Biography
Owned by The India Cements Ltd., Chennai Super Kings have been the most dominating team in the IPL since its inception in 2008. The team's name draws inspiration from the rich tradition of the golden Tamil era that boasted of many great, fearless rulers. The franchise seems to have stuck to its cultural background and have exhibited their talent on the cricketing field as well.
Led by captain cool MS Dhoni, Chennai have performed consistently since the beginning; finalists in the first edition, semi-finalists in the second, champions in the third, and then history was created as they successfully defended their title in the fourth edition, becoming the first team in Indian T20 League to do so. With a perfect balance of Indian as well as international players, the team comes across as a tough nut to crack. They not only dominated the Indian T20 League but also went on to win the Champions League T20 title in 2010, surpassing all other teams in the world. Dhoni's army went into the 2011 edition of the CLT20 as defending champions but failed to defend it successfully and were knocked out in the league stages itself.
However, the Chennai franchise retained the same squad for the 2012 IT20L edition; the only addition being that of Ravindra Jadeja who was bought in the auctions, thereby making him the costliest buy of the season. They had a fairly moderate season, winning games here and there but came good in the playoffs, ultimately finishing as the runners-up, losing to eventual winners, Kolkata. Yet again in 2013, they entered the finals but were beaten by Mumbai.
After missing a couple of seasons due to off-field incidents, they made a stunning comeback to the Indian T20 League in 2018 wherein they won their 3rd title on return. The squad largely consisted of experienced players, with not much youth, but Dhoni and his men made it count. The Yellow team was well on track to defend their title in the 2019 season but failed to overpower Mumbai in their 8th IT20L final.
The subsequent season of the League turned out to be a nightmare for Dhoni's team where they lost 8 matches and avoided the wooden spoon by a whisker. Just when people started to write them off, due to the age factor of the squad, Chennai once again showed their class. In 2021, they ended up second on the points table with 9 wins and went on to win their 4th League title by beating Kolkata in the final.
Despite the mega auction before the 2022 edition, Chennai ended up getting their core back and also secured the services of players of the caliber of Devon Conway, Shivam Dube and Chris Jordan. Days before the 15th season of the Indian T20 League started, MS Dhoni stepped down from the leadership role and handed over the captaincy to Ravindra Jadeja, thereby ending his long and fruitful journey as the captain of the ship for Chennai.
Despite their 9th-place finish in the group stage of the 2022 INDIAN T20 LEAGUE, Chennai were resolute in staging a spectacular comeback in the following season. Despite enduring the setback of losing key players to injuries, Chennai defied the odds by clinching eight victories and securing a spot in the playoffs. Their journey to the finals was marked by a gritty victory over Gujarat in the Qualifier, setting the stage for an epic showdown. Meeting Gujarat again in the finals, the match was further intensified by rain on the reserve day, resulting in a thrilling 15-over contest that kept fans on the edge of their seats till the very end. And who can forget Ravindra Jadeja's gripping finish when Chennai Super Kings needed 10 runs off the last couple of deliveries? With nerves of steel, Jadeja delivered a thrilling performance, guiding Chennai to victory and etching their name on the trophy for the fifth time.
Heading into the 2024 season, Chennai also procured the services of a couple of in-form Kiwi players who were prolific in the 2023 ICC Men's World Cup in India in the form of rookie sensation Rachin Ravindra and middle-order stalwart Daryl Mitchell. Shardul Thakur also rejoined his former employers for the 2024 edition.
