'Wrong to say that this is an El Clásico now' - Manoj Tiwary's brutal remark on MI-CSK rivalry

Published - 03 May 2026, 11:53 IST | Updated - 03 May 2026, 12:44 IST

Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings faced each other twice in IPL 2026, and both matches were one-sided. The Men in Yellow defeated Mumbai by 103 runs at the Wankhede Stadium last month. On Saturday, May 3, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Co. did the double over Hardik Pandya's men. They defeated the Mumbai Indians by eight wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Over the years, the Mumbai Indians versus Chennai Super Kings' rivalry has intensified and earned iconic status. Fans have fondly named it the 'El Clásico' because these two are the most successful teams in the IPL and have had some fierce battles over the years.

However, the Mumbai Indians have managed to win just one of their last seven encounters against the Chennai Super Kings since 2023.

Former India and Kolkata Knight Riders' all-rounder Manoj Tiwary opined that this match shouldn't be called the El Clásico because of the one-sided nature of recent meetings and the current form in general.

"Surya is not performing on a daily basis, Tilak Varma scored in one match, and now his runs are also not coming. If there is this level of inconsistency from the players, then how will you get results? We always talk about this match as the El Clásico, this is no more El Clásico; you can remove the Clásico word now. This has now become so one-sided. So, I think it would be wrong to say that this is an El Clásico rivalry now," Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.

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Mumbai Indians lost their seventh game of the season on Saturday. They are languishing at No. 9 with just two wins from nine matches. On the other hand, Chennai have fared better, with four wins and five losses from nine matches. Gaikwad's men are positioned at No. 6 on the points table and can still hope for a place in the playoffs. However, Mumbai can only get to a maximum of 14 points if they win all their remaining matches, and it might still not be enough to ensure qualification for the next phase of the tournament.