Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Timeline

The Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad timeline is one of IPL's most compelling rivalries between established champion and perennial contender. Since SRH entered IPL in 2013 (replacing Deccan Chargers), these two franchises have met 23 times with CSK leading 15-8. CSK have 5 IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023); SRH have 1 (2016, won during CSK's suspension). CSK's two-year absence (2016-2017) means these sides never faced SRH during their only title year.

No single match captures this rivalry more completely than the 2018 IPL Final at Wankhede Stadium. Shane Watson's 117* off 57 balls the highest individual score in IPL finals history powered CSK's comeback championship, delivered on one good leg with a visibly bleeding knee. That innings is one of cricket's defining moments of determination. CSK completed a 4-0 clean sweep over SRH that season the first time any team had beaten an opponent four times in a single IPL campaign. This article covers the complete CSK vs SRH timeline, from first meeting to the present.

CSK vs SRH Head-to-Head Stats

All Matches Summary: CSK vs SRH Timeline (2013-2026)

IPL 2018 Final: Shane Watson's Bleeding Knee Masterclass

Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai — May 27, 2018

This match produced one of cricket's most iconic individual performances — Watson's 117* on one good leg, his knee visibly bleeding through his whites, powering CSK's comeback championship after two years of suspension. The image of Watson batting through the pain became a symbol of the championship mentality that defines CSK.

Sunrisers Hyderabad Innings (178/6 in 20 overs)

SRH batted first after losing the toss. Opener Shreevats Goswami was run out for 5 before the innings found its footing. Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson steadied with a 51-run partnership before Ravindra Jadeja bowled Dhawan through the gate. Williamson continued methodically — 47 off 36 balls, scoring 18 off his first 19 balls before accelerating — before being stumped off Karn Sharma by MS Dhoni. Yusuf Pathan's unbeaten 45 off 26 balls added crucial late impetus, carrying SRH to 178/6 — a par total on a good Wankhede surface, but a chaseable one for CSK's experienced batting order.

Shane Watson's Epic Chase (117* off 57 balls)

Faf du Plessis opened with Watson. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's first over was a maiden — Watson scoreless through Bhuvi's immaculate opening three overs, facing 9 deliveries without scoring. Du Plessis was caught and bowled by Sandeep Sharma for 10 in the 4th over, and Suresh Raina joined Watson. The required rate was climbing, the dew was settling, and Watson still hadn't broken free.

Then the switch flipped.

Watson began attacking Sandeep Sharma and Siddarth Kaul — clearing the straight boundary, whipping to square leg, driving through the covers. By the end of the 6th over he had 29 off 19 balls, combining boundaries with singles that told you something had shifted in his mindset.

The 27-Run Over — Most Expensive in IPL Finals History

The 13th over, bowled by Sandeep Sharma, was the moment the match was decided. Watson hit a boundary off the second ball, then launched three consecutive sixes, then added another boundary to collect 27 runs in six deliveries. The required rate collapsed from 9.38 to 6.86 in one over. The match was effectively over.

Innings milestones:

• Built his partnership with Raina through calculated aggression and smart rotation

• Reached his century in the 17th over off Rashid Khan — pushing into the off-side gap and sprinting across

• Watson: 117 off 57 balls (11 fours, 8 sixes)*

• Watson-Raina partnership: 117 runs for the 2nd wicket (Raina: 32 off 24 balls, 3 fours, 1 six)

• Watson's 27-run over remains the most expensive over in IPL Finals history

The Bleeding Knee

Throughout the innings, Watson's right knee was visibly bleeding — a cut sustained during fielding. He refused treatment, refused to slow down. The blood seeping through his whites became one of cricket's most enduring images: a 36-year-old Australian, supposedly past his best, batting on one leg with a bleeding knee to win his team an IPL title. Shane Warne's "Dad's Army" critics — who had mocked CSK's ageing squad — had their answer delivered in 57 balls.

The Finish

CSK reached their target in 18.3 overs. Ambati Rayudu drilled the winning runs through the covers off Carlos Braithwaite. CSK finished 181/2, winning with 9 balls to spare by 8 wickets.

Watson was Man of the Match — a no-brainer choice. SRH's bowlers, particularly Bhuvneshwar and Rashid (0/24 in 4 overs), could not contain Watson once he got going. Sandeep Sharma conceded 43 runs in 3 overs. Siddarth Kaul conceded 43 in 3.

Historical significance: Watson's 117* is the highest individual score in IPL Finals history — a record that still stands. CSK's 3rd IPL title validated their approach under MS Dhoni: experience over youth, composure over flash.

CSK's 4-0 Sweep in 2018: Unprecedented Dominance

The 2018 final completed something that had never happened before in IPL: a team beating the same opponent four times in one season, including playoff stages. The IPLT20 preview confirmed that if CSK won the final, they would "become the first team in IPL history to beat an opponent four times in single season." They did.

Match 1 — League Stage: CSK won. Match 2 — League Stage: CSK won. Qualifier 1: CSK won (advancing directly to the final). Final: CSK won (Watson 117*).

The 4-0 sweep represented CSK's total dominance over a SRH side that featured Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, David Warner (injured in the playoffs), and Kane Williamson's tactical captaincy. Nothing worked against CSK's balance and experience.

Key Highlights from CSK vs SRH Matches

IPL 2013: First Meeting, Immediate Dominance

SRH's inaugural season encounter with CSK began on April 25, 2013, at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai — the very date where SRH would break their Chepauk duck over a decade later. CSK dominated the 2013 season with the decisive meeting at Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Hyderabad, where CSK posted 223/3 — their highest total in this fixture — winning by 78 runs. MS Dhoni's batting prowess (which would accumulate ~436 runs in this fixture, the most of any player) began making its mark that first season: Dhoni finishing at peak strike rate when the team needed it most. CSK won both 2013 encounters, establishing early supremacy over the new franchise.

IPL 2014-2015: CSK's Peak Years

David Warner's arrival gave SRH a new dimension, and their overall squad improved significantly through 2014-2015. But CSK won the majority of encounters, with MS Dhoni's captaincy and Raina's consistency proving difficult to overcome. SRH showed flashes of their potential but couldn't consistently challenge CSK's championship machinery.

IPL 2016-2017: The Absent Years

CSK's two-year suspension meant no encounters during SRH's defining moment — their 2016 IPL title won under David Warner's captaincy, defeating RCB in the final. The irony is persistent: CSK and SRH, who met four times in 2018, never met during the only year SRH won everything. When CSK returned, they reclaimed complete dominance immediately.

IPL 2019-2022: Competitive Phase

Post-2018, the rivalry became more balanced. SRH showed they'd learned from the 4-0 defeat, winning important encounters across 2019-2022. MS Dhoni (~436 runs) and Suresh Raina (434 runs) lead the all-time run-scoring charts in this fixture — testament to CSK's batting depth. For SRH, Kane Williamson's 417 runs make him the standout accumulator, and David Warner's 405 runs bring aggression and consistency. All four are among the fixture's defining batters. CSK won their 4th title in 2021, maintaining their championship cadence.

IPL 2024: Gaikwad's 98 and CSK's Biggest Win

April 28, 2024, at MA Chidambaram Stadium produced CSK's biggest victory in this fixture. Ruturaj Gaikwad (98 off 54 balls: 10 fours, 3 sixes) and Daryl Mitchell (52 off 32) gave CSK a flying start, while Shivam Dube (39* off 20) finished brutally. CSK posted 212/3. Tushar Deshpande then dismantled SRH with 4 wickets for 27 as SRH were bowled out for 134 in 18.5 overs. CSK's 78-run win is the largest margin of victory in this rivalry.

Gaikwad was dismissed for 98 — two runs short of what would have been a landmark century — attempting a big shot off Natarajan in the 20th over.

IPL 2025: SRH's Historic Chepauk Breakthrough

On April 25, 2025, SRH achieved something that had been impossible for years: their first-ever win at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. CSK were restricted to 154, and SRH chased it down with 5 wickets in hand and 8 balls remaining. Harshal Patel's 4/28 was Player of the Match — the best bowling performance ever recorded by an SRH bowler in this fixture. The victory was a statement of SRH's evolution under modern aggressive cricket.

For CSK, losing their Chennai fortress to SRH — after years of imperviousness there — signalled that the rivalry was genuinely competitive again.

Notable Records in CSK vs SRH Rivalry

Individual Performances

Team Records

Finals Records (2018)

Venue Records

Head-to-Head: Top Performers

Top Batsmen

1. MS Dhoni (CSK): ~436 runs — the all-time leading run-scorer in this fixture, achieved as a finisher batting at No. 6 or 7. His average of over 60 in this fixture at a strike rate above 150 is a number that belongs in a different conversation. His stumping of Williamson off Karn Sharma in the 2018 Final was the decisive bowling moment.

2. Suresh Raina (CSK): 434 runs, including a 99* which remains the highest league-stage score in this fixture. 'Mr IPL' was consistently CSK's most important middle-order performer against SRH, building partnerships that powered totals.

3. Kane Williamson (SRH): 417 runs — SRH's leading run-scorer in this fixture. His consistent, measured captaincy innings (including 47 in the 2018 Final) made him SRH's most reliable batter against CSK across multiple seasons.

4. David Warner (SRH): 405 runs as SRH's explosive opener. His aggressive starts repeatedly gave SRH momentum in this fixture, even when the match ultimately went to CSK.

5. Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK): 394 runs — CSK's most consistent run-scorer against SRH in the post-2018 era, including his near-century 98 off 54 in 2024 that powered CSK's 78-run win.

6. Shane Watson (CSK): One match, one innings, one record. His 117* off 57 in the 2018 Final stands as the highest score in IPL Finals history — delivered with a bleeding knee, at age 36, in the biggest game of his IPL career.

7. MS Dhoni (CSK): His 67* off 37 in the 2013 first meeting set the rivalry's early template: Dhoni finishing at peak aggression, multiple times hitting match-defining boundaries to close out chases in familiar style.

Top Bowlers

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SRH): The most consistent SRH bowler in this fixture across multiple seasons — swing in early overs, precision at the death. His opening maiden in the 2018 Final kept CSK scoreless for three overs before Watson's transformation.

2. Rashid Khan (SRH): SRH's most potent weapon through 2018-2021, picking up crucial middle-over wickets. He conceded 0/24 in 4 overs in the 2018 Final as Watson found every gap.

3. Ravindra Jadeja (CSK): Influential in the 2018 Final — bowling Dhawan through the gate — and consistently effective in middle overs and with fielding interventions across the rivalry.

4. Deepak Chahar (CSK): Consistent new-ball swing threat, routinely creating early pressure against SRH's powerful top order with movement in the powerplay.

5. Harshal Patel (SRH): His 4/28 in the 2025 Chepauk match — the first SRH win at that ground — is the best bowling performance ever recorded FOR SRH in this fixture. Tushar Deshpande's 4/27 (CSK, 2024) stands as the overall best bowling performance in this rivalry.

CSK vs SRH: What Makes This Rivalry Special?

This rivalry's defining narrative is experience versus aggression — CSK's championship DNA versus SRH's explosive potential. CSK's 15-8 dominance reflects sustained excellence across a decade, built on Dhoni's captaincy, batting depth, and the kind of bowling discipline that defends modest totals and chases challenging ones with equal composure.

The 2018 season is this rivalry's defining chapter. Watson's 117* with a bleeding knee represents the most iconic individual performance in CSK-SRH history. Every element of that innings — the scoreless start, the 27-run Sandeep Sharma over, the century off Rashid, the blood on the whites — was layered with narrative significance. The "Dad's Army" mockery that accompanied CSK's return from suspension was answered comprehensively: Watson, at 36, batted through injury to win an IPL title. The 4-0 sweep that season remains unique in IPL history.

Championship disparity defines the wider narrative. CSK's 5 titles versus SRH's 1 (won, ironically, while CSK were absent) creates an asymmetry that pervades every encounter. MS Dhoni's ~436 runs and Suresh Raina's 434 runs — both higher than Williamson's 417 — reflect CSK's collective batting depth, while Williamson's and Warner's tallies for SRH are a reminder that SRH has consistently produced outstanding individual performances without being able to overcome CSK's collective quality.

The stylistic contrast sharpens the narrative. CSK's calculated cricket — methodical batting, smart bowling changes, Dhoni's finishing — against SRH's ultra-aggressive modern approach. In 2024, SRH posted 277 against MI; against CSK at Chepauk that same season, they were bowled out for 134 in 18.5 overs. SRH's aggression produces extraordinary peaks and significant vulnerabilities. CSK exploits those vulnerabilities better than almost anyone.

Venue dynamics have been critical. Chepauk was CSK's impenetrable fortress against SRH until April 2025, when Harshal Patel's 4/28 restricted CSK to 154 and SRH chased it down with 8 balls to spare. That breakthrough — SRH's first win at the MA Chidambaram Stadium — signals that the rivalry's recent phase is genuinely competitive in ways the 15-8 scoreline doesn't fully capture.

Conclusion

The Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad timeline is IPL's most vivid study in experience triumphing over aggression. CSK's 15-8 dominance, anchored by the 2018 title and Watson's bleeding-knee masterclass (117* off 57), reflects sustained championship excellence over a decade. The 4-0 sweep that season — unprecedented in IPL history — remains the rivalry's defining statement. Watson, at 36 and visibly injured, batting through pain to deliver the highest score in IPL Finals history, crystallises everything CSK have come to represent. Kane Williamson's 417 runs and SRH's 2025 Chepauk breakthrough show the rivalry has genuine competitive balance in its recent phase. As CSK pursue a 6th title and SRH seek their second, every encounter carries the weight of this history — the bleeding knee, the 27-run Sandeep over, the crowd at Wankhede witnessing the comeback champion.