Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have built the most enduring rivalry in the Indian Premier League. Since their first meeting in 2008, the two franchises have produced close finishes, high-scoring chases, dramatic finals and some of the biggest individual performances in IPL history.
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The numbers underline just how tight the rivalry has been. After the 2026 IPL season, MI lead CSK 21-20 in 41 IPL meetings, with no tied match and no no-result. The two teams have also met four times in IPL finals, with Mumbai winning three and Chennai winning one.
Interestingly, the overall advantage still belongs to Mumbai, but the recent momentum has shifted heavily towards Chennai. CSK won both meetings in 2026, including a record 103-run victory at the Wankhede Stadium. IPL
MI vs CSK Head-to-Head Record
Here is the overall IPL record after the 2026 season:
| Statistic | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 41 | 41 |
| Wins | 21 | 20 |
| Losses | 20 | 21 |
| Ties | 0 | 0 |
| No Results | 0 | 0 |
| Win percentage | 51.22% | 48.78% |
| Highest total | 219/6 | 218/4 |
| Lowest total | 104 | 79 |
| Biggest win by runs | 60 runs | 103 runs |
The one-match difference is remarkable considering how long the rivalry has lasted. It also means there is little justification for calling either team historically dominant in the overall head-to-head.
One clarification is important: some statistics pages list 43 matches between MI and CSK. Those figures include two Champions League Twenty20 meetings. For an IPL-only head-to-head record, the correct figure is 41 matches.
MI vs CSK Season-by-Season Timeline
The rivalry has gone through several distinct phases. Mumbai had the stronger run through much of the 2010s, while Chennai has enjoyed the upper hand in several recent seasons.
| IPL Season | Matches | MI Wins | CSK Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2009 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 2013 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 2015 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 2018 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Total | 41 | 21 | 20 |
The two franchises did not meet in the IPL in 2016 or 2017 because Chennai were suspended for those two seasons.
2008: Where the Rivalry Started
The first MI-CSK match took place on 23 April 2008 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
CSK won the inaugural meeting by six runs. Matthew Hayden’s 81 helped Chennai post 208/5, and Mumbai finished on 202/7.
Mumbai responded in spectacular fashion in the return fixture at Wankhede on 14 May. Sanath Jayasuriya smashed an unbeaten 114, and MI won by nine wickets.
So the first season ended perfectly level at 1-1.
2010: The First IPL Final Between MI and CSK
The rivalry reached a new level in 2010 when the teams met in the IPL final at DY Patil Stadium.
CSK scored 168/5 before restricting Mumbai to 146/9, winning by 22 runs. It was Chennai’s first IPL championship.
This became the first of four IPL finals contested between the two franchises.
2012: CSK Win a Knockout Thriller
The teams met again in the 2012 playoffs, this time in the Eliminator at Bengaluru.
CSK scored 187/5 and Mumbai were bowled out for 149, giving Chennai a 38-run victory.
It was another example of CSK’s ability to handle the pressure of knockout matches against their biggest rival.
2013: Mumbai Strike Back
The 2013 season was a major turning point.
MI won three of their four meetings with CSK that season. The most memorable came in the Qualifier 1, where Mumbai defeated Chennai by 48 runs.
CSK still had another opportunity to reach the final through the second qualifier, but the psychological momentum had shifted.
Mumbai eventually won their first IPL title that season, beating CSK in the final by 23 runs.
The season also produced one of the strangest batting collapses in the rivalry. CSK were dismissed for just 79 at Wankhede, still the lowest team total in MI-CSK IPL history.
2014: Chennai’s Dominant Season
If 2013 belonged to Mumbai, 2014 belonged to Chennai.
CSK won all three meetings against MI that season, including the Eliminator. It was one of Chennai’s clearest periods of dominance in the rivalry.
However, Mumbai soon responded.
2015: Another MI-C SK Final
The teams met four times in 2015, with Mumbai winning three.
The biggest meeting came in the final at Eden Gardens. MI scored 202/5 and defeated CSK by 41 runs, securing their second IPL title.
The result also established Mumbai’s growing authority in the biggest matches between the two sides.
2018: The Rivalry Returns
After CSK’s two-year suspension, the rivalry resumed in 2018.
The first meeting produced one of the most dramatic finishes in the fixture’s history. Chennai chased down Mumbai’s target with one wicket remaining, with Dwayne Bravo’s late hitting playing a crucial role.
The second meeting went Mumbai’s way, leaving the season tied 1-1.
CSK eventually went on to win the 2018 IPL title.
2019: Mumbai’s Perfect 4-0 Record
The 2019 season remains one of the strongest examples of Mumbai’s dominance over Chennai.
MI beat CSK in all four meetings that year:
- Two league matches
- Qualifier 1
- IPL Final
The final remains one of the most famous matches in IPL history.
Mumbai defended 149/7 and defeated Chennai by just one run. Lasith Malinga bowled the decisive final over, while Shane Watson’s 80 kept CSK in contention until the end.
That gave MI their fourth IPL championship and a 4-0 record against CSK for the season.
2020–2022: The Rivalry Becomes Extremely Even
The next three seasons produced almost perfect balance.
| Season | MI | CSK |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | 1 | 1 |
The 2021 season produced one of the rivalry’s great individual performances.
Mumbai posted 219/6, their highest total against CSK, with Kieron Pollard smashing an unbeaten 87 from 34 balls. MI chased the target with the final ball.
Later that season, Ruturaj Gaikwad responded with an unbeaten 88 from 58 balls as CSK beat MI by 20 runs in Dubai. It remains the highest individual score by a CSK batter against Mumbai.
2023–2024: Chennai Take Control
The balance changed sharply in this period.
CSK won both meetings in 2023, including a seven-wicket victory at Wankhede and a six-wicket victory at Chepauk.
In 2024, Chennai again defeated Mumbai, winning by 20 runs at Wankhede after scoring 206/4.
That meant Chennai had won three consecutive matches against Mumbai.
2025: One Win Each
The 2025 season brought a split result.
CSK won the first meeting at Chepauk by four wickets after successfully chasing Mumbai’s 155/9.
Mumbai responded at Wankhede, winning by nine wickets after chasing down Chennai’s 176/5 in only 15.4 overs.
The season ended 1-1.
2026: CSK Complete a 2-0 Sweep
The latest chapter was one-sided.
On 23 April 2026, CSK produced one of the biggest wins in the history of the rivalry at Wankhede.
Chennai scored 207/6, while Mumbai were bowled out for only 104. CSK won by 103 runs, the biggest margin of victory by runs in an MI-CSK IPL match.
The teams met again at Chepauk on 2 May.
Mumbai scored 159/7, but CSK chased the target comfortably, reaching 160/2 in 18.1 overs to win by eight wickets. The result completed a 2-0 season sweep for Chennai.
Despite that result, Mumbai still retained the narrow overall head-to-head advantage, 21-20.
MI vs CSK Individual Records
Some of the greatest players in IPL history have featured prominently in this rivalry.
Most Runs
Mumbai Indians’ Rohit Sharma is the leading run-scorer in MI-CSK IPL matches, with 881 runs. Suresh Raina is Chennai’s leading scorer with 710 runs. Mumbai Indians’ own pre-match statistics for the May 2026 meeting listed those figures.
| Player | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | MI | 881 |
| Suresh Raina | CSK | 710 |
| MS Dhoni | CSK | 679 |
| Ambati Rayudu | MI/CSK | 658 |
| Kieron Pollard | MI | 583 |
The exact historical totals can vary between databases depending on whether they include Champions League T20 matches, so the figures above are for the IPL rivalry.
Most Wickets
Lasith Malinga leads Mumbai’s bowling charts against Chennai, while Dwayne Bravo is Chennai’s leading wicket-taker against Mumbai.
| Bowler | Team | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | MI | 31 |
| Dwayne Bravo | CSK | 30 |
| Harbhajan Singh | MI | 26 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | CSK | 21 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | MI | 16 |
These were the figures published by Mumbai Indians ahead of the second 2026 meeting.
Biggest Team Scores
The rivalry has produced some enormous totals, particularly during the 2021 season.
| Team | Score | Season |
|---|---|---|
| MI | 219/6 | 2021 |
| CSK | 218/4 | 2021 |
| CSK | 208/5 | 2008 |
| MI | 206/6 | 2024 |
| CSK | 207/6 | 2026 |
Mumbai’s 219/6 came in the famous 2021 match in Delhi, when Pollard’s unbeaten 87 powered MI to a last-ball chase.
Highest Individual Scores
The highest individual score in the IPL rivalry belongs to Sri Lankan great Sanath Jayasuriya, who smashed an unbeaten 114 for Mumbai in 2008.
For Chennai, Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 88 not out in Dubai in 2021 remains the highest individual score by a CSK batter against MI.
| Record | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Overall highest | Sanath Jayasuriya (MI) | 114* |
| Highest for CSK | Ruturaj Gaikwad | 88* |
| Rohit Sharma’s best | Rohit Sharma (MI) | 105* |
| MS Dhoni’s best | MS Dhoni (CSK) | 63* |
MI vs CSK in IPL Finals
The four finals between the two teams are a major reason this fixture became such a celebrated rivalry.
| Year | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | CSK | 22 runs |
| 2013 | MI | 23 runs |
| 2015 | MI | 41 runs |
| 2019 | MI | 1 run |
Finals record: MI 3-1 CSK.
The 2019 final is particularly difficult to separate from the rest. It was decided by a single run, making it the closest final between the two sides and one of the closest finishes in IPL final history.
What the Head-to-Head Record Really Tells Us
The overall numbers tell two different stories.
Historically, Mumbai Indians have the edge, but only by one victory after 41 matches. Their advantage becomes more significant in finals, where MI have won three of the four championship meetings.
Recent history, however, has increasingly favoured Chennai. CSK won both matches in 2026 and have repeatedly beaten Mumbai in the league since 2023. Their 103-run victory at Wankhede was also the largest win by either side in this fixture.
That contrast is what makes MI vs CSK so compelling. Mumbai’s historical record remains marginally better, but Chennai have repeatedly shown in recent seasons that the old hierarchy is never permanent.
With 21 wins for MI and 20 for CSK, the IPL’s defining rivalry remains remarkably close after almost two decades. One more Chennai victory would bring the teams level for the first time in their IPL history.
All statistics above are IPL-only and updated through the end of IPL 2026.
