Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings meet in a blockbuster IPL 2024 clash on Sunday.
It is the greatest rivalry in the grandest T20 league in the world. No two teams have dominated the IPL like them. Together, they have won 10 of the 16 titles. They have made the most playoffs. They have also made it to the most finals. Between them, they have contested for the trophy four times – no two teams have faced each other in the final of the IPL on as many occasions! It is Mumbai Indians (MI) vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK). It is the El Clasico of the IPL.
MS Dhoni (L) and Rohit Sharma, the two most successful captains of CSK and MI, respectively. (IPL)
From CSK’s six-run win in the inaugural edition in 2008 to MI scraping to a two-wicket victory off the final delivery in 2012, from Dwayne Bravo powering CSK to a pulsating win off the penultimate delivery of the match in 2018 to Lasith Malinga’s sensational final over resulting in a thrilling win for MI by one solitary run in the final of the 2019 edition in Hyderabad – MI and CSK have produced some memorable matches over the years.
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We look at 10 numbers which define this rivalry.
5: MI and CSK have both won the IPL on five occasions each. While MI lifted the title in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, CSK, led by MS Dhoni, were the champions in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023.
10: CSK and MI have won 10 of the 16 IPL titles between them. Their dominance in the IPL is similar to the success of the Perth Scorchers and Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League who have lifted the trophy on occasions in 13 seasons.
3-1: MI and CSK have faced each other in four finals in the IPL – the most for any two teams in the league’s history. MI have had the wood over CSK and got the better of them in 2013, 2015 and 2019. CSK beat MI in the 2010 final at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.
Overall, it is also MI who have the better head to head and have won 20 of the 36 matches between the two teams in the IPL.
12-10: CSK have a phenomenal record in the IPL and have made it to the playoffs in 12 of the 14 editions they have participated in. MI, on the other end, have made it to the playoff/knockout stage on 10 occasions.
10-6: CSK, as a unit, have a unique ability to raise their game in the big matches and perform when it matters most – in the knockout/playoff matches. Thus, not surprisingly, they have made it to the final of the IPL on 10 occasions. MI are the second-most successful team on this count and have made it to six finals.
71.6% vs 62.9% – Both CSK and MI have had phenomenal success at home in the IPL. CSK have won 48 of 67 matches at Chepauk which translates to a win percentage of 71.6% – the highest for any team in the history of the IPL. MI have a corresponding win percentage of 62.9% and are third on the list behind the Royals.
Interestingly, though, it is MI who has dominated CSK both at home and away in the IPL. While MI has a 7-4 record against CSK at the Wankhede, they are also the only team to have a favourable head to head against CSK in the latter’s own backyard – MI have defeated CSK five times in 8 matches at Chepauk!
Above 50% – MI and CSK are the only two teams in the IPL who have a Success Percentage of greater than 50% against all opposition teams with whom they have played a minimum of 10 matches (not counting MI vs CSK rivalry).
437: The highest match-aggregate in a CSK-MI encounter was witnessed in a thriller in Delhi in 2021. CSK hammered 218 for 4 with Ambati Rayudu smashing an unbeaten 72 off just 27 deliveries but MI came out all guns blazing in the chase and courtesy a scintillating undefeated 87 off 34 deliveries by Kieron Pollard overshadowed CSK’s target crossing the line of the last delivery of the match. MI gunned down 138 between overs 11-20 which remains the most runs in a successful chase in the last 10 overs of an IPL match.
1: In one of the greatest IPL Finals of all-time, Lasith Malinga defended 9 off the final over to give MI a sensational win by a solitary run and with it their fourth IPL title in Hyderabad in 2019. Jasprit Bumrah was the Player of the Match for his magnificent spell of 2/14 in 4 overs. It is the closest encounter between the arch-rivals in the IPL.
710 & 35: Suresh Raina is the leading run-getter in MI-CSK encounters with 710 runs in 30 innings at a strike rate of 141.7 including six fifties. Dwayne Bravo is the highest wicket-taker with 35 dismissals in 26 matches at a strike rate of 15.3 and economy of 8.2.
