2 min readUpdated: Apr 23, 2026 07:54 PM IST
Chennai Super Kings players were seen sporting black armbands against the Mumbai Indians on Thursday at the Wankhede. This was due to CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary’s mother passing away on Tuesday after a year-long battle with illness.
“The CSK family mourns the passing of Mukesh Choudhary’s mother. We stand with Mukesh and his family, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” the franchise had posted on Thursday morning.
Coming to the match, CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad lost the toss and was sent to bat first by Mumbai counterpart Hardik Pandya. Mumbai Indians retained the XI from their previous match which means Rohit Sharma continues to miss out for a third match in a row. He is enduring a hamstring issue.
The CSK family mourns the passing of Mukesh Choudhary’s mother.
We stand with Mukesh and his family, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time.
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) April 23, 2026
MS Dhoni also has not recovered from a calf strain and is yet to play his first match of the season.
The 44-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman, who trained with the CSK squad in the lead-up to the game, will not play the marquee clash, thereby delaying his return to the field for his first IPL 2026 match.
Dhoni was ruled out of the first two weeks of the tournament after undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain, but the delay has now stretched to 25 days with the five-time champions in eighth place on the points table with two wins and four losses against their name.
“MS Dhoni is currently undergoing rehabilitation for a calf strain. As a result, he is likely to miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026. Get well soon, Thala,” CSK had said in a statement.
Teams:
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Krish Bhagat, AM Ghazanfar and Ashwani Kumar.
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Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary.
