Former champions and banned for two years. Apart from these two aspects, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have been contrasting sides in the IPL. Yet, they have had some interesting encounters in the past. A look at them...
2019 IPL
RR: 151/7 lost to CSK: 155/6
How many times has one witnessed Captain Cool losing his cool? This was a rare occasion when MS Dhoni lost his temper. Set a target of 152, the Chennai skipper revived the match with his half-century after the team lost four wickets for 24. The equation was 18 to win from the final over with Ben Stokes with the ball. Dhoni was dismissed by a yorker in the third ball after Ravindra Jadeja hit a six off the first delivery. A controversial no-ball saw him charge onto the field and protest to the umpires, adding to more drama. Chennai eventually won the match in the last ball with Mitchell Santner smashing a six.
2019 IPL
CSK: 175/5 bt RR: 167/8
This match will also be remembered for the Chennai skipper's masterclass. Despite being 28 for 3 in their first innings, a vintage MS Dhoni innings which ended with three sixes off the last three balls tipped Chennai from par score to winning score. His unbeaten 75 off 46 balls was also his highest score at Chepauk in IPL history. Rajasthan Royals’ top order collapsed in the chase but Stokes and Jofra Archer gave the hosts a scare. However, Rajasthan fell short by eight runs.
2018 IPL
CSK: 204/5 bt RR: 140
It was Chennai's first match at Pune after they were forced out of Chennai due to the Cauvery dispute and they moved to their new home in style. Seasoned all-rounder and former Rajasthan player Shane Watson launched a merciless attack of 106 from 57 balls to help Chennai to a challenging 204 for five. It was also his third century in the IPL. Rajasthan were never in the chase. Three early wickets pegged them back and they were all out for 140 in 18.3 overs.
2018 IPL
CSK: 176/4 lost to RR: 177/6
In a do or die match for Rajasthan to keep their play-off hopes alive, the Men in Pink delivered to be in contention. Jos Buttler's fourth consecutive IPL fifty and K Gowtham's four-ball 13 in the 19th over of the chase helped Rajasthan seal their final-over win. Chasing 177, the England wicketkeeper made a mockery of the bowlers to finish with 95.
2015 IPL
CSK: 157/5 bt RR: 145/9
On a sluggish Chennai pitch where batsmen generally struggled for runs, Brendon McCullum, the only batsman to make a half-century in the match, braved the heat to propel Chennai to a sub-160 total. Slightly out of character, the aggressive opener played cautiously till he reached 50 and shifted gears only at the end to make 81. Chasing 158, Rajasthan lost steam after Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane were dismissed. The loss was Rajasthan's first under Steven Smith's captaincy that year.