IPL: All-time combined XI of Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians

There have been many attractive teams in the history of T20 cricket, none more than the mighty Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. These two teams have been the most successful in IPL history, if not the T20 history. It really is fitting that they share a total of 6 IPL titles equally and will be battling for a record fourth title in Hyderabad.

Both these sides have a history in the tournament that can be matched by very few and hence it really is fitting that they are in the final once again. Mumbai at this point in time look favourites to clinch the title looking at their squad mix. But with MS Dhoni at the helm, Chennai Super Kings are always a clinical force to reckon with.

The battle lines have been drawn in Hyderabad with a packed house expected to witness this great encounter. As they tussle it out for the throne, let’s take a look at the most iconic combined XI in IPL history of both these teams.

1. Mike Hussey

One of the few players to have represented both these sides and won the title twice with Chennai Super Kings, Mike Hussey has left an unforgettable stamp on the tournament. The grace and aura with which he battered bowling units still remain fresh in the memory of so many cricket fans and to add Mr Cricket into this list goes beyond formalities.

With 1,977 runs in the tournament at an impressive average of 38.76, Hussey was pivotal in two of Chennai’s triumphant campaigns. He scored his only IPL hundred in the first game CSK ever played in 2008 and registered 15 half-centuries. For his outstanding 733-run tally, he won the Orange Cap back in 2013, where Chennai finished second to the Mumbai Indians.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

The man, the myth, the legend and the god – Sachin Tendulkar demands quite a lot of adjectives to truly summarize his impact. From 2008 to 2013, the great man represented his home town franchise Mumbai Indians with great pride and honor and won the tournament for the first time in what turned out to be his final season with the franchise.

Sachin won the Orange Cap in 2010, where they came incredibly close to winning the tournament before falling short to the Super Kings. With 2,334 runs in 78 matches at an average of 34.83, Tendulkar is an automatic member of this combined XI even without his cult status. He also scored his only century in IPL and T20s for the Super Kings back in 2011 against Kochi Tuskers Kerala.

3. Suresh Raina

One of the finest T20 cricketers of all time, the consistency Suresh Raina has shown during his time for the Chennai Super Kings is difficult to catch up with. Whenever the side needed them most, he was always there, playing a match-winning knock. He has been an integral part of all the three title-winning sides for the Chennai Super Kings and looking good to take a fourth medal.

No cricketer has more IPL caps than the Chinna Thala, who registered 5,360 runs in 192 matches at an average of 33.50. After all these seasons, he still maintains a very impressive strike rate of 137.43, a testament to his consistency. He registered one hundred during his playing time for the club to go with 38 half-centuries and also is the only outfielder to have taken 100 catches.

4. Rohit Sharma

IPL saw the emergence of Rohit Sharma the skipper, who won the title in his first outing as a captain in 2013. Later on, he helped them win another couple of titles in 2015 and 2017 and he managed to defeat CSK in two of those finals. If Mumbai win on Sunday, it will be the first time in IPL history for a cricketer to hold five IPL winning medals.

He is on the verge of becoming the third cricketer to breach the 5,000-run mark in IPL. With 4,883 runs in 187 matches at an average in excess of 30, Rohit has been impeccable for the Mumbai Indians. He also did a great job for the Deccan Chargers in his first three seasons, where he was a crucial part of their title-winning side in 2009.

5. MS Dhoni (C & wk)

As good as Rohit Sharma and his stats are as a captain, clearly, MS Dhoni qualifies as the better leader on any day. One of the cult legends of Indian cricket, many are expecting this to be one of MSD’s final seasons in the IPL and he definitely would love to finish in style, with a record-breaking fourth title.

In 189 matches for the Chennai Super Kings and the Rising Pune Supergiant, he registered 4,430 runs at an outstanding average of 42.59, finishing off many games just the way he does while wearing the blue jersey. He also has a brilliant strike rate of 138.13 to go with 13 scores of 50 or more in the tournament. It will be interesting to see how this franchise would fare without this legend at the helm.

6. Kieron Pollard

Talk about big match players in IPL, Kieron Pollard will be right up there at the top 10. His statistics might not sound very attractive, but he has been one of Mumbai’s most important cricketers for a long time. Since 2010, he has been a one-club man for this franchise and that is not subject to any change in the remaining seasons of his career.

He played an imperative role in bringing the side to the finals in his first ever season in 2010 and also played match-winning knocks in the 2013 and 2015 finals. In 147 IPL matches for Mumbai, 2,714 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 146.54. This season, he scored 238 runs despite not getting to bat regularly and played a couple of match-winning knocks against SRH and KXIP.

7. Albie Morkel

The Chennai Super Kings had many T20 stars in their lineup over the seasons and Albie Morkel is definitely one of them. The all-rounder bowled some difficult overs for MS Dhoni and was also lethal with the bat when needed. He won the title twice with CSK in 2010 and 2011 and was also a part of the two Champions League winning sides.

He mostly chipped in with cameos with the bat, which makes his batting record a bit pale with 974 runs in 91 matches. He also picked 85 wickets bowling some tough overs the years for CSK, at a strike rate of 20.75 and an impressive economy rate of 8.21. He till date holds the record for the longest six hit in the IPL, which came back in 2008 against Pragyan Ojha.

8. Ravindra Jadeja

Ravindra Jadeja won the IPL title in the first ever season with Rajasthan Royals and announced himself as the future of Indian cricket. He joined Chennai Super Kings in 2012 for a humongous paycheck and managed to become one of the few bowlers in the tournament with over 100 wickets in the tournament. His contribution with the bat too has been scintillating.

In the 169 matches he played in the tournament, Jadeja has 108 wickets to his name at a strike rate of 22.99 and a sensational overall economy of 7.58. He also has 1,922 runs with the willow at a strike rate of 122.65 and an average of 24.02. Despite winning the title just once with this franchise, Jadeja will continue to be a huge part of CSK for another 3-4 years.

9. Dwayne Bravo

After spending three seasons with Mumbai Indians in the beginning, Dwayne Bravo moved to the Chennai Super Kings in 2011 and the rest, as they say, is history. He started to impose himself as the best death bowler in the format despite the brilliance of Lasith Malinga on the other side. He won the purple cap twice for the Super Kings and is hunting for a third title with them after winning it in 2011 and 2018.

The Caribbean star is just three wickets away from completing 150 scalps in the tournament and is likely to complete it in the final on Sunday. He has a sensational strike rate of 17.46 with the ball despite playing a whopping 133 matches. With the bat, he has a tally of 1,468 runs at an average of 23.30 and a strike rate just above 120.

10. Lasith Malinga

One of the greatest limited-overs bowlers of all time, it is fitting that Lasith Malinga is still the highest wicket-taker in IPL history for over half-a-decade, no one has overtaken him or come close. The master of death bowling found a great partnership with Jasprit Bumrah in recent years and together, they played a crucial role in bringing MI to the finals yet again.

No individual has a better tally than this man in the cash-rich league. In 121 matches for the side, he picked 169 wickets at an average of 19.62 and a jaw-dropping strike-rate of 16.58. He also has an overall economy rate just above 7 and clearly, it is next to impossible to maintain such brilliant numbers after playing so many seasons, making him a GOAT for a reason.

11. Harbhajan Singh

If not Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh too can become the first cricketer in IPL history to collect five winners medal. He has won it thrice in the past with Mumbai and once with Chennai last season, making him a superstar for both clubs. The veteran has had his share of struggles in the last decade but has been a huge part of both these franchises oneway or the other.

In the second qualifier against Delhi Capitals, he completed 150 wickets in the tournament, becoming only the fourth bowler to do so. Harbhajan now has 150 wickets in 159 matches for both Chennai and Mumbai over the time period at an outstanding economy of 7.05. He has been a pivotal weapon for Dhoni in the powerplay overs and it will be interesting to see if he can pull another rabbit out of his hat in 2019 final.

Honourable Mentions – Ravichandran Ashwin, Ambati Rayudu, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohit Sharma

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