IPL: 5 facts every CSK fan should know about their team
"Everywhere we go, everywhere we go, we are the Chennai boys," were the final words one could hear as the 11th edition of the Indian Premier League came to a close and quite rightly so, for it was the MSD-led Chennai Super Kings that clinched the title for the third time.
The 'C' in Chennai Super Kings might well stand for 'Consistency' because they have unarguably been the most consistent performers in this marquee T20 tournament. When one speaks of CSK, the first thing that pops up in anybody's mind is the fact that they have never missed out on a Top 4 spot. But that's not all that CSK fans can take 'pride' in.
Here are 5 CSK records that every fan should know about:
#5 CSK have won the most number of Fair Play Awards
With MS Dhoni as their skipper and Stephen Fleming as the coach, CSK have some of the calmest characters in their ranks. Hence, it comes as no surprise that they have won the most number of Fair Play Awards as a team.
CSK have bagged that award 6 times across the 11 seasons. They won it in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
#4 CSK are the only team to retain the IPL Trophy
CSK are the only team to have retained the IPL trophy. They claimed their first title in 2010 when they beat the Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Stadium. In 2011, the defending champions replicated their feat by beating Royal Challengers Bangalore. No other team has, as of now, successfully defended the title.
#3 CSK were the first team to win all their home games in a single season
In the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League, CSK won all their fixtures at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, becoming the first team in the history of the league to have a 100% win record at home in a single season.
To top that, they also won the final at the same ground against RCB to clinch their second IPL title. Over the years, as one would expect, CSK have made the Chepauk or the "Den" as it is called by their fans, a yellow fortress that is extremely difficult to breach.
#2 CSK have the highest win percentage
Including the 2018 season, CSK have played 148 games, out of which they have won 90, boasting an impressive win percentage of 61.56. Next in line are the Mumbai Indians with a win percentage of 57.01. In addition, Mumbai are the only team against whom CSK have a win percentage of less than 50.
They enjoy a win percentage of 80 (the highest against any team) over Sunrisers Hyderabad whom they defeated in the Final of the 2018 season.
#1 MS Dhoni is the only player to still captain the team he led in 2008
You can't expect this list to end without a 'Thala' record, can you? CSK owe a lot of credit to their skipper, MS Dhoni. He was picked up by the franchise at the 2008 Auction for a whopping 1.5 Million USD and the then Indian T20I skipper was handed the reins of the franchise.
Come 2018 and MSD is still leading the team. CSK are the only team that haven't seen a shift of captaincy over the 11 seasons that have been played. Moreover, MS Dhoni has the highest win-loss percentage among captains who have captained over 10 matches - 58.86. Suffice to say, there is only one KING in the Jungle.