Sunday, April 20, will be the stage for a classic encounter as 5-time champions Mumbai Indians will host 5-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium. The battle between the two teams with the richest legacy in the Indian Premier League has always been a blockbuster match.
The biggest rivalry in this league is never short of star power as each team boasts of some of the greatest players to have played the sport.
One such household name is Rohit Sharma, who is a veteran at MI.
The stylish right handed batsman has the most number of IPL titles as a player, with 6 to his name, and he has captained MI to 5 titles in this competition. Mahendra Singh Dhoni sits on the same throne as Sharma as he too has captained CSK to 5 titles.
So, it is no wonder that this match is dubbed IPL’s “El clasico” and the two legends of the game have always maintained mutual respect with one another.
“Can’t relax around Dhoni”
Speaking to the official broadcaster Star Sports, the MI veteran spoke about how it is to face somebody like MS Dhoni in the other corner.
Sharma said, “Dhoni has captained for so long, won so many matches, won so many trophies… you can’t relax when you’re playing against him. Dhoni is not someone who will let the game drift away from him easily so you have to be on your toes for the whole game… don’t be relaxed.”
Sharma also spoke on a variety of topics to Star Sports. Watch here:
Sharma’s IPL season has been very lacklustre and the opening batsman, who lost the captaincy last year, has now been relegated to an “Impact Player”. In 6 matches in IPL 2025, he has scored only 82 runs at an average of 13.67 as he slumped to yet another batting failure against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday.
He did show some glimpses of his stroke play during his 16-ball 26, during which he hit 3 sixes. However, it was yet another low score in the IPL this year as fans and experts continue to question his place in the team.
Dhoni – Midas touch
While Sharma indeed has a rich legacy as captain, MS Dhoni is widely considered one of the greatest captains India has ever produced.
He has not only won accolades for CSK, he is also credited for starting a revolution in Indian cricket in the recent past.
He took over a competitive team that had historically failed in the final hurdle and changed that mindset by guiding India to multiple ICC trophies under his leadership. He rose to fame when he led an unfancied India, fresh from a shock group stage exit at the 2007 ODI World Cup, to an unlikely win in the T20 World Cup in South Africa later that year.
From that win in South Africa, Dhoni never looked back as he helped India win trophy after trophy, which includes the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, the Test Mace, to name a few.
Stay updated on all the action from the IPL 2025. Check the IPL 2025 Schedule, track the latest IPL 2025 Points Table, and follow the top performers with the Orange Cap and Purple Cap.
