3 batsmen who have scored the most runs for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL
Currently, the Indian Premier League is the most highly-rated T20 cricket league on the planet. In the history of the competition, Chennai Super Kings has been the most prosperous side, having won three trophies and finishing as runners-up in four editions. Also, the men in yellow have qualified for the playoffs in all the nine seasons of the cash-rich league.
After being banned for a couple of seasons due to compliance issues, CSK made a roaring comeback in the 2018 IPL season by succeeding in the final against SRH.
In this article, let us look at three batsmen who have scored the most runs for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
#1 Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina is undoubtedly one of India’s most outstanding T20 International cricketers. He has earned himself the name of 'Mr IPL' for his consistent performances throughout the IPL. With over 300 runs in every single season of the league, he is the only player who can boast about this difficult achievement. Raina has been the backbone of Chennai Super Kings' middle order and has won several matches for them single-handedly ever since the beginning of the Indian Premier League.
In the 2010 campaign, the southpaw scored 520 runs at an exceptional average of 47.39 and crucial his knock of 56 runs in the final match against Mumbai Indians helped Chennai Super Kings win the competition that season. Raina has played 147 matches for the Chennai Super Kings and scored 4144 runs at an average of 34.35 and a strike rate of 137.19.
#2 Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Taking the number 2 spot is the former skipper of the Indian team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. He is undoubtedly the best leader amongst his compatriots in the IPL. Dhoni has been part of Chennai Super Kings ever since the competition's inception and has guided his franchise to three IPL trophies (2010, 2011 and 2018).
Dhoni was picked up by CSK for a huge amount of $1.5 million, which was the highest purchase of the debut edition. Despite the heavy price tag, MSD has lived up to the anticipations and has silenced his critics.
Across the nine seasons with CSK, Dhoni has scored 3442 runs at an average of 36.81. A reliable presence in the batting lineup, Dhoni's nous, and grit has helped CSK navigate through difficult situations and win some nail-biting encounters over the years.
#3 Michael Hussey
In the maiden IPL match for CSK, 'Mr. Cricket' Michael Hussey scored the second century of the tournament after Brendon McCullum. Hussey thrashed the Kings XI Punjab bowlers to all corners of the stadium by scoring a match-winning knock 116 runs off just 54 deliveries, which included 8 fours and 9 sixes.
Hussey was part of the Chennai team as a player from 2008-13, and again in 2015. In the 2014 IPL edition, he was also with the Mumbai Indians for a solitary season.
The talented left-handed batsman has played 50 IPL games for CSK and scored 1768 runs at an average of 30.98 and smashed a century and 13 half. Hussey's explosive hitting at the top of the order often helped CSK get off to flying starts and set daunting totals for the opposition.