Flashback: When CSK became the first team ever to win the IPL and CL T20 in 2010
On this day (September 26) in 2010, the MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) became the first franchise to emerge victorious in the IPL and the Champions League T20 (CL T20). Following their first IPL title a few months prior in 2010, the side doubled down and added the CL T20 trophy to their cabinet by defeating the home team, the Warriors, at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.
CSK had bulldozed their way to the summit clash, losing only a Super-Over thriller against Victoria. Included was a 10-run win against the Warriors in the final group game to qualify for the semi-final and a massive 52-run win in the semis against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
With the grand finale expected to be a thriller, considering the imperious form of both sides, the Super Kings showcased why they were a cut above the rest when it came to high-pressure knockout matches.
Batting first, the Warriors posted only 128/7 in their 20 overs, with the spin twins Ravichandran Ashwin and Muttiah Muralitharan accounting for half the wickets in their eight overs for just 32 runs. The CSK openers Murali Vijay and Mike Hussey scored half-centuries in the run chase to lead the side to a comfortable eight-wicket victory with an over to spare.
Following a couple of close losses in the final and semi-final of the first two IPL seasons, CSK were third time lucky as they defeated the Mumbai Indians (MI) to win their first of five IPL titles.
They capped off a sensational 2010 by becoming the second winners of the now-defunct CL T20 after New South Wales in 2009.
While Vijay was the tournament's leading run-scorer and Player of the Match in the final, Ashwin was the leading wicket-taker and the Player of the Tournament, with 14 wickets in six games.
CSK also emerged triumphant in the final CL T20 in 2014
Following their IPL and CL T20 heroics in 2010, CSK took off by winning and defending their IPL title in the 2011 season, swatting aside RCB in the finale.
However, their arch-rivals, Mumbai Indians (MI), triumphed in two of the subsequent three CL T20s in 2011 and 2013. Yet, CSK enjoyed glory once more in the event by winning in the final edition in 2014.
Unlike in 2010, the path was much stiffer this time, as the franchise finished second in Group A and barely qualified for the semi-finals. However, come the knockouts, the Super Kings displayed their champion qualities by annihilating the Punjab Kings by 65 runs in the semi-final.
In the summit clash against the-then reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), CSK chased down 181 in just the 19th over at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Suresh Raina scored a breathtaking 109 off 62 deliveries with six fours and eight maximums to make light work of a seemingly arduous run chase.
CSK remain the joint-most successful franchise, with five IPL and two CL T20 titles, alongside the Mumbai Indians.