IPL: Chennai Super Kings- 10 years of the Yellow fever
April 19, 2008: A landmark day for all the CSK fans across the globe.
The Men in yellow are one of the hottest properties when it comes to the IPL. Many prominent players have played for the franchise from Chennai that has the largest fan-base in the IPL. Dhoni's men have reached the knockout stage in every season (2008-2015) in which they played so far and have made it to the summit clash on six occasions. One of the main reasons for their success is the fact that they have always retained their core players all these years.
By winning back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011, they became the first ever team to do so. Due to the alleged involvement of their owners in the spot-fixing and betting case during the 2013 IPL, they were suspended for two seasons, in 2016 and 2017. CSK made their much-awaited comeback to the IPL this year, after a two-year hiatus. Having displayed an exceptional brand of cricket over the years, they have provided their fans much to celebrate. The Yellow flags being waved across the Chepauk is a sight every Yellow army member would crave for. The Chennai Super Kings are the pride of the beautiful city of Chennai.
CSK- More than a team, it is an emotion.
Let us now look relive the CSK’s first ever match in the IPL.
2008 IPL: Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, Mohali
This was the second-ever match in the history of IPL and CSK’s first. Both teams boasted a number of high-profile players. With Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey on one side and Brett Lee, Kumar Sangakkara on the other side, it was a star-studded game at Mohali.
CSK batted first after winning the toss and posted a total of 240-5, thanks to Mike Hussey's heroics, who scored an unbeaten 116 off just 54 balls which included eight fours and nine sixes.
Chasing a massive 241 under the lights was never going to be easy for the Punjab franchise. But they put up a tough fight chasing the target, with half-centuries from Aussie all-rounder James Hopes and the Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara. These two anchored Punjab’s chase very well. Despite a valiant show, Punjab fell short of the target by 33 runs. Thus, the Super Kings won their first ever IPL game convincingly, courtesy Michael Hussey’s heroics. Mr. Cricket was the Man of the match for his brilliant century that guided Chennai to victory.
It was a high-scoring and an entertaining game. This victory provided a much-needed momentum for the CSK going into the tournament. This was the beginning of the phenomenal run of Dhoni’s men in the Indian Premier League. It’s hard to believe that a decade has passed since that memorable Saturday evening at Mohali.
Scores: CSK 240-5 (20 overs) beat Kings XI Punjab 207-4 (20 overs)
Player of the match: Michael Hussey (CSK)