MI vs CSK IPL 2025: 'Can never relax around MS Dhoni' - Rohit Sharma describes the greatness of CSK's captain | Mint

On Sunday, April 20, the stage is for a classic meeting, as five-time champions Mumbai Indians host the five-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhilies 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 some of the biggest players playing the sport. One such household name is Rohit Sharma, a veteran at MI. The stylish batsman with right hand has the most IPL titles as a player, with 6 to his name, and he led MI to 5 titles in this competition. Mahendra Singh Dhoni sits on the same throne as Sharma, as he led CSK to 5 titles. So it is no wonder that this game is called IPL’s “El Clasico” and that the two legends of the game have always retained mutual respect with one another. ‘Unable to relax in Dhoni’ who spoke to official broadcaster Star Sports, the MI veteran talked about what it was like to oppose someone like MS Dhoni in the other corner. Sharma said: “Dhoni has argued for so long, won so many games, won so many trophies … You can’t relax if you play against him. Dhoni is not someone who will easily drift the game away from him, so you have to be on your toes for the whole game … don’t get relaxed.” Sharma also talked about a variety of topics to star sports. Look here: Sharma’s IPL season was very flawed and the opening batsman, who lost the captaincy last year, has now been traced back to an ‘Impact Player’. In 6 games in IPL 2025, he scored only 82 runs on an average of 13.67, as he dropped to another batting failure against the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday. He did show a few glimpse of his stroke during his 16-ball 26, during which he hit 3 sixes. However, it was still a low score in the IPL this year, as fans and experts are still questioning his place in the team. Dhoni – Midas Touch While Sharma does indeed have a rich legacy as captain, MS Dhoni is widely regarded as one of the biggest captains India has ever produced. Not only did he win praise for CSK, he is also credited for the start of a revolution in Indian cricket in the recent past. He took over a competitive team that historically failed in the final obstacle and changed the mindset by leading India to various ICC trophies under his leadership. He gained notoriety when he led an uncut India, fresh from a shock group stage during the ODI World Championships in 2007, to an unlikely victory in the T20 World Championships in South Africa later that year. From the victory in South Africa, Dhoni never looked back because he helped India win trophy to trophy, which includes the 2011 Odi World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, The Test Mace, to name a few. Stay up to date with all the actions from the IPL 2025. Look at the IPL 2025 schedule, follow the latest IPL 2025 points table and follow the top performers with the orange cap and purple cap. First published: 18 Apr 2025, 02:07 IST