Top 5 Glorious Moments With CSK in IPL 

image-liab8uqoMS Dhoni thanking the crowd after the IPL 2023 title win (Source: AP Photo)

The Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) has come to an end after a saga of 74 matches. The Chennai Super Kings have emerged as the deserved tournament winners, beating Gujarat Giants by five wickets in the last ball of the grand finale. 

Looking back at the incredible journey of the five-time champions, we relive the five most glorious moments with CSK in the history of IPL. 

5. MS Dhoni providing the finishing touch in CSK's qualification to playoffs in IPL 2010

Chennai Super Kings went into the 54th match of IPL 2010 with a lot of pressure on them. They needed to win the match to make it into the tournament's playoffs. 

Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) batted first in the match and posted a stellar total of 192 runs for the loss of four wickets in 20 overs. 

image-liabas9zMS Dhoni finished off the match for CSK in the last over to take them into the playoffs (Source: Twitter)

CSK lost two early wickets in the chase, but Suresh Raina and S Badrinath stabilised things for the team. When Raina was dismissed, CSK were 89 for 3 in 9.4 overs, and MS Dhoni walked out. 

He played a blinder of a knock, and Chennai were left with 16 runs to be scored in the last over. MSD hit a four of the first ball and followed up with a couple of runs in the next delivery. CSK needed ten runs off the last four balls to win the match. This is when MSD, the finisher, thrives the best, and he proved it with two monstrous sixes to finish of the match and take CSK to the playoffs. CSK eventually ended up winning their first IPL title in 2010, and that is where the significance of this MSD inning lies. 

4. CSK becomes the first team to defend the IPL title

After winning their first IPL title in 2010, CSK also looked like a strong team in the next edition. They played good cricket and finished the league stage on the second spot. 

In the playoffs, CSK defeated RCB in the first qualifier and marched onto the tournament's final. In the summit clash, Murali Vijay set the tone for the defending champions scoring 95 runs off 52 deliveries. 

image-liabcr1kMS Dhoni with IPL 2011 Trophy (Source: Twitter)

He had a great partnership with Michael Hussey (63 off 45) for the opening wicket as the duo stitched a partnership of 159 runs in 14.5 overs. The CSK middle order capitalised on the brilliant start and posted a mammoth total of 205 runs in their 20 overs. 

RCB never picked up the momentum in the chase and were bundled out for just 147 runs. With that, CSK won the match by 58 runs and became the first team in the tournament's history to defend the title, a feat that the Mumbai Indians later achieved. 

3. Making a comeback in 2021 after finishing in second last position in IPL 2020

CSK had a dreadful season in IPL 2020. They managed to win only six of their 14 matches and finished seventh in the eight-team league table. 

Come the following season in 2021; everyone counted CSK out from the onset. The critics thought the squad looked too aged to even be in contention for the title. But the CSK army remembered the promise 'Thala' made in 2020- "We will come back stronger next season". 

image-liabfplkChennai Super Kings with the IPL 2021 Trophy (Source: Twitter)

Once again, it was the typical CSK way, as they remained consistent throughout the tournament and finished the league stage at number two. They defeated Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 1 and faced KKR in the final. 

They posted 192 runs in 20 overs and then restricted KKR to 165 to win the match by 27 runs and lift the trophy. The clinical performance by CSK was the perfect answer to the critics who had written them off at the onset. 

2. All for 'Mahi Bhai', the fifth IPL title

IPL 2023, once again CSK, was written out by the haters and the critics even before the tournament started. The team even started on a poor note losing the opening game to Gujarat Titans. 

But as the tournament progressed, CSK started peaking and gaining momentum. In the playoffs, they face GT, the best team in the league stage in Qualifier 1. However, CSK defeated GT rather comfortably and entered their 10th IPL final. 

image-liabh8lnMS Dhoni hugging Ravindra Jadeja after the IPL 2023 Title Win (Source: Twitter)

In the final, the GT batters unleashed madness and posted 214 runs in their 20 overs. But, unfortunately, CSK's chase was interrupted by rain, and they had to chase a revised target of 171 runs in 15 overs. 

Things turned out such that CSK needed 10 runs to win the last two balls. Jadeja slammed a six and then picked up a boundary of the last ball to take CSK to their fifth IPL title. The emotions were flowing, and it was even visible in the always-calm MS Dhoni. This moment will remain one of the most glorious moments in the franchise's history. 

1.CSK- Comeback Super Kings

Well, one of the darkest parts in the history of CSK was getting banned due to the 'betting scandal'. As a result, the franchise could not play in the tournament in 2016 and 2017. After this, they made a comeback in IPL 2018 and assimilated a squad nicknamed the "Daddies Army" because of the squad's average age. 

image-liabiz8xCSK with the IPL 2018 trophy (Source: Twitter)

But CSK outperformed everybody in the tournament and again replied to their critics with their on-field show. In the tournament's final, Shane Watson played a memorable knock that took CSK to their third IPL title.

The significance of this moment lies in the fact that CSK needed to perform the way they did to re-establish their legacy. It will remain the best moment for the team because they showed that the legacy of CSK is more significant than any controversy and can never be diminished.