Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2026 season will witness its first Mumbai Indians (Mi) versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK) encounter. Massive fan turnout is expected as the two teams get down to action at the Wankhede Stadium.

Ahead of the game, CSK’s bowling coach Eric Simmons has confirmed that Spencer Johnson is set to make his debut for the Men in Yellow.

The left-arm seamer was signed for INR 1.5 crore as a replacement. The 30-year-old has played nine IPL matches and taken five wickets at an economy rate of 10.3.

Speaking to the media, Simmons said that Anshul Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed had done well so far. Khaleel has been ruled out of the tournament after getting injured. Meanwhile, pacer Kamboj has 13 wickets from six games and needs one more wicket to go past Prince Yadav and take ownership of the Purple Cap.

‘MI are on the rise’ – Dale Steyn makes big statement ahead of massive clash

Former South African pace legend Dale Steyn has named Hardik Pandya’s side to do well after gaining momentum post their win in the last encounter.

Mumbai beat Gujarat Titans by a massive margin of 99 runs to finally end an abysmal run of four successive losses.

The 43-year-old during his chat on ESPN Cricinfo’s Timeout show said, “I just feel like MI are onto something. I was watching the body language of the players, which tells you so much about a team’s mental state. I watched MI the other day and especially Hardik, the leader. They feel like they’re a team that’s on the rise”

Ayush Mhatre’s injury is a big loss for Chennai according to former Proteas legend

One player that won’t play a part in the game on Thursday is local lad Ayush Mhatre who is out of the season after his hamstring injury.

The 18-year-old made his IPL debut last season at the same venue and scored 32 runs.

Speaking on the same show, Steyn mentioned Mhatre’s loss could severely affect the visiting side. “It’s the tempo at which Mhatre batted that was the big thing. He comes out striking at 200. He puts bowlers under pressure. Now, whoever is going to come up and play that role will have to start from scratch.”