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Two cities. Two franchises. Eighteen-plus years of yellow versus purple. The Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders timeline is the closest thing Indian cricket has to a genuine blood feud — 2 IPL finals, last-over heartbreaks, individual brilliance that defies logic, and a head-to-head record that tells only part of the story.
The chennai super kings vs kolkata knight riders timeline currently reads: CSK 22 wins, KKR 11, across 34 IPL encounters. But numbers alone never capture what happens when Chepauk turns slow and dusty, or when Eden Gardens is heaving at 90,000 strong. This is the complete story of that rivalry, from April 2008 to April 2026.
Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline at a Glance
| Statistic | CSK | KKR |
|---|---|---|
| Matches Played | 34 | 34 |
| Wins | 22 | 11 |
| Highest Score | 235/4 | 202 |
| Biggest Win | 9 wickets (2008) | 8 wickets (2025) |
| IPL Titles | 5 | 3 |
One match — played in Cape Town during IPL 2009 — ended without a result after being abandoned.
Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline (2008–2026)
2008: First-ever CSK vs KKR clash
April 26, 2008. Match 11 of the inaugural IPL season. Chennai, a city that didn’t quite know what T20 cricket would become, hosted the very first meeting between these 2 franchises at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
CSK won by 9 wickets. KKR were bundled out cheaply, and Chennai knocked off the target without losing their openers. Matthew Hayden, big and brutal at the top of the order, set the tone with the bat. In many ways, that result set the template for what followed: CSK dominance, punctuated by rare but seismic KKR responses.
2009: KKR earn an important victory
2009 was KKR’s one real moment of early-era dominance. They beat CSK by 7 wickets in their completed fixture, with their top order finally showing some teeth. One match was abandoned in Cape Town — the only no-result game in the rivalry’s history. KKR had a rare edge that season, even if the broader year remained inconsistent for them.
2010–2011: CSK begin dominating the rivalry
These 2 seasons belong to MS Dhoni. CSK won the IPL title in both 2010 and 2011, and KKR were largely passengers. Suresh Raina was bludgeoning anything short or wide. Dhoni was finishing games with a calmness that bordered on insulting to the opposition. CSK won their encounters convincingly in both seasons, cementing what would become one of the most lopsided head-to-head records in IPL history.
Gautam Gambhir, who would soon transform KKR’s fortunes, was already in the Kolkata camp — but couldn’t stop the yellow tide.
2012: Historic IPL final — KKR vs CSK
The most consequential match in the entire chennai super kings vs kolkata knight riders timeline.
May 27, 2012. MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. CSK were the hosts, the favourites, and the team that had won the previous 2 titles. KKR, rebuilt under Gambhir’s captaincy, had something to prove.
CSK posted 190/3. A chase like that, at Chepauk, against CSK’s bowling attack, should have been beyond KKR. Then Manvinder Bisla happened.
Bisla walked in at number 3 and smashed 89 off just 48 balls. The stadium went quiet. KKR chased it down in the final over, winning by 5 wickets with 2 balls remaining. Bisla was the Man of the Match. KKR had their maiden IPL title. The party in Kolkata lasted days.
That result changed how both franchises saw each other. KKR weren’t making up the numbers anymore.
2013–2015: Chennai continue their strong record
CSK restored order quickly. Through 2013, 2014, and 2015, they kept winning most of their encounters against KKR in the league stage. Raina was their standout performer — arriving under pressure and clearing the ropes on both sides of the wicket. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja turned Chepauk into a spinner’s fortress. KKR found answers occasionally at Eden Gardens but rarely elsewhere.
2018: Rivalry resumes after CSK’s return
CSK were suspended for 2016 and 2017, so the rivalry went dormant. When they came back in 2018, they came back as champions — winning the title in their comeback season.
Their encounters with KKR that year were CSK at their imperious best. Dhoni was finishing games like he’d never been away. KKR couldn’t handle CSK’s combination of experience and calm.
2021: Second IPL final between CSK and KKR
October 15, 2021. Dubai International Cricket Stadium. CSK vs KKR, IPL final. The 2nd time these franchises had met for the title.
KKR had been extraordinary in the second half of that tournament, winning 5 consecutive games to reach the summit clash. The momentum was theirs.
CSK sent in Faf du Plessis, who used 59 balls to score 86. That innings, anchoring the chase before accelerating at the death, was one of the great IPL final performances. CSK posted 192/3.
KKR’s openers Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill put on 91 for the first wicket. Then Shardul Thakur broke the stand, and the innings fell apart. Jadeja, Thakur, Hazlewood — all found wickets. KKR were bowled out for 165. CSK won by 27 runs.
Their 4th IPL title. Dhoni walked out to a standing ovation.
2022–2023: Rebuilding years, then CSK resurge
2022 was the year of the mega auction and both teams struggled, failing to qualify for the playoffs. But 2023 was different. CSK won the IPL, and their 2 encounters against KKR that season were decisive. They beat KKR by 49 runs at Chepauk and chased down 186 at Eden Gardens with a stunning 235/4. That chase remains the highest team total ever recorded in this fixture.
2024: KKR win the title, CSK draw the head-to-head
KKR won the IPL 2024 under Shreyas Iyer in emphatic fashion. But against CSK in the league stage, they came off second best. CSK won by 7 wickets after Jadeja’s 3/18 and Tushar Deshpande’s 3/33 reduced KKR to 137/9. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unbeaten 67 finished the job with 14 balls to spare.
2025: One each — the rivalry levels out
IPL 2025 produced the most balanced edition of this rivalry in years. 1 win each, but the manner of both results could not have been more different.
In Chennai, KKR were devastating. CSK were bowled out for 103 — their lowest total at Chepauk in IPL history. Sunil Narine took 3/13 and then smashed 44 off 18 balls to help KKR chase it down in just 10.1 overs, winning by 8 wickets with 59 balls remaining. The most one-sided result, in terms of balls remaining, in the entire rivalry’s history.
CSK responded at Eden Gardens. Chasing 180, they won by 2 wickets in a tense finish. Dewald Brevis hit 52 off 25 balls. Noor Ahmad took 4/31 to rip through KKR’s middle order. Shivam Dube and MS Dhoni finished it off in a heart-stopping final few overs.
2026: CSK restore order at Chepauk
The latest chapter in the chennai super kings vs kolkata knight riders timeline was written on April 14, 2026, at MA Chidambaram Stadium.
KKR won the toss and chose to bowl — a decision that initially looked smart. Ruturaj Gaikwad fell cheaply for 7 in the 3rd over, dismissed by Anukul Roy. But then Ayush Mhatre and Sanju Samson launched a counter-attack that changed the game.
Mhatre, playing with the kind of fearlessness that only 18-year-olds can manufacture, smashed 38 off just 17 balls before Vaibhav Arora took a good catch off his own bowling at the end of the powerplay. CSK were 72/2. Samson, in brilliant form all season, contributed 48 off 32 before Kartik Tyagi clean bowled him 2 runs short of a fifty. Dewald Brevis and Sarfaraz Khan added a brisk 50-run partnership to keep CSK accelerating. CSK posted 192/5 — an identical score to their 2021 IPL final total, funnily enough.
KKR’s chase never found rhythm. Anshul Kamboj and Khaleel Ahmed dismissed Finn Allen and Sunil Narine inside the powerplay. KKR scored just 36 in their powerplay against CSK’s 72. From there, the spinners — Noor Ahmad taking 3/21 — bowled 8 overs for just 47 runs and 4 wickets. KKR were bowled out for 160.
CSK won by 32 runs. It was their 2nd consecutive win of the season, the first time they’d won back-to-back in IPL 2026. Noor Ahmad was the Player of the Match. For KKR, still yet to win a game all season, the pressure was mounting fast.
Complete Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Match Results Timeline
| Year | Venue | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 9 wickets |
| 2009 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | KKR | 7 wickets |
| 2009 | Newlands, Cape Town | No result | Abandoned |
| 2010 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 5 wickets |
| 2010 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 27 runs |
| 2011 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 7 wickets |
| 2011 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 4 wickets |
| 2012 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 6 wickets |
| 2012 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | KKR | 5 wickets |
| 2012 | MA Chidambaram Stadium (Final) | KKR | 5 wickets |
| 2013 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 4 wickets |
| 2013 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 14 runs |
| 2014 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 7 wickets |
| 2014 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | KKR | 6 wickets |
| 2015 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 3 wickets |
| 2015 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 8 wickets |
| 2018 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 5 wickets |
| 2018 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 5 runs |
| 2019 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 7 wickets |
| 2019 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | KKR | 6 wickets |
| 2020 | Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi | KKR | 10 runs |
| 2021 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | CSK | 18 runs |
| 2021 | Sharjah Cricket Stadium | KKR | 2 wickets |
| 2021 | Dubai International Stadium (Final) | CSK | 27 runs |
| 2022 | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai | KKR | 6 wickets |
| 2022 | MCA Stadium, Pune | CSK | 13 runs |
| 2023 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 49 runs |
| 2023 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 5 wickets |
| 2024 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 7 wickets |
| 2025 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | KKR | 8 wickets |
| 2025 | Eden Gardens, Kolkata | CSK | 2 wickets |
| 2026 | MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai | CSK | 32 runs |
IPL finals timeline: CSK vs KKR championship clashes
IPL 2012 final
May 27, 2012. Chepauk, Chennai. CSK on home soil, chasing a 3rd consecutive title, facing a KKR side that had found itself under Gambhir.
CSK posted 190/3. It looked enough. Bisla made it irrelevant. His 89 off 48 balls remains one of the great IPL final cameos. KKR reached 192/5, winning by 5 wickets. Bisla later said it was the perfect birthday gift for his wife. KKR’s first IPL title. Gambhir’s finest moment as captain.
IPL 2021 final
October 15, 2021. Dubai. CSK, written off after a terrible 2020 season, had rebuilt brilliantly under Dhoni. KKR had ridden a late-season surge.
Faf du Plessis’s 86 was the difference. His knock gave CSK a platform that KKR’s bowling couldn’t contain. Then CSK’s bowlers did what Dhoni-era bowlers always do in crunch moments: stay calm and take wickets when it matters. KKR collapsed from 91/0 to 165 all out. CSK won by 27 runs. Their 4th IPL title.
Finals head-to-head comparison
| Metric | IPL 2012 Final | IPL 2021 Final |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | KKR | CSK |
| Venue | MA Chidambaram Stadium | Dubai International Stadium |
| Margin | 5 wickets | 27 runs |
| Man of the Match | Manvinder Bisla (89 off 48) | Faf du Plessis (86 off 59) |
| Winning total | KKR 192/5 | CSK 192/3 |
Remarkable that both finals produced an identical winning score of 192. The 2012 edition was chased; the 2021 edition was defended.
Head-to-head record between CSK and KKR
Overall IPL record
CSK lead 22–11, with 1 no result, from 34 matches. Win percentage: approximately 65% for CSK. No other founding IPL franchise has such a consistent edge over another across this many seasons.
Home record
At MA Chidambaram Stadium, CSK hold a 9–4 record against KKR following the 2026 win. The slow, turning Chepauk pitch suits CSK’s spin-heavy attack. For KKR’s power-hitting lineup, it can be a surface that punishes ambition.
Away record
CSK have won 7 of their 11 games at Eden Gardens. Away from home, in front of a partisan crowd, CSK’s experience and composure tend to win out.
Neutral venue record
On neutral grounds — mostly UAE venues during 2020–21 and the Cape Town no-result game — KKR have done slightly better, winning 3 of the completed matches. The neutral conditions suit their aggressive batting style more than Chepauk’s spin traps.
Read Also : Chennai Super Kings Vs Mumbai Indians Timeline
Biggest wins in Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders timeline
Largest victory by runs
CSK’s 49-run win in IPL 2023 at Chepauk stands as the largest margin by runs in this rivalry.
Largest victory by wickets
CSK’s very first meeting with KKR in 2008 — a 9-wicket win — remains the largest margin by wickets for CSK in this rivalry. KKR’s most dominant performance? Their 8-wicket demolition in IPL 2025, when they chased down 103 in 10.1 overs.
Highest successful chase
CSK’s 235/4 at Eden Gardens in IPL 2023 is the highest team total ever recorded in this fixture. They chased 186 with those runs and did it with ease, in Kolkata, away from home.
Lowest team total
CSK’s 103 all out at Chepauk in April 2025. KKR barely broke sweat chasing it.
Top batting records in CSK vs KKR matches
Most runs
| Player | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Suresh Raina | CSK | 747 |
| MS Dhoni | CSK | 497 |
| Faf du Plessis | CSK | 423 |
| Gautam Gambhir | KKR | ~380 |
| Shubman Gill | KKR | ~330 |
Raina’s 747 across his career in this fixture is the most by any player. His ability to shift gears against KKR’s spinners — playing Narine off his pads or driving over extra cover — defined CSK’s batting here through the 2010s.
Highest individual score
Manvinder Bisla’s 89 off 48 in the 2012 IPL final remains the highest individual innings in a CSK vs KKR contest. Faf du Plessis’s 86 in the 2021 final sits just behind.
Most fifties
Suresh Raina leads with the most fifty-plus scores in this fixture. His consistency here across a decade of IPL cricket was remarkable.
Fastest fifty
Narine’s 44 off 18 in IPL 2025 wasn’t a fifty, but it was the most destructive recent knock in this fixture. Among recognized half-centuries, Bisla’s 2012 knock and Faf’s 2021 final innings set the benchmark for speed at high stakes.
Top bowling records in CSK vs KKR matches
Most wickets
| Player | Team | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Sunil Narine | KKR | 27+ |
| Ravindra Jadeja | CSK | 20+ |
| R. Ashwin | CSK | 16+ |
| Dwayne Bravo | CSK | ~15 |
| Piyush Chawla | KKR | ~12 |
Narine’s 27-plus wickets make him far and away the most successful bowler in this rivalry. His 3/21 in the 2026 Chepauk match added to a tally that no one else is close to.
Best bowling figures
Pawan Negi’s 5/22 remains the best individual figures in this fixture. Jadeja’s 4/12 and Makhaya Ntini’s 4/21 also rank among the best individual spells.
Most dot balls
Narine leads this category too. His ability to bowl 6–7 dot deliveries per over has routinely strangled CSK’s innings, even when he’s gone wicketless.
Best economy rate
Among bowlers with significant overs in this fixture, Narine’s economy leads from the KKR side. For CSK, Jadeja’s left-arm spin over the years edges the economy charts.
Memorable matches in CSK vs KKR rivalry
2012 IPL final
Already described, but worth restating: Bisla’s 89 off 48 off Chepauk’s slow surface, chasing 190, in a final. One of the great IPL individual performances, full stop.
2021 IPL final
Faf’s 86 and Thakur’s relentless medium pace. KKR’s collapse from 91/0 to 165 all out remains one of the great final collapses. The momentum shift was so sudden it almost felt scripted.
Last-over thrillers
The 2018 Eden Gardens match — CSK winning by 5 runs — stands as the rivalry’s best league-stage finish. The 2025 Kolkata match, where Dewald Brevis’s 52 off 25 and Dhoni’s finishing saw CSK home chasing 180, belongs in the same conversation.
Highest scoring encounter
CSK’s 235/4 at Eden Gardens in 2023. Both franchises have shown they can score big when conditions allow.
Lowest scoring match
IPL 2025, Chepauk. CSK 103 all out. Narine’s 3/13. KKR 104/2 in 10.1 overs. Completely one-sided. Gone before most fans had settled in.
Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline by Venue
Matches at MA Chidambaram Stadium
13 matches at Chepauk. CSK’s record: 9–4 (including the 2026 win). The slow pitch suits Ashwin, Jadeja, and more recently Noor Ahmad. KKR’s big-hitting lineup — Russell, Narine, Rinku Singh — often finds the surface frustrating. But KKR’s wins here have been significant: the 2012 final and Narine’s 2025 masterclass. CSK reclaimed that ground in 2026.
Matches at Eden Gardens
11 matches at Eden Gardens. CSK’s record: 7–4. The stat that confounds KKR fans. They’ve lost more often than not to Chennai at their own fortress. CSK’s composure and spin bowling travel well to Kolkata.
Neutral venue encounters
UAE, Cape Town, and various neutral venues have hosted about 10 fixtures. KKR have a slightly better record here. The neutral conditions suit their aggressive batting more than Chepauk’s spinning surfaces.
Key players who defined the rivalry
MS Dhoni
497 runs. Countless finished chases. Every KKR bowler’s nightmare in the final 4 overs. Dhoni’s record in this fixture is extraordinary: rarely out for low scores, almost always there when CSK needed him most. He featured in every single CSK vs KKR fixture from 2008 through to 2025.
Suresh Raina
747 runs. The highest run-scorer in the fixture’s entire history. Raina’s role was often understated: he’d walk in at 30/2 or 50/3 and build something. Against KKR’s spin, which is where this rivalry is often decided, he was exceptional.
Andre Russell
Russell’s impact on this fixture has been defined entirely by explosiveness. When he connects, the sixes go enormous. When he departs cheaply, KKR’s middle order wobbles around him. His record in this fixture is streaky — but when it lands, it’s match-defining.
Sunil Narine
The most important player in the entire chennai super kings vs kolkata knight riders timeline. 27-plus wickets. Mystery spin that CSK’s batting has never quite solved across multiple decades. Then, in recent seasons, he reinvented himself as a powerplay opener — smashing 44 off 18 in 2025 to single-handedly win a match. His 3/21 in the 2026 Chepauk game showed he remains dangerous even in defeat. Dhoni vs Narine remains the fixture’s defining sub-duel.
Gautam Gambhir
The man who gave KKR their first IPL title, as captain, at Chepauk. Gambhir’s captaincy and tactical sharpness changed what KKR were. His personal battles against CSK’s bowlers were mixed, but he won the only one that ultimately mattered: the 2012 final.
Interesting facts about CSK vs KKR matches
The very first IPL meeting between these sides took place April 26, 2008 — Match 11 of the inaugural season. CSK won by 9 wickets.
CSK’s longest winning streak against KKR in a single stretch is 6 consecutive matches, spanning 2013 to 2015.
The highest partnership in this fixture is the 91-run opening stand between Venkatesh Iyer and Shubman Gill in the 2021 IPL final — which ultimately didn’t lead to a KKR win.
Both finals between these sides produced an identical winning total of 192.
MS Dhoni played in every single CSK vs KKR encounter from 2008 to 2025 — 17 years of being on that field every time these 2 sides met.
In IPL 2026, CSK’s 192/5 against KKR was the same total they posted in the 2021 final. Different ground, different result, same number.
Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Timeline: Who has dominated?
The answer across the full chennai super kings vs kolkata knight riders timeline is unambiguous: CSK. Twenty-two wins from 34 matches. Consistent home dominance. Surprising away dominance too. 2 IPL final appearances, split 1-1.
Era-wise breakdown:
2008–2012: CSK dominant, with KKR’s 2012 final win as the single defining outlier. KKR lifted their maiden title at Chepauk, which still stings.
2013–2019: CSK’s most dominant stretch. Raina at his peak, Dhoni in his prime finishing years, Jadeja and Ashwin bowling into slow surfaces. KKR won a handful but CSK controlled the era.
2020–2021: More balanced. UAE conditions leveled things. KKR won in 2020. CSK won the 2021 final.
2022–2024: Most competitive era. Both teams won IPL titles in this period. Young players on both sides made outcomes harder to predict.
2025–2026: Split 1-1 in 2025. CSK won the 2026 encounter convincingly at Chepauk. The rivalry is as live as it has been since 2012.
Current status: The numbers favor CSK. The recent performances suggest KKR are still very much in this rivalry. Narine is still playing like he’s 28. CSK have Ayush Mhatre — 17 years old in 2025, already smashing 38 off 17 balls against KKR in 2026. Every season adds a new chapter. This one isn’t close to finished.
FAQs
Who has won more matches between CSK and KKR?
CSK lead the head-to-head 22–11 in 34 IPL matches, with 1 no result. That includes the 32-run win at Chepauk in April 2026.
When was the first CSK vs KKR match played?
April 26, 2008, at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. CSK won by 9 wickets.
How many IPL finals have CSK and KKR played against each other?
2 finals: the 2012 final (KKR won by 5 wickets) and the 2021 final (CSK won by 27 runs). Both finished with a winning total of 192.
Who has scored the most runs in CSK vs KKR matches?
Suresh Raina, with 747 runs across his career appearances in this fixture for CSK.
Which team has the highest score in this rivalry?
CSK, with 235/4 scored at Eden Gardens in IPL 2023.
What was the biggest win margin in CSK vs KKR history?
By balls remaining: KKR’s 8-wicket win in 2025, chasing CSK’s 103 in just 10.1 overs (59 balls remaining). By runs: CSK’s 49-run win in 2023.
Who won the latest CSK vs KKR match?
CSK won the most recent encounter — Match 22 of IPL 2026, at MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 14, 2026, by 32 runs. Noor Ahmad took 3/21 and was named Player of the Match. The chennai super kings vs kolkata knight riders timeline, as ever, keeps adding new entries.
