Chennai Super Kings facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chennai Super Kings

League	Indian Premier League
Personnel
Captain	MS Dhoni
Coach	Stephen Fleming
Owner	Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited
Manager	Russell Radhakrishnan
Team information
City	Chennai
Colours
Founded	24 January 2008; 17 years ago (24 January 2008)
Home ground	M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
Capacity	38,200
History
IPL wins	5 (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023)
CLT20 wins	2 (2010, 2014)
T20 kit
Image:Cricket current event.svg 2025 season

The Chennai Super Kings, also known as CSK, is a professional Twenty20 cricket team. They are based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. The team plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). CSK was one of the first eight teams when the league started in 2008. Their home games are played at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. The team is owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket.

The Super Kings are one of the most successful IPL teams. They have won five IPL titles, just like the Mumbai Indians. They have also reached the IPL finals ten times. CSK has made it to the playoff stages 12 times, which is more than any other IPL team. The team also won the Champions League Twenty20 twice, in 2010 and 2014. M S Dhoni is the current captain, and Stephen Fleming is the coach.

The Super Kings were not allowed to play in the IPL for two years (2015-2017). This was because of issues related to their owners. The team returned to the tournament for the 2018 season. They even won the title in their comeback year! In January 2022, CSK became India's first "unicorn" sports company. This means it was valued at over $1 billion. In 2022, it was the second most valuable IPL team, worth $1.15 billion.

Team History

Starting Years (2008–2009)

In September 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced a new Twenty20 cricket competition. It was called the Indian Premier League (IPL). The first season was planned for 2008. Chennai was chosen as one of the eight city-based teams in January 2008.

Chennai Super Kings playing against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in 2008.

The first IPL player auction happened in January 2008. MS Dhoni, who was the captain of the Indian team at the time, was bought by the Super Kings for $1.5 million. This was the highest price paid for a player at that auction. The team also bought international players like Suresh Raina, Matthew Hayden, Jacob Oram, Stephen Fleming, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Michael Hussey. Before the first season, Dhoni was named captain. Kepler Wessels became the first head coach.

The Super Kings played their first IPL game on April 19, 2008. They played against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in Mohali. CSK won the match by 33 runs. The team finished third in the league stage, winning eight out of 14 games. In the semi-final, they beat Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets. This sent them to their first IPL final. In the final, Rajasthan Royals won the match on the very last ball. They defeated the Super Kings to win the first IPL title. Because they were runners-up, the Super Kings qualified for the first Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20). However, that tournament was later cancelled.

Before the 2009 season, Stephen Fleming became the new head coach. At the player auction, CSK bought English all-rounder Andrew Flintoff for $1.55 million. He became one of the highest-paid cricketers in the IPL. Opening batter Hussey did not play in this IPL season. The Super Kings finished second in the league stage. They won eight out of 14 matches. In the semi-finals, they lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets. CSK opener Hayden won the Orange Cap. This award is for the player who scores the most runs in the season. Hayden scored 572 runs.

Winning Titles (2010–2012)

In 2010, the Super Kings had a tough start. They won only two of their first seven matches. But they bounced back, winning five of their next seven games. This included a crucial win against Kings XI Punjab. The team finished third in the league stage. They qualified for the semi-finals for the third year in a row. In the semi-final, CSK scored 142 runs against the Deccan Chargers. They then limited the Chargers to 104 runs, winning by 38 runs.

The Super Kings defeated Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in the final. This was their first IPL title! This win also qualified them for the 2010 Champions League Twenty20 in South Africa. In the Champions League, CSK topped their group. They won three games and lost one. In the semi-final, they beat fellow IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore by 52 runs. In their first CLT20 final, they beat the Warriors from South Africa by eight wickets. Murali Vijay was named Man of the Match in the final. He also won the Golden Bat for scoring the most runs. Ravichandran Ashwin was the top wicket-taker and was named Player of the Series.

Chennai Super Kings playing against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai during the 2012 Indian Premier League.

For the 2011 IPL season, a new auction was held. Two new teams joined the IPL. Each team could keep up to four players. The Super Kings kept captain Dhoni, Raina, Vijay, and South African Albie Morkel. In the auction, they bought back Hussey, Ashwin, Bollinger, and Subramaniam Badrinath. In 2011, they finished second in the league stage. They won nine games and lost five. The team won the first qualifier against Royal Challengers. This sent them to the final. In the final, the Super Kings played Royal Challengers again in Chennai. The team won their second IPL title in a row. Vijay was named Man of the Match for his 95 runs. In the Champions League later that year, CSK won only one of four group matches. They did not move past the group stage.

Before the 2012 IPL season, CSK bought Ravindra Jadeja for $2 million. The Super Kings won only five of their first 12 games. But they won three of their last four matches to reach the playoffs. In the playoffs, they beat Mumbai Indians by 38 runs. Then they beat Delhi Daredevils by 86 runs. This sent them to their third final in a row. In the final, the Super Kings lost to Kolkata Knight Riders by five wickets. In the Champions League that followed, CSK won two of four matches. They did not get past the group stage.

Strong Performance and Suspension (2013–2017)

Before the 2013 IPL season, the Super Kings added five new bowlers. In this IPL season, the team finished first in the group stage for the first time. They won 11 out of 16 matches. During the season, they also won seven matches in a row. This tied the record for most consecutive wins in the IPL. In the first qualifier against the Mumbai Indians, CSK won by 48 runs. Hussey and Raina scored half-centuries. This sent them to the final. In the final, they lost to the Mumbai Indians by 23 runs. Hussey scored 733 runs, winning the Orange Cap. Dwayne Bravo won the Purple Cap for taking the most wickets (32). The Super Kings qualified for the 2013 Champions League Twenty20 in India. They won three of four group matches to reach the semi-finals. There, they lost to the Rajasthan Royals by 14 runs.

In May 2013, Gurunath Meiyappan, who was part of the Super Kings team management, faced issues related to betting on IPL matches. In February 2014, a panel looked into the matter.

Before the 2014 season, the Super Kings kept Dhoni, Raina, Jadeja, Ashwin, and Bravo. At the auction, they bought Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ashish Nehra, and Mohit Sharma. The first part of the IPL season was held in the UAE. The second part returned to India. However, CSK's home matches were moved from Chennai to Ranchi. This was due to a disagreement about using three stands at the Chepauk stadium. The Super Kings started the season strong, winning eight of their first ten matches. They then had a slight dip in form. But they recovered to finish third in the points table. In the first playoff match, they beat the Mumbai Indians by seven wickets. They then lost to Kings XI Punjab in the next match. In the 2014 Champions League, CSK won two matches. They finished second in their group to reach the semi-final. The team beat Kings XI Punjab by 65 runs. In the final, the Super Kings defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets. This was their second CLT20 title. Raina scored the most runs in the tournament and was named Man of the Series.

Before the 2015 season, the Super Kings got Hussey back. They also bought Kyle Abbott, Irfan Pathan, and Andrew Tye. In the group stage, the team finished first. They won nine out of 14 matches. In the playoffs, CSK lost to the Mumbai Indians in the first qualifier. But they then beat the Royal Challengers Bangalore to reach the final. In the final, the team was again beaten by the Mumbai Indians. On July 14, 2015, a committee suspended the Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings teams from the IPL for two years. This was due to issues involving their owners.

Comeback and More Success (2018–Present)

Chennai Super Kings playing against the Kings XI Punjab in the 2018 Indian Premier League at MCA Stadium in Pune.

Before the 2018 player auction, the Super Kings kept Dhoni, Raina, and Jadeja. In the auction, they bought back Bravo, du Plessis, and Vijay. They also added international players like Imran Tahir, Lungi Ngidi, Mark Wood, Mitchell Santner, and Sam Billings. Indian players Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur also joined. Fans were very excited for the team's return after two seasons. They even came to watch practice sessions in Chennai. The Super Kings started with a one-wicket win over the Mumbai Indians. This was their first match in over two years. The team finished second in the league stage. They qualified for the playoffs. CSK beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier to reach the final. The team beat the same opponent in the final to win their third league title. The Super Kings also became the first team to beat a single opponent (Sunrisers Hyderabad) four times in one season.

In the 2019 IPL season, the Super Kings finished second. They won nine out of 14 matches. In the playoffs, they lost to the Mumbai Indians in the first match. But they then beat the Delhi Capitals to reach the final for a record eighth time. In the final, the Super Kings lost to the Mumbai Indians by just one run. Tahir took 26 wickets and won the Purple Cap.

Before the 2020 season, the Super Kings bought Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood, and Piyush Chawla. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IPL was moved to the UAE. Many CSK team members tested positive for the virus. Players like Raina and Harbhajan Singh left the tournament for personal reasons. In their first match, CSK beat the Mumbai Indians. However, the team finished seventh in the group stage. This was the first time they did not make it to the playoffs. Captain Dhoni faced criticism for his performance and team choices. The team released many players, including Chawla, Vijay, and Kedar Jadhav.

Continued Success (2021–Present)

In the 2021 player auction, the Super Kings bought Cheteshwar Pujara, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Moeen Ali. They also traded for Robin Uthappa from the Rajasthan Royals. In the 2021 season, the team won five of their first seven matches. The season was then paused due to an increase in COVID-19 cases. The second part of the season restarted in the UAE. The Super Kings finished second in the group stage. They qualified for the playoffs. In the playoffs, the team beat the Delhi Capitals. This sent them to their ninth final. In the final, the Super Kings beat the Kolkata Knight Riders to win their fourth IPL title.

Before the 2022 IPL season, CSK announced that Jadeja would be the new captain. He replaced Dhoni. After the team lost six of their first eight matches, Jadeja gave the captaincy back to Dhoni. The Super Kings finished ninth out of ten teams. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for only the second time.

In the player auction before the 2023 IPL season, the Super Kings bought Ben Stokes, Kyle Jamieson, and Ajinkya Rahane. Bravo retired as a player but joined the team as the bowling coach. Early in the season, Chahar and Jamieson were injured. Stokes was also out for most of the season due to injuries. The team finished second in the group stage with 17 points. The Super Kings won the first qualifier against the Gujarat Titans. This sent them to their tenth IPL final in 14 seasons. In the final, CSK beat the Gujarat Titans by five wickets. They won a record-equaling fifth title.

In the player auction before the 2024 season, the Super Kings bought back Thakur. They also added Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Mustafizur Rahman, and Rachin Ravindra. On March 21, 2024, Dhoni handed the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad. In the group stage, the Super Kings finished with 14 points. They were tied with three other teams for the last playoff spot. But they finished fifth due to a lower run rate. This meant they did not qualify for the IPL playoffs for only the third time.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the Super Kings kept five players. These included captain Gaikwad, former captains Dhoni and Jadeja, and players Shivam Dube and Matheesha Pathirana. They released other players. In the player auction, the team bought 20 new players. This included ten capped players and six overseas players. They bought back Rachin Ravindra, Mukesh Choudhary, Devon Conway, Sam Curran, and Shaik Rasheed. These players had played for CSK before. The Super Kings spent a lot to buy Afghan spinner Noor Ahmad and Indian all rounder Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin had played for the team until 2015. The team had a difficult season. They lost eight of their first ten matches. They were the first team to be out of the playoff race. The Super Kings lost five home matches in a season for the first time. They were eliminated in the group stages for two seasons in a row. The team won two more matches from their last four. They finished last in the points table for the first time in an IPL season.

Team Identity

Crest and Colours

The team was named "Super Kings" to honor the ancient rulers of the Tamil kingdoms. The name was chosen from over 25,000 ideas. The team's logo shows a roaring lion's head in orange. It has a crown on top. The team name is written below in blue. The main color of the team is yellow. The jersey introduced in 2021 has a camouflage pattern on the shoulders. It also has a roaring lion pattern in the background. The team's song is called "Whistle Podu" (which means "Blow the whistle"). The newest version was released in 2018.

Grounds

The M. A. Chidambaram Stadium before an IPL match in 2023.

The Super Kings play their home matches at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. This stadium is also known as "Chepauk" in Chennai. It is one of the oldest cricket stadiums in India. The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association owns the stadium. It can hold 38,000 people. Fans often call the stadium "Fortress Chepauk" and "Lions' den".

In 2014, the Super Kings played their home matches at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi. This was due to a disagreement about using certain stands at the Chepauk stadium. In 2018, the team played six home games at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. This happened after protests outside the Chepauk stadium. The police could not guarantee security for future matches in Chennai.

Brand Value

The Super Kings have always been one of the most valuable sports teams in India. In a 2013 report, CSK was ranked 147th among the top 150 most valuable teams worldwide. Its brand was worth $46 million. In January 2022, the Super Kings became the first "unicorn" sports company in India. In 2022, CSK was named the second most valuable IPL team. It was valued at $1.15 billion.

Sponsorship

Aircel, a telecom company, was the first shirt sponsor for the team. They signed a three-year deal in 2008. The deal was renewed in 2011 for a large amount of money. This was the most expensive sponsorship deal in the IPL at that time. Muthoot Group was the main shirt sponsor from 2018 to 2020. Then Myntra took over for the 2021 season.

In 2022, tyre maker TVS Eurogrip signed a three-year deal as the main shirt sponsor. Etihad Airways became a main sponsor before the 2024 season. Their brand was shown on the back of the jersey. Before the 2025 season, Etihad became the primary shirt sponsor. The team also signed a multi-year deal with FedEx. FedEx became the official logistics partner. Their logo is on the back of the shirts. The team also has sponsorship deals with other companies. These include India Cements, Gulf Oil, SNJ Breweries, Reliance Jio, Astral Pipes, ICICI Bank, Coca-Cola, and Vision11.

Reebok, owned by Adidas, was the official kit supplier from 2008 to 2014. From 2015, Spartan, an Australian company, made the team's kits. Indian brand Seven became the official merchandise partner in 2018. Chennai Super Kings is a registered brand. They sell cricket kits, clothes, and other items.

Fan Support

The team has many fans, who are often called the "Yellow Army". The official fan club, called the "Whistle Podu Army", started in January 2016. The team has the most followers on social media among IPL teams. As of March 2023, they had over 33 million followers across X, Facebook, and Instagram. Many fans attend the team's home matches. They often even come to watch practice sessions in Chennai. When the team's home games moved to Pune in 2018, the team arranged a special train. This train took fans from Chennai to Pune.

Team Rivalries

Chennai Super Kings vs. Mumbai Indians

The Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have played each other 38 times in the IPL. Chennai has won 18 of those matches. They are the two most successful IPL teams, both with five titles. These two teams have met in the IPL final four times. Mumbai has won three of those finals, and Chennai has won one.

Chennai Super Kings vs. Royal Challengers Bengaluru

The rivalry between the Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru is called the "Southern derby" or "Kaveri derby". This name comes from the Kaveri River and a water dispute between the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Super Kings have won 22 of the 36 matches between the teams. They beat the Royal Challengers in their only IPL final meeting in 2011. At their home ground in Chennai, the Super Kings have a very good record. They have lost only twice to the Royal Challengers there, in 2008 and 2025.

Team Ownership and Money

When the IPL started in 2008, the Chennai team was sold to India Cements for $91 million. This made it the fourth most expensive team in the league. N. Srinivasan, who was then a leader in the BCCI, became the main owner of the Super Kings. This was because he was a managing director of India Cements. In September 2008, a former BCCI President raised concerns. He pointed out that BCCI rules prevented officials from having business interests in matches run by the board. Later, the rules were changed to allow this for the IPL. A case was filed against this change. In 2013, the Supreme Court was asked to stop Srinivasan from becoming BCCI President. This was rejected, and he was elected. In a decision on January 22, 2015, the Supreme Court reversed the 2008 rule change. This meant board officials could not have business interests in the IPL. Because of this, the Super Kings team was moved to a separate company called Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited.

As of 2021, about 30% of the team is owned by the people who manage and own parts of India Cements. The Super Kings made a lot of money in the 2018–19 financial year. They had revenues of about $50 million and a profit of about $13 million. In the 2020–21 financial year, their revenue dropped to about $30 million, with a profit of about $4.8 million. The team earns money from TV deals, ticket sales, stadium advertising, and selling merchandise. Most of their money (about 60%) comes from TV rights. Sponsorship deals bring in about 20%, and ticket sales bring in 10-15%.

Team Players

Current Squad

2025 Chennai Super Kings season

Team Captains

MS Dhoni (left) is the most successful captain. Ruturaj Gaikwad was the captain in 2024 and 2025.

Dhoni led the team from 2008 to 2023. He is one of the most successful captains in the IPL. He led the Super Kings to ten finals, winning five of them. In 2022, Jadeja became captain but gave the role back to Dhoni after a difficult start to the season. Gaikwad was named captain before the 2024 IPL season. During the 2025 IPL season, Gaikwad was injured. Dhoni was then re-appointed as captain.

Player	Nationality	From	To	Matches	Won	Lost	Tied	NR	Win%
MS Dhoni	India	2008	2025	244	145	96	1	0	59.42
Suresh Raina		2010	2019	6	2	3	1	0	33.33
Ravindra Jadeja		2022	2022	8	2	6	0	0	25.00
Ruturaj Gaikwad		2024	2025	19	8	11	0	0	42.10

Last updated: 25 May 2025; Source: ESPNcricinfo

Support Staff

Team Statistics

Performance by Season

Indian Premier League

Last updated: 25 May 2025; Source: IPLT20 website

Key

• Won the Orange cap for the top run scorer in the season
• Won the Purple cap for the top wicket taker in the season

Champions League Twenty20

Source: ESPNcricinfo

Performance Against Other Teams

This table shows records from matches against IPL teams in both the IPL and CLT20.

Last updated: 25 May 2025

 Team now defunct 

See also

• List of Chennai Super Kings cricketers
• List of Chennai Super Kings records
• Joburg Super Kings
• Texas Super Kings