CSK in IPL finals: From do-it-all Raina's brilliance to du Plessis' opening act

May 26, 2023

Much like when MS Dhoni took charge of India at the inaugural World T20 in 2007, no one quite knew what to expect when the IPL came around a year later; this time Dhoni was in yellow to lead the Chennai Super Kings. He ended up captaining CSK to the final, where they were toppled by Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals. But for Dhoni, CSK and the Chennai fans, it would be the start of a love story•Hindustan Times/Getty Images

In 2010, CSK clinched their first IPL title after besting Mumbai Indians. Suresh Raina, who finished as the season's leading run-getter, also top-scored in the final with an unbeaten 57 at a strike rate of 163. With the ball, he picked up a wicket and in the field, he took an excellent catch to dismiss Saurabh Tiwary•Indian Premier League

Season 6, final No.5 for Dhoni's men. CSK and Mumbai have engaged in so many iconic clashes that many believe it's the El Clasico of the IPL. In 2013, Kieron Pollard's 32-ball 60* lifted Mumbai to 148, which they defended, despite Dhoni's unbeaten fifty. Seen here are Rohit Sharma, Pragyan Ojha, Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar with the trophy•Pragyan Ojha - Twitter

Malinga breaks CSK's hearts: In a chaotic final in 2019, Lasith Malinga nailed five yorkers and a slower dipper in the last over to edge CSK. Both batting sides had struggled that night, catches went down and even run-outs were missed. It came down to CSK needing nine to win off the final over. But they couldn't get the job done•Getty Images

The 2008 final went down to the final ball, with Royals, the table-toppers in the league stage, emerging victorious. Suresh Raina scored 43 off 30 balls for CSK, but it was Yusuf Pathan who made the biggest impact, following up figures of 3 for 22 with 56 off 39 balls•Hindustan Times

Opening act & title defence: M Vijay had rarely converted starts in IPL 2011 but in the title bout, his 95 knocked RCB out of the contest. He added 159 for the first wicket with Michael Hussey, propelling CSK to 205. They became the first team to defend the title in 2011.•AFP

Down and out: It was another epic Mumbai vs CSK final in 2015. Raina's dismissal triggered a collapse for CSK in their chase of 203 at Eden Gardens, as they went from 99 for 2 to 137 for 8 and eventually, lost the game. Mumbai emerged as a strong franchise to challenge CSK•BCCI

After CSK had finished second from bottom in IPL 2020, they roared back the next year to seal another title. Faf du Plessis led the way in that final against KKR, hitting 86 off 59 balls. In that season, both du Plessis and Gaikwad topped 600 runs while Shardul Thakur was the joint third-highest wicket-taker•BCCI

It was to be Kolkata Knight Riders' night in 2012. Little-known Manvinder Bisla's 89 stunned Chepauk as KKR chased down 191 to snatch the trophy from CSK's hands and deny them a hat-trick of titles. With nine needed off the final over, Manoj Tiwary hit successive boundaries to take his team home•Associated Press

A Watson special: CSK capped their return from a two-year ban by winning their third IPL title in 2018 at the Wankhede. Ridiculed as 'Dad's Army' for picking several players over 35, CSK won the final against SRH on the back of a century from Shane Watson, who was 36 at the time•BCCI

Mentor Dhoni vs protégé Hardik: CSK's spinners were in their element on a typical Chepauk pitch, overcoming Gujarat Titans, the defending champions, in Qualifier 1. They will meet again in Ahmedabad, with the trophy up for grabs•Associated Press