CSK won IPL 2023 Under Stephen Fleming (Source: AFP)
Five-time Indian Premier League champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and head coach Stephen Fleming ended their 18-year association by mutual agreement, the franchise announced on Monday, marking the end of one of the IPL’s most enduring and successful partnerships.
The decision followed discussions between Fleming and the franchise management. The former New Zealand captain first joined the CSK as a player in the inaugural 2008 season before taking over as head coach a year later.
Spanning nearly two decades at the CSK in the IPL, the Fleming-MS Dhoni duo guided CSK through a golden era.
Under Fleming, the ‘Yellow Army’ won multiple IPL titles along with Champions League T20 crowns. Under his leadership, the franchise reached the playoffs a record 12 times and featured in the 10 IPL Finals.
That being said, in this article, let’s take a look at the trophies and titles CSK won under former head coach Stephen Fleming.
List of trophies CSK won during Stephen Fleming’s tenure as head coach
1) 2010 Indian Premier League Title
The Chennai-based franchise had the time of the life in 2010. After getting eliminated in the previous season, CSK won their maiden IPL championship under MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming.
Notably, CSK had a somewhat turbulent league phase that year, winning 7 out of 14 matches and sneaking into the playoffs on net run rate. However, they turned their momentum around in the knockout stages.
Finishing third in the league stage, they defeated Deccan Chargers in the semi-finals and subsequently beat Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in the final.
2) 2010 Champions League T20 Trophy
Following their IPL victory, the team also went on to win their first Champions League T20 Trophy (CLT20) later that year. CSK defeated the Warriors (a South African franchise) by 8 wickets in the final in Johannesburg on September 26, 2010.
By winning this tournament, they became the first team to claim both the IPL and CLT20 titles in the same calendar year.
3) 2011 Indian Premier League Title
The Super Kings completed a hat-trick of titles by winning the 2011 IPL. Thus, they became the first team in the history of IPL to successfully defend their title.
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They also won all the matches held at their home ground, the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) in Chennai that season, setting a new record as the first IPL team to win all of its home games.
4) 2014 Champions League T20 Trophy
The 2014 Champions League T20 Trophy was the sixth and final edition of the tournament. CSK won their second CLT20 title on October 4, 2014, by defeating the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets in the final at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
CSK chased down KKR's target of 180 runs with 9 balls to spare, largely due to Suresh Raina's explosive 109 runs off just 62 balls. Raina was subsequently named the Player of the Series, having also topped the tournament's run-scoring charts.
5) 2018 Indian Premier League Title
The ‘Yellow Army’ won the 11th edition of the IPL, marking a triumphant return to the league after serving a two-year suspension. They defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8 wickets in the final on May 27, 2018, at the Wankhede Stadium.
That season, CSK played only one game at their usual home ground, M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. Notably, due to the Cauvery (Kaveri) water dispute protests in Chennai, the team had to shift their home base to the MCA Stadium in Pune for the remainder of the season.
6) 2021 Indian Premier League Title
Chennai Super Kings won their fourth IPL title in 2021 by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the final in Dubai. This championship marked a remarkable comeback for the franchise, which had finished seventh in the previous season.
Moreover, CSK dominated the batting charts for the season. Ruturaj Gaikwad won the Orange Cap as the tournament’s top run-scorer, amassing 635 runs in 16 matches.
He was closely followed by Faf du Plessis, who was the second-highest run-scorer of the season with 633 and was named the Player of the Match in the final.
7) 2023 Indian Premier League Title
In 2023, Chennai Super Kings clinched their fifth IPL title, equalling Mumbai Indians’ record for the most championships. Under MS Dhoni’s captaincy, they defeated Gujarat Titans by 5 wickets in a thrilling, rain-affected final in Ahmedabad.
After rain shifted the final to the reserve day (May 29, 2023), GT posted a massive 214/4. The match was shortened to 15 overs via the DLS method, giving CSK a revised target of 171.
Needing 10 runs off the final two deliveries, Ravindra Jadeja hit a six and a four off Mohit Sharma to seal the iconic victory.
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