
MI and CSK Playing XIs
The stage is set for an epic showdown between the IPL giants MI and CSK at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
This much-anticipated clash promises fireworks on the field. MI, under the leadership of Hardik Pandya, are riding a two-match winning streak. They will be looking to capitalize on their home advantage. At the toss, Pandya won the toss and asked CSK to bat first.
CSK, on the other hand, will be keen to bounce back after a recent defeat. Their batting has relied heavily on Shivam Dube, and they’ll be hoping for a more collective effort.
Mumbai Indians (MI) (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Mohammad Nabi, Shreyas Gopal, Jasprit Bumrah, Gerald Coetzee, Akash Madhwal
Mumbai Indians (MI) Subs: Suryakumar Yadav, Dewald Brevis, Naman Dhir, Nehal Wadhera, Harvik Desai
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (Playing XI): Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Daryl Mitchell, Shivam Dube, Sameer Rizvi, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Mustafizur Rahman, Tushar Deshpande
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Subs: Matheesha Pathirana, Moeen Ali, Shaik Rasheed, Mitchell Santner, Nishant Sindhu