Early years – Consistency/Chennai Super Kings (2008 – 2012)
CSK earned a reputation as the most consistent side right from the early days of the league. They reached the playoffs stage from 2008 to 2019, an incredible 10 straight seasons – CSK was banned from the 2016 and 2017 IPL seasons – and they became the first side to successfully defend the title in 2011, after winning their maiden IPL title in 2010. Mumbai, on the other hand took three seasons to make their first appearance in playoffs. Mumbai Indians reached the final of the 2010 season and lost to CSK at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
First 5 seasons: CSK 2 – 0 MI
Mumbai became the mighty Mumbai (2013 – 2017)
Rohit took the reins from Ricky Ponting after 6 games in the 2013 season and landed the title in the same season. CSK were playing their 4th straight final and lost the final to the Mumbai Indians after losing the 2012 final to Kolkata Knight Riders. Mumbai managed to win the title in alternate years in 2015 and 2017. They managed to beat CSK once again in the 2015 final and Rising Pune Supergiant, the team represented by MS Dhoni for two years during its existence in 2016 and 2017.
First 10 seasons: CSK 2 – 3 MI
CSK’s comeback and MI’s dominating double (2018 – 2021)
CSK returned to the IPL after two years and it was quite a fairytale for the men in Yellow. They defeated 2016 winners Sunrisers Hyderabad, fittingly at the Wankhede Stadium, the home of Mumbai Indians. CSK levelled MI’s 3-titles and the rivalry was getting heated. Mumbai Indians stormed to back-to-back titles in 2019 and 2020. They even managed to achieve the rare feat of beating an opponent 4 times in a single IPL season. MI beat CSK twice in the league stage and twice in the playoffs, including the grand final in Hyderabad in the 2019 edition. CSK hit an all-time low of not making it to the playoffs in 2020, the first instance during their entire existence. Dhoni rallied his troops in grand style and won the title in UAE in 2021, the same venue where they failed to reach the final four in the previous year.
After 14 seasons: CSK 4 – 5 MI
Jadeja’s miracle and Mumbai’s disappointments (2022 – 2024)
The previous mega auction cycle was a disappointing one for both CSK and MI. The two sides reached a new low by finishing 9th & 10th respectively in the 2022 season. MI finished 10th on one more occasion in 2024. CSK too failed to reach the playoffs in the 2024 season. Jadeja performed the most audacious miracle in between the two disappointing finishes. With 10 needed from 2 balls in the 2023 final in Ahmedabad, against the defending champions Gujarat Titans in their fortress, Jadeja smashed a six and four off Mohit Sharma in the early hours of 30th May, the game which was supposed to start in the evening hours of 28th May. The two shots instantly gave the bragging rights to the Men in Yellow.
After 17 seasons: CSK 5 – 5 MI
Looking ahead – passing of the legacy
Dhoni and Rohit are no longer the captains of the two most successful teams in the history of the most popular league. Hardik Pandya played an integral part in Mumbai’s title winning runs over the years and also managed to win the title as captain with Gujarat Titans in 2022. Ruturaj Gaikwad, on the other hand played a vital part in the 2021 and 2023 title victories. Who’s going to lay their hands for the 6th time? The intriguing rivalry will continue to enthrall the audiences for years to come.
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