The 2019 season of the Indian Premier League is almost over, with the tournament heading into the playoff stage to be contested between the four qualified teams – Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The first Qualifier will be played between two of the most successful teams in IPL yet, Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings. Both have won three titles each.
The winner of the first Qualifier goes to the final directly while the losing team will get another chance in the second qualifier.
Among Mumbai and Chennai, history has been with Mumbai. Out of the 28 games played between MI and CSK, MI has won 16 while CSK has won 12. There have been no ties. Out of these 28 games, two were played in the erstwhile Champions trophy, where both won one match each. Chennai won in 2012 while Mumbai won in the past year, in 2011.
This season also, Mumbai has had the upper hand in both of the matches played between the two during the group stage.
Here's a season-by-season comparison of how the two matches have gone so far:
2008: 2 Matches (1 Each)
Among the two matches played in the first season between CSK and MI, both the teams won a match each. The first match was won by CSK, who managed a 6 run victory.
In the second match, Sanath Jayasuriya's 114 not-out helped Mumbai beat CSK by 9 wickets.
2009: 2 Matches (1 Each)
Again in the second season of the IPL, both teams won one each of the two encounters against each other. In the first match, Mumbai won by 19 runs, helped by Sachin Tendulkar's 59 runs not-out innings.
The second match was won by CSK. Matthew Hayden again was the Man of the Match here, playing a 60 run not-out innings, guiding CSK to the victory.
2010: 3 Matches (2 - CSK, 1 - MI)
The 2010 IPL was the one where the final was played between the two teams. Both MI and CSK made it to the final, leading to CSK's first IPL title. The two teams met thrice – two times in the group stage and once in the final.
The first match was won by Mumbai by five wickets, helped by Sachin Tendulkar's 72 run knock. In the second match, Chennai stood victorious, defeating MI by 24 runs.
The final, as we know already, was won by Chennai by 22 runs, fuelled by left-hander Suresh Raina's impressive game, where he hit a 57 not-out knock and took one wicket while bowling.
2011: 1 Match (1 - MI)
In the 2011 season, the teams met only once where Mumbai emerged victorious by a narrow margin of just 8 runs.
A great 5/18 spell from Harbhajan Singh helped MI hold CSK right at the brink of chasing down their target.
2012: 3 Matches (2 - MI, 1 - CSK)
In 2012, just like 2010, MI and CSK played each other thrice. This time, the third encounter came during the Eliminator, where Chennai beat MI by 38 runs.
Both the matches in the group stage were won by Mumbai. In the first match, they beat Chennai by eight wickets while in the second, MI won by two wickets.
2013: 4 Matches (3 - MI, 1 - CSK )
The 2013 season was when Mumbai won its first IPL trophy, defeating Chennai thrice, out of the four encounters between the two teams.
After the first two matches, the teams met twice – once in the Playoffs and then in the final game.
The first match was won by MI, defeating CSK by 9 runs. The win was inspired by Keiron Pollard's performance – taking one wicket and a 57 run not-out knock.
The second match was also won by MI. This time, Mitchell Johnson's 3/27 spell helped them win by a good 60 runs.
The Playoff match was however, won by CSK by 48 runs, giving the Chennai team an entry to the final, where they were to face Mumbai again.
The trophy was eventually lifted by MI, as they defeated Chennai by 23 runs in the final. Again, a Man of the Match performance by Keiron Pollard was of much importance to the Reliance-owned franchise.
2014: 3 Matches (3 - CSK)
In 2014, the teams met thrice throughout the tournament. Chennai won all the three matches.
First match was won by CSK by 7 wickets, second was won by four wickets and in the third match, CSK defeated MI again by seven wickets.
2015: 4 Matches (3 - MI, 1 - CSK)
In the 2015 season, the last season before CSK's two-year ban, the two teams again met four times – similar to the 2013 season. MI won three matches, while CSK managed only one victory.
After the two group stage encounters, the teams re-did a 2013 scenario, meeting in the final after playing the Playoff game, where Mumbai beat CSK by 25 runs.
The final was won by Mumbai by 41 runs. Rohit Sharma's 40 runs off 26 balls earned him the Man of the Match.
2018: 2 Matches (1 Each)
The last season saw CSK make a comeback to the IPL after serving a two-year ban. And the MS Dhoni-led franchise made their comeback worth it, winning the league for a third time.
CSK played MI twice – in the first match, CSK beat MI by a narrow 1 wicket margin, while the second match was won by Mumbai by eight wickets.
2019*: 3 Matches (3- MI)
This season, the two teams have faced each other thrice and all three times, Mumbai Indians have triumphed over the Chennai team.
In the first match, MI beat CSK by 37 runs while the second leg in league stages was won by 46 runs. Rohit Sharma was named Man of the Match in the second game for his 67 runs off 48 balls. The two recently met in Qualifier 1, where Mumbai restricted the home side for 131 in 20 overs which they chased with six wickets in hand and 9 balls remaining.
The two teams will meet for the fourth and last time for this IPL final on Tuesday, 12 May.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)