MI vs CSK: Top fantasy picks for IPL 2026 Match 33
Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, and Jasprit Bumrah, these are the three names your fantasy XI absolutely cannot afford to miss when MI vs CSK lights up the Wankhede Stadium on April 23, 2026. Both sides arrive with two wins apiece from six matches, sitting seventh and eighth respectively on the points table, making this a genuine six-pointer between two of cricket’s most storied franchises. The game is crucial, the venue is iconic, and the player pool is loaded with match-winners. But in fantasy cricket, picking the right three from either camp often separates the winner from the also-ran. Here is exactly why these three players make the cut.
1. Sanju Samson (CSK)
Sanju Samson became the first centurion of IPL 2026 when he hammered an unbeaten 115 off 56 balls for CSK against Delhi Capitals at Chepauk on April 11, flying out of the blocks and scoring 45 of CSK’s 61 powerplay runs before converting a 26-ball fifty into a stunning century. That knock set the tone for what Samson has become in yellow: CSK’s most dangerous and reliable batting weapon.
Across 23 IPL appearances against MI, Samson has accumulated 601 runs at an average of 28.61, with a career strike rate that stays well above 140, including 246 runs from eight matches specifically at the Wankhede. He enters this fixture carrying 192 runs from six outings this season and faces a pace-heavy MI attack that, beyond Bumrah, remains wildly inconsistent. At a ground where big scores flow freely, Samson presents tremendous fantasy value.
2. Tilak Varma (MI)
Tilak Varma produced the most explosive century of IPL 2026, equalling Sanath Jayasuriya’s record for MI’s fastest hundred with a stunning 101 off just 45 balls against Gujarat Titans; his last 82 runs arriving off only 23 deliveries, the most runs scored by any batter in the death overs in IPL history.
Walking in at a precarious 46 for 3, Varma rebuilt the innings with rare composure before erupting spectacularly. That century directly helped Mumbai end a four-match losing streak, though concerns still linger around the form of Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya in the middle order.
Varma, therefore, does not just hold fantasy points; he holds MI’s batting together. Against a CSK bowling attack missing Khaleel Ahmed, Ayush Mhatre in the batting unit and still searching for rhythm, Varma at home in Wankhede looks an exceptional pick.
3. Jasprit Bumrah (MI)
Five games into IPL 2026, Bumrah had conceded at 8.63 runs per over while the rest of the league’s seamers went at 10.02. It proved his continued ability to restrict scoring even without breakthroughs. Against GT in Match 30, Bumrah finally broke his duck for the season, claiming 1 for 15 and ending a wicketless run that stretched back five consecutive games.
The wicket-taking spark has arrived at precisely the right time. Across 16 IPL appearances against CSK, Bumrah has taken 14 wickets at an average of 33.35 with an economy of 7.57, and his best against the Men in Yellow stands at 2 for 10.
Who Will Win The MI vs CSK Match 33 Of IPL 2026 Today?
With his speeds reportedly recovering and MI desperate for another strong bowling performance, expect Bumrah to feature prominently in the dismissals column tonight. In MI vs CSK matches, fantasy fortunes often swing on who takes the powerplay wickets, and that man is almost always Bumrah.
