Let's analyze the success story of the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK), considered as highly successful and loved by most people.

Captain Cool

With three titles in its kitty, CSK’s next only to MI which has won the title four times.  CSK’s successful run is all the more special because it has the most number of players in mid-thirties.  Ridiculed as the team of ‘veterans’, CSK silenced its detractors and made them its ardent fans by faring ever so successfully.

With each member performing when it matters most, CSK is undoubtedly a huge force to reckon with. The camaraderie between players of various countries in CSK is unmatched, with all of them uniting under the inimitable MSD.  Here are a few more interesting anecdotes about CSK….

Record-breaker MSD

India Cements formed CSK in 2008 at an expenditure of USD 91 million; bought for USD 15,00,000, MSD was the then most-expensive purchase among all teams. CSK is the only team to have made the finals 8 times in 10 years (it didn’t play two editions due to the ban); it is also the first team to have reached the knock-out stage on all appearances.

Thala MSD

Christened fondly as ‘Thala’ (chief) by CSK’s legion of fans, MSD is the only captain to have won successful IPL editions.  MSD, who won the IPL for the first time in 2010 for CSK, is also the longest-serving captain in IPL history. Thanks to MSD’s killer-instincts, CSK also holds the record (six times) for hitting 15 or more winning runs in the final over while chasing.  After the 2-year ban, CSK came back to IPL with a bang by winning the finals against SRH in 2018 and lost last year’s finals to MI by a solitary run.

Fort Chepauk

Chepauk has become a fort for CSK where it enjoys a success rate of 71.43%; IPL’s first hat-trick was claimed by CSK’s Laxmipathi Balaji here in 2008. CSK has won 100 out of 165 matches in IPL and has been led only by 2 captains so far, which is another record for any team.  MSD’s fans expect yet another trophy from him on his comeback trail.

Raina factor

CSK, however, is hard-hit by the absence of Chinna Thala Suresh Raina, the second-highest run getter in IPL (5368 runs).

CSK Matches