IPL history: Chennai Super Kings' XI from their first ever match - Where are they now?
The 12th edition of IPL will get underway next month, and the fans across the country are waiting to watch their favorite teams battle it out for the trophy. The 11 seasons of this league have been very successful in producing some great players who have gone on to represent their country with distinction too.
Every team has its own fanbase, but the number of people who support Chennai Super Kings is huge. The reason behind this is the consistent performance of the team right from the start of the IPL.
CSK have won three titles and have reached the final a record seven times. They are the only team to have reached the knock-outs on every occasion they have played.
The team was bought by India Cements in the year 2008 for $91 million. In the inaugural season, CSK enjoyed a lot of success, finishing as the runners-up. The team consisted of stalwarts of the previous era who played a significant role in the on-field performances.
Let us look at the whereabouts of the players who were a part of their first IPL game:
Top Order: Parthiv Patel, Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey
CSK had a solid top order with two left-handers, Parthiv Patel and Mathew Hayden opening the innings and Michael Hussey coming in at three. These three often built a strong foundation for the team.
Parthiv scored in excess of 500 runs in three seasons whereas Hayden contributed with 1107 runs for the franchise. Hussey on the other hand played a slew of crucial knocks for the team, scoring over 1700 runs.
Parthiv has represented 5 franchises after leaving CSK and is presently playing for RCB in IPL. He also represents Gujarat in first-class cricket.
When Hayden retired from IPL after the third edition, he had already quit international cricket. He held respectable positions in the Queensland and Australian Cricket Boards. These days we see him live on the TV as an expert and analyst who gives interesting insights into the game.
Hussey on the other hand worked as a consultant for the South African and Australian teams before taking over as the batting coach of Chennai Super Kings in 2018.