The rivalry between the Rajasthan Royals and the Chennai Super Kings is certainly one of the most compelling stories in the history of the IPL. The Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings timeline began in the first IPL season when the Royals stunned the world by winning the inaugural IPL trophy and defeating the Super Kings in the final. From the outset, the competition has always meant more than just the points; we know CSK is one of the best, most consistent teams in the IPL thanks to the incredible leadership from MS Dhoni, and the Royals were the unpredictable challengers. The Royals are known for introducing raw talent and upsetting the giants of the IPL.
Their encounters combine the best strategies and the most pressure with good entertainment, legendary performances, and outcomes that are not always predictable. The timeline records both the opportunities the rival teams provided to create iconic wins and painful losses, and even controversial moments. This timeline also reflects how a light-hearted competition grew into an artifact of IPL’s chronology and legacy.
Early Encounters: 2008 to 2015
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2008: The first face-off between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings came in the 24th match of the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (2008). The two sides met in Jaipur, where the Rajasthan Royals won by 8 wickets. Sohail Tanvir displayed a magnificent bowling spell, collapsing CSK batters in the powerplay. In the 49th match, the Rajasthan Royals clinched victory by 10 runs. Graeme Smith’s knock of 91 off 51 proved favorable for RR. The final of IPL 2008 was played between both sides in Mumbai, where RR clinched victory from the hands of CSK by 3 wickets.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2009: For game no. 22 of the IPL 2009, CSK and RR encountered for a thrilling battle in East London. Chennai Super Kings clinched victory by 38 runs, thanks to Suresh Raina’s knock of 98 off 55 balls. The two sides also met in Kimberley for the 37th match. RR batted first and set a target of 141 for CSK. Matthew Hayden opened the game for CSK with 48, with Subramaniam Badrinath pulling the run chase on his shoulders with 58 not out, claiming a 7-wicket victory for his side.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2010: The 24th match of the IPL 2010 was played in Ahmedabad between CSK and RR. Rajasthan Royals emerged victorious by 17 runs, thanks to Naman Ojha’s 80 off 49 balls. Scoring a total of 177, they prevented CSK at 160. In Game 32 of the 2010 season, CSK posted a total of 246, with Murali Vijay leading the side with 127 off 56 balls. Despite Naman Ojha’s 94 off 55, RR was sent back to the pavilion at 223.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2011: The 43rd game of the 4th edition of the Indian Premier League was played in Chennai. Chennai Super Kings completed the run chase of 149 effortlessly, winning the game by 8 wickets. Michael Hussey won the player of the match for his contribution of 79 not out. Both teams met in Jaipur to play the 52nd match, where Chennai Super Kings won by 63 runs. Invited to bat first, CSK scored 196 at the loss of 3 wickets, while limiting RR to 133.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2012: In the 26th game of the season, RR decided to bat first and amassed 146, while CSK, led by Faf du Plessis (73), pulled off the run chase smoothly. CSK’s competition with RR in the 56th match was a slow game. Welcomed to bat first, RR scored 126. The run chase started poorly, with Murali Vijay ducking off; however, small contributions from batters stretched the game and completed the run chase.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2013: The 30th match of IPL 2013 was played in Chennai, where Chennai Super Kings won by 5 wickets, thanks to Michael Hussey’s contribution of 88, helping CSK to complete the run chase of 186. However, it was Shane Watson’s century for RR that was iconic. For match 61 of 2013, RR and CSK met in Jaipur. RR, taking advantage of home ground, clinched victory by 5 wickets. Dismissing CSK for 141, RR completed the chase of 144 at the loss of 5 wickets in 17.1 overs.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2014: The two sides met in Dubai for the 10th match of the season, where Chennai Super Kings won by 7 runs. CSK played the first innings and scored 140, while the RR batters collapsed for 133. Ravindra Jadeja’s 4-wicket haul proved beneficial for CSK. In the next game between the two, Chennai Super Kings claimed a 5-wicket win, with Dwayne Smith leading the chase with 44 off 35 balls.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2015: Both teams met for game 15, and the Rajasthan Royals won by 8 wickets. CSK batted first and were dismissed for 156. Ajinkya Rahane’s unbeaten 76 and Shane Watson’s 73 helped RR to complete the run chase with just 2 wickets down. In the 47th match, Brendon McCullum led CSK to a 12-run victory with 81 runs. Ravindra Jadeja’s four-wicket haul also proved crucial for their win.
2016 to Recent Encounters
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2018: CSK met RR for the 17th match of IPL 2018, and CSK triumphed by 64 runs. Shane Watson’s century against his former team led CSK to victory. For the 43rd match, the two sides faced off in Jaipur. Rajasthan Royals won by 4 wickets, thanks to Jos Buttler’s innings of unbeaten 95.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2019: Chennai Super Kings defeated RR by 8 runs in the 12th game of the season, thanks to MS Dhoni, who scored an unbeaten 75 off 46 balls. In the 25th match, CSK beat the RR by 4 wickets. MS Dhoni again guided CSK to victory, displaying his batting skills by pulling off the chase with 58 runs.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2020: In the 4th game of the season, CSK met RR in Sharjah. Invited to bat first, RR scored 216 at the loss of 7 wickets. CSK came to play the second innings and were dismissed for 200 in 20 overs, losing 6 wickets. Faf du Plessis did wonders with the bat and produced 72 with his bat; however, CSK lost the game. For the 37th game, CSK and RR battled in Abu Dhabi. Jos Buttler anchored the innings for RR with 70 not out, claiming a 7-wicket victory with 15 balls to spare.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2021: CSK and RR met in game 12th of IPL 2021, where Chennai Super Kings defeated Rajasthan Royals by 45 runs. Invested to bat first, Chennai Super Kings scored 188. RR, led by Jos Butler (49), were bowled out for 143. Moeen Ali took 3 wickets, dismissing David Miller, Riyan Parag, and Chris Morris for 2, 3, and 0 runs, respectively. Rajasthan Royals won the 47th game by 7 wickets with 15 balls remaining, despite Ruturaj Gaikwad’s unbeaten century for CSK.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2022: The 68th game of the season was between CSK and RR in Mumbai. Rajasthan Royals won the match by 5 wickets with 2 balls to spare. CSK were sent back to the pavilion for 150, with crucial efforts by Moeen Ali (93). Rajasthan Royals completed the run chase of 151 in 19.4 overs at the loss of 5 wickets.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2023: CSK encountered RR in the 27th game of the season. The match was electrifying as RR batted first and produced a total of 175. CSK came to the field and were about to complete the run chase, but they were dismissed for 172, losing the game by 3 runs. In the 37th match, RR clinched victory by 32 runs, with Yashasvi Jaiswal leading the side with 77. They prevented CSK’s run chase at 170.
- CSK vs RR, IPL 2024: For the 61st game, both sides met in Chennai. Demonstrating their supremacy on the home ground, Chennai Super Kings won by 5 wickets with 10 balls remaining. Simarjeet Singh took 3 wickets, dismissing top-order batters— Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, and Sanju Samson. Hence, he was named player of the match.
- RR vs CSK, IPL 2025: In the 11th match, RR batted first and accumulated 182, setting a target of 183 for the opponents. CSK, led by Rituraj Gaikwad (63), were bundled out for 176. In the next face-off between both franchises, CSK produced a decent total of 187, while RR outscored them with 188 in 17.1 overs, with 4 wickets down. Akash Madhwal was named player of the match for taking 3 wickets.
