The Chennai Super Kings have qualified for the IPL final for the seventh time in a row, having done so in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2021. The Mumbai Indians have made it to the final six times, while no other side has made it more than three times.
MS Dhoni will participate in his ninth IPL final this season, nine times as captain of the Chennai Super Kings and one as a player for the Rising Pune Supergiants (in 2017).
At the start of the 20th over, Super Kings require 13 runs. In the IPL, this is the most runs any team has successfully chased in the final over of a playoff match. The previous high was 12 runs, set by Super Kings versus Royal Challengers Bangalore in the 2011 edition’s first qualifier.
Super Kings have successfully chased down ten or more runs in the final over 15 times in the IPL, the most of any club. Mumbai and Rajasthan Royals are tied for second place with eight times each.
Dhoni has been unbeaten in 25 successful IPL chases, which is the joint-most of any player in the tournament. On this list, Ravindra Jadeja is tied with Dhoni as the non-striker in the final over on Sunday. The qualification was Dhoni’s 44th undefeated T20 chase, trailing only Shoaib Malik (63), Kieron Pollard (58), and Dwayne Bravo (45). (45).
This year, the Super Kings have 6 out of 6 records when batting second. So far, no club has finished an IPL season with a 100 percent victory percentage while chasing. In 2020, the Mumbai Indians did not lose any of their seven chases, but one of them resulted in a draw, which they lost in the Super over.
Before winning the qualification, Super Kings had four consecutive defeats in the IPL versus Delhi Capitals. In 2020, the Delhi franchise defeated the Chennai club twice, completing a double in the league phase this year.
Ruturaj Gaikwad has won seven Player-of-the-Match honors in the IPL thus far, despite only appearing in 21 games. Gaikwad has received an award every three games on average, which is the best percentage among players who have played at least ten IPL games. With 4.92 games per award, former cricketer Michael Hussey is next on the list, having earned 12 Player-of-the-Match honors in 59 outings.
