Chennai Super Kings

Introduction to Chennai Super Kings

The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the founding franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and have dominated the tournament since 2008. The Chennai-based team has won five IPL titles and has the best win percentage among all franchises at 57.96%.

The Chennai Super Kings team enjoy a massive fan following across the globe in the T20 tournament. The Yellow Brigade, as they are affectionately called by their fans, is known for their exceptional performance and staggering consistency on the cricket pitch.

Overview of Chennai Super Kings

The Chennai Super Kings are famous for their strategic cricketing style mixed with a hint of aggression. The team is owned by India Cements through the Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd.

This is the fourth most expensive franchise in the IPL and was bought in 2008 by N. Srinivasan for $91million. The Chennai Super Kings logo depicts a yellow roaring lion head, synonymous with the team's energy and fiery spirit. The team’s name is in blue topped with a crown. The crown and king reference is incorporated to represent the Coromandel King brand of cement.   

Team History

The Chennai Super Kings are known for their ability to use the available pool of talent to their advantage every season.  

Seasons 1 and 2: 2008 and 2009

Chennai Super Kings started their IPL campaign on a high note. They reached the finals but lost to Rajasthan Royals in 2008. They were not able to repeat their performance and ended up 4th on the points table in 2009.

Season 3: 2010

In 2010, Chennai Super Kings struggled in the league matches. However, their strong bowling helped them defeat Mumbai Indians for their first-ever IPL title.

Seasons 4 and 5: 2011 and 2012

The Chennai Super Kings team displayed excellent batting and bowling skills and won their consecutive IPL title after defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011.

In 2012, their hopes of a hat trick IPL title win were crushed by Kolkata Knight Riders.  

Seasons 6 and 7: 2013 and 2014

With a strengthened bowling attack, the Chennai Super Kings managed to top the points table and enter the final for the fourth consecutive time. However, they lost to Mumbai Indians in the 2013 finals.

In 2014, the team was defeated in the qualifier by Kings XI Punjab and exited the tournament.

Season 8: 2015

Chennai Super Kings managed to enter the finals in 2015 but lost to the Mumbai Indians. The team was suspended for two years due to the team owner facing betting charges.

Season 11: 2018

Chennai Super Kings made a strong comeback by winning the IPL title for the third time in 2018.

Seasons 12 and 13: 2019 and 2020: 

Chennai Super Kings entered the final for the eighth time in 2019. However, they lost to Mumbai Indians by a single run.

In 2020, the Chennai Super Kings team's dismal performance earned them the 7th place in the points table.   

Season 14: 2021

In 2021, Chennai Super Kings stormed into the finals and defeated Kolkata Knight Riders to win their 4th IPL title.

Season 15: 2022

Chennai Super Kings did not qualify for the playoffs and finished 9th in the league table.

Season 16: 2023

Chennai Super Kings managed to win their fifth IPL title in 2023.

Achievements and Trophies

The Chennai Super Kings team has won five IPL titles, entered the finals ten consecutive times and has been part of the playoffs 12 times out of the 14 tournaments that they have participated in.

The team had the unique distinction of winning all the home matches in 2011 and seven consecutive league matches in 2013. In 2022, CSK became the first unicorn franchise and the second most valuable one at $1.15 billion.

The orange cap for the most number of runs was earned by Mathew Hayden (2009) and Michael Hussy (2013). The purple cap for the most number of runs was awarded to Dwayne Bravo (2013 and 2015), Mohit Sharma (2014) and Imran Tahir (2019).

Chennai Super Kings- Squad List

Coach: Stephen Fleming

Captain: M.S. Dhoni

Vice-Captain:  Ravindra Jadeja

Chennai Super Kings – Player Profiles

M.S. Dhoni:

The captain cool has been a permanent fixture in IPL tournaments since 2008. His sharp cricketing brain and batting skills along with his superfast reflexes and wicket-keeping are second to none.

In his IPL career spanning 250 matches, he has amassed 5082 runs.

Devon Conway: 

The South African wicketkeeper-batsman made his debut in 2022 and has made 924 runs in 23 matches.

Ruturaj Gaikwad: 

This consistent opener made his debut in 2020 and has 1797 runs from 52 matches, including an IPL century.

Ajinkya Rahane:

One of the veterans of IPL since 2008, Rahane has 4400 runs from 172 matches.

Ravindra Jadeja: 

The prolific all-rounder has been playing the IPL since 2008 and has been a crucial factor in the team’s victory.

The vice-captain of Chennai Super Kings has 2692 runs and 152 wickets from 226 matches. 

Mitchell Santner:

The impressive Kiwi all-rounder made his debut in 2019 and has 56 runs and 13 wickets from 15 matches.

Moeen Ali:

The English all-rounder has captivated audiences with his skills. He has played 59 matches since 2018 and has 1034 runs and 33 wickets to his credit.

Shivam Dube:

Shivam Dube is a middle-order batsman who is also a useful medium pacer. Since 2019 he has played 51 matches and scored 1106 runs and has 4 wickets.

Sharadul Thakur:

Another all-rounder who made his debut in 2015, Thakur has 286 runs and 89 wickets from 86 matches under his belt.

Daryll Mitcher:

This all-rounder from New Zealand has played 2 matches since 2022 and has 33 runs from it.

Rajvardhan Hangargekar:

The young fiery fast bowler has 3 wickets from 2 IPL matches in 2023.

Deepak Chahar:

This experienced medium pacer debuted in 2016 and has played 73 matches and taken 72 wickets at a 28.03 average.

Maheesh Theekshana: 

The young Sri Lankan has 23 wickets from 22 matches since 2022.

Mukesh Choudhary:

This young bowler has 16 wickets from the 13 matches since 2022.

Mustafizur Rahman:

The Bangladeshi bowler has 47 wickets from 48 matches and debuted in 2016.

Prashant Solanki:

The 22-year-old has played 2 matches and scalped 2 wickets.  

Simarjeet Singh: 

The tall pacer has 4 wickets from 6 matches since 2022. 

Tushar Deshpande:

The young bowler made his debut in 2020 and has 25 wickets from 23 matches.

Matheesha Pathirana:

The teenage bowling sensation has 21 wickets from 14 matches since 2022. 

Shaik Rasheed, Ajay Mandal, Rachin Ravindra, Sameer Rizvi, Nishant Sindhu and Avanish Rao Aravelly (2023) are yet to make their debut for CSK.

Conclusion: 

The Chennai Super Kings team has a unique blend of experienced and emerging players who have had their share of highs and lows. However, the team's unwavering passion and determination to succeed have made them crowd favourites. The team’s achievements are widely celebrated by cricket enthusiasts.

Anticipation surrounds the IPL 2024 Chennai Super Kings team as they aim to replicate their previous season's success and secure another title. The defending champions' performance in the upcoming IPL season is eagerly awaited.