Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players took the field wearing black armbands during their IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday. This marked the first encounter between the two five-time champions in the current season, a fixture often referred to as the 'El Clasico' of the Indian Premier League. Notably, this was also the first IPL match without the presence of both Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni in the playing XI.
Reason Behind the Tribute
The black armbands were worn as a mark of respect for the mother of CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary, who passed away on Tuesday after a prolonged battle with illness. The franchise released a statement expressing their condolences and solidarity with the player.
"This one is for Mukesh’s mother. In her memory and in solidarity with Mukesh, we wear black armbands and play with a little more in our hearts today," CSK posted on social media. Earlier on Thursday morning, the franchise had also shared: "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."
Match Details
Mukesh Choudhary was included in CSK's playing XI for the match. Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bowl first. MI fielded the same playing XI from their previous game, with Rohit Sharma missing his third consecutive match due to a hamstring issue. For CSK, MS Dhoni remained sidelined as he continues to recover from a calf strain and has yet to feature in IPL 2026.
Playing XIs
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, Ashwani Kumar.
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, Mukesh Choudhary.
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