Why are CSK players wearing black armbands vs MI in IPL 2026 match? Explained

TL;DR

CSK players wore black armbands during their IPL 2026 match against MI to honor the late mother of pacer Mukesh Choudhary, who passed away after a long illness.

Key points

CSK players wore black armbands during the IPL 2026 match.
The gesture was in memory of Mukesh Choudhary's mother.
This match is the first encounter between CSK and MI in IPL 2026.

Mentioned in this story

Mukesh Choudhary

Chennai Super KingsMumbai Indians

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players took the field wearing black armbands in their IPL 2026 match against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Thursday.

CSK and MI came face to face for the first time in IPL 2026. The much-awaited game, dubbed as the 'El Classico', entered a new phase as it is the first IPL match without Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni in the playing XI.

CSK players were wearing black armbands due to CSK pacer Mukesh Choudhary’s mother passing away on Tuesday after a year-long battle with illness.

"This one is for Mukesh’s mother. In her memory and in solidarity with Mukesh, we wear black armbands and play with a little more in our hearts today," CSK said in a post on social media.

“The CSK family mourns the passing of Mukesh Choudhary’s mother. We stand with Mukesh and his family, keeping them in our thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time,” the franchise had earlier posted on Thursday morning.

Mukesh Choudhary was part of the CSK's XI for Thursday's match.

In the match, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bowl against Chennai Super Kings between the two five-time champions.

Mumbai Indians went in with the same playing XI from their previous game, with Rohit Sharma missing his third straight match due to a hamstring issue.

For Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni is still recovering from a calf strain and has not played a game in IPL 2026.

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Teams
Mumbai Indians: Hardik Pandya (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Naman Dhir, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Jasprit Bumrah, Krish Bhagat, AM Ghazanfar and Ashwani Kumar.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Kartik Sharma, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh and Mukesh Choudhary

Q&A

Why did CSK players wear black armbands in IPL 2026?

CSK players wore black armbands to honor Mukesh Choudhary's mother, who passed away after a year-long illness.

What significance does the match between CSK and MI hold in IPL 2026?

The match is significant as it marks the first encounter between CSK and MI in IPL 2026 and the absence of Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni from the playing XI.

What did CSK say about wearing black armbands during the match?

CSK stated that they wore black armbands in memory of Mukesh Choudhary's mother and to show solidarity with him.