Top 5 picks of Chennai Super Kings in IPL history
Chennai Super Kings is regarded as the most successful T20 team in the Indian Premier League since its inception. Chennai Super Kings was founded in the year of 2008 and it is owned by India Cements. Coached by Stephen Fleming and Captained by MS Dhoni, the team has won three IPL titles (2010, 2011 and 2018) across 11 seasons. After being banned for two years, CSK made a roaring comeback to win the title in 2018.
Chennai Super Kings have always been a consistent side and have entered the play-off/Semi-final in every season. The team, not only has won 3 IPL titles, but also has won two Champions League T20 titles (2010 and 2014). The secret to their success is largely due to a balanced side be it with batting or bowling.
When it comes to statistics, Chennai Super Kings have the best record in terms of win/loss ratio. Out of 148 games played, CSK have won 90 games and lost 57 games with one game ending as No Result. This very much proves the composition of the side and the effective leadership of MS Dhoni.
In this article, we look at the top five picks of Chennai Super Kings in IPL history since the inception.
#1 Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina has been the linchpin of Chennai Super Kings right from the inaugural edition of Indian Premier League. He was bought for $650,000 USD by CSK management and has lived up to the expectations ever since. Suresh Raina holds the record for being the top scorer in Indian Premier League with 4985 runs from 172 innings. Other than 2016 and 2017 seasons, Suresh Raina has been part of Chennai Super Kings and has won countless games for his team.
In the third edition of Indian Premier League in 2010, Suresh Raina scored 520 runs at an average of 47.27 and particularly his knock of 57 in the finals against Mumbai Indians helped CSK win that year’s IPL. He followed it up 438 runs in the 2011 season, which helped CSK win that season as well.
The left-hander was at his imperious best in the 2013 and 2014 seasons, where he scored 548 and 523 runs and at an impeccable average of above 40, which is a record of sorts. After returning back to Chennai Super Kings for this year, the left-handed batsman scored 445 runs at an impressive average of 37.08 and played an integral part in CSK’s triumph.