With a win over the Delhi Capitals on Saturday, the Chennai Super Kings became the second team, after the Gujarat Titans, to secure an IPL 2023 playoff place.
CSK ended with 17 points from 14 games, with eight wins and five losses, and one game called off due to severe weather.
On Tuesday, May 23, CSK will face the reigning champions Titans in Qualifier 1 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. They advanced to the playoffs 12 times in 14 seasons, winning the trophy four times.
They have won 15 of the 24 IPL playoff matches. Chennai has had a few regular performers who have played key roles in helping them maintain a 62.5 percent playoff winning record.
Here are CSK’s top three run scorers in the IPL playoffs:
1) Suresh Raina – 712 runs
Suresh Raina was an important member of the team throughout his playing days. He has won several matches for CSK thanks to his amazing hitting abilities.
Raina was solid in league games, but he elevated his game during the playoffs. In 22 IPL playoff games, he has 712 runs, including seven half-centuries, with a strike rate of 159.64 and an average of 41.88.
The cricketer from Uttar Pradesh is also Chennai’s all time leading run scorer, with 4687 runs in 176 matches, including 1 century and 33 half centuries.
2) MS Dhoni – 472 runs
MS Dhoni and CSK have become synonymous. The Chennai captain has been with the team for all seasons and has led them to four IPL victories.
His impact in the middle order has been enormous, and he has delivered several match winning knocks in the playoffs.
Dhoni is perhaps the best finisher in IPL history, has scored 472 runs in 24 playoff games with the Super Kings at an average of 39.33 and a strike rate of 133.33.
He presently has the second most runs scored by a CSK player in the playoffs.
3) Murali Vijay – 364 runs
Murali Vijay was a key component of Chennai’s strategy for nearly five seasons, from 2009 to 2013. While he lacked consistency, the right-handed opener elevated his game throughout the knockouts.
Fans will remember his magnificent innings in the IPL 2021 final against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at Chepauk. Vijay scored 95 runs off 52 balls, including 4 boundaries and 6 sixes.
In total, He scored 364 runs in 10 IPL playoff games, including one century and one fifty. In the knockouts, he is CSK’s third highest run scorer.