IPL 2021: 3 captains who have won the most matches against CSK
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were one of eight teams to be a part of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League. Playing under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, CSK made it to the IPL 2008 Final, but lost to the Rajasthan Royals.
Two years later, the Super Kings won their maiden IPL trophy, and in 2011, the Chennai-based franchise became the first team to win two IPL championships.
From 2008 to 2015, CSK qualified for the second round in every IPL season. Unfortunately, they got suspended from the cash-rich league for two seasons in 2016.
CSK returned to the competition in 2018 and captured their third IPL championship. They reached the summit clash in 2019 but could not defend their title successfully.
In the first phase of IPL 2021, the Super Kings won five of their seven matches and are among the top contenders to win the trophy this year.
Only a few teams have been to perform well consistently against CSK
Looking at the excellent record CSK have in the IPL, it goes without saying that many teams have failed against the Chennai-based franchise.
However, there have been a few skippers who achieved success while leading their teams in IPL games against CSK. The following three captains have the most wins versus Chennai in IPL history.
3. Gautam Gambhir - 13 matches, 6 wins
Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir played a huge role in the success of the Kolkata Knight Riders between 2011 and 2017.
KKR won both of their IPL titles under Gambhir's leadership. They won their first IPL trophy by defeating the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2012 Final.
Apart from KKR, Gambhir also led the Delhi-based franchise during his IPL career. In all, he played 13 games as skipper against CSK, with his team emerging victorious on six occasions.
2. Adam Gilchrist - 10 matches, 6 wins
Another captain to record six wins against the Chennai Super Kings was Adam Gilchrist. The former Australian wicketkeeper-batter led the Punjab Kings and Deccan Chargers in the tournament.
Overall, Gilchrist played 10 matches against CSK as skipper. He recorded the same number of wins as Gautam Gambhir, but is ranked higher because he played three games less.
1. Rohit Sharma - 18 matches, 11 wins
Rohit Sharma is the only captain to have led his team to more than 10 wins in matches against the Chennai Super Kings. Most famously, Rohit's team Mumbai Indians defeated CSK in the IPL Final of 2013, 2015 and 2019.
Earlier this year, Rohit recorded his 11th win as captain against the Chennai Super Kings when the Mumbai Indians chased a 219-run target in a high-scoring thriller at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Rohit has an opportunity to complete a dozen victories against CSK on September 19.
It will be interesting to see if Rohit Sharma can maintain his excellent record as skipper against CSK.