Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma. [Source - IPL/x.com]
As the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is up and running, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Mumbai Indians (MI) in the third match on Sunday, March 23. The match will be hosted at the MA Chidambaram Stadium and is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM IST.
CSK will get the advantage of playing at home, leveraging their formidable batting lineup and a potent spin attack tailor made for Chepauk’s conditions. Meanwhile, MI, who will be without captain Hardik Pandya, will be aiming to break their first-game curse under stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav.
In addition, MI continues to have a batting powerhouse and with a couple of effective additions in the department, they will look to secure two valuable points from what promises to be a Sunday evening spectacle in Chennai.
Here are the top three captain and vice-captain choices for CSK vs MI Match 3 of IPL 2025.
3. Noor Ahmed
Why Will Noor Ahmad Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?
Noor Ahmed is a new recruit of CSK and the Afghanistan spinner has only added more value to what has always been a threatening spin attack for the Men in Yellow. The left-arm chinaman is a genuine wicket-taker, especially in the shortest format of the game.
Coming to his form, Noor has been one of the star performers for his country in T20is and other teams all around the globe. Since IPL 2024, Noor has taken 89 T20 wickets at an average of 15.48 and a strike-rate of 14.08.
2. Tilak Varma
Why Will Tilak Varma Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?
Tilak Varma will be a crucial player against CSK, especially away from home. The kind of spinners CSK possess, the southpaw will have to do some heavy lifting to put MI in the driving seat.
Looking at his form, Tilak has made truckloads of runs in T20 cricket in the recent past. Be it for Hyderabad in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or for India in T20Is (413 runs at an average of 82.6 and 170.7 strike-rate), Tilak has done in every aspect and will be aiming to carry the momentum to the IPL.
1. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Why Will Ruturaj Gaikwad Be A Good Choice As The Captain Or Vice-captain?
The ever consistent Ruturaj Gaikwad will be one of the top fantasy picks for this match. His contribution with the bat for CSK is unmatched in recent years.
Moreover, the CSK skipper has unbelievable numbers batting at Chepauk. He averaged over a hundred in CSK’s home last season (109.5) and made four 50+ scores in seven innings, including a hundred which makes him a sure shot as captain or vice-captain ahead of this match.