Most Runs Against CSK in IPL History: Batting Records

Chennai Super Kings have built one of the strongest bowling traditions in IPL history. From Muttiah Muralitharan and Ravichandran Ashwin in the early years to Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir and several newer match-winners, CSK have usually relied on control, experience and smart use of conditions.

That has made scoring consistently against Chennai a significant achievement. CSK have often been especially difficult to dominate at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, where slower surfaces and spin-friendly conditions can punish batters who attack without a clear plan.

Virat Kohli IPL career records. He has scored 1,174 runs against CSK, moving ahead of Shikhar Dhawan, who finished his career with 1,057. Rohit Sharma is third, while Dinesh Karthik and David Warner complete the established top five.

The list contains several different batting styles. Kohli built his record through repeated fifties and long-term consistency. Dhawan combined accumulation with a century. Rohit produced one of the most famous individual hundreds against Chennai, while players such as Kieron Pollard and AB de Villiers attacked CSK at much higher strike rates.

Most Runs Against CSK in IPL History

The table below lists the leading run-scorers against Chennai Super Kings through the completed 2026 IPL season.

Kohli and Dhawan are the only batters to cross 1,000 IPL runs against CSK. Rohit moved closer to that mark after adding more runs in later meetings, including an unbeaten 76 for Mumbai Indians in 2025.

Virat Kohli – 1,174 Runs Against CSK

Virat Kohli is the leading run-scorer against Chennai Super Kings in IPL history.

He has accumulated 1,174 runs across 36 matches and has produced 10 fifty-plus scores against the franchise.

Remarkably, Kohli has never scored an IPL century against CSK.

His highest score is 90 not out.

That makes his record a strong example of consistency rather than one or two enormous innings. He has repeatedly reached the 40-to-70 range and given RCB a platform against one of the league’s strongest bowling units.

Kohli moved ahead of Shikhar Dhawan during the 2025 season and extended his lead in 2026.

His success has come against several generations of CSK bowlers.

He faced Muralitharan and Ashwin in the early years, Bravo and Jadeja through the middle of his career, and later attacks featuring Noor Ahmad, Matheesha Pathirana and younger fast bowlers.

The RCB-CSK rivalry has also ensured frequent high-pressure meetings, making Kohli’s total even more significant.

Shikhar Dhawan – 1,057 Runs Against CSK

Shikhar Dhawan was the first batter to score 1,000 IPL runs against Chennai Super Kings.

He finished with 1,057 runs from 29 matches at an excellent average of 44.04.

Dhawan also scored a century and eight fifties against Chennai.

His unbeaten 101 for Delhi Capitals in 2020 remains one of his finest IPL innings.

Delhi were chasing 180 in Sharjah, and Dhawan batted through the innings.

He reached his first IPL century and stayed unbeaten as Axar Patel finished the chase with a late burst of six-hitting.

Dhawan’s record is especially impressive because he faced CSK while representing different franchises.

The team around him changed, but his ability to score against Chennai did not.

His strength square of the wicket, use of the sweep and ability to rotate strike against spin made him well suited to handling CSK’s middle-over tactics.

Rohit Sharma – 972 Runs Against CSK

Rohit Sharma ranks third with 972 runs against CSK.

His record carries extra importance because Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings developed the IPL’s biggest championship rivalry.

Rohit faced CSK in league games, qualifiers and finals.

His most spectacular individual innings came in 2024 at Wankhede Stadium.

Chasing 207, Rohit scored an unbeaten 105 from 63 balls.

He hit 11 fours and five sixes and became only the second Mumbai Indians batter to score a century against Chennai.

Mumbai still lost the match, but Rohit’s hundred became one of the finest innings in the history of the rivalry.

He added another unbeaten 76 against CSK in 2025 as Mumbai chased 177/1 in only 15.4 overs.

Rohit has also played three IPL finals against Chennai as Mumbai captain, winning all three.

His runs against CSK therefore include some of the most important matches of his IPL career.

Dinesh Karthik – 727 Runs Against CSK

Dinesh Karthik accumulated 727 runs against Chennai Super Kings during a long IPL career.

He faced CSK while representing several franchises, including Delhi, Punjab, Mumbai, Kolkata and Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Unlike the top three, Karthik spent much of his career batting in the middle order.

That makes his total notable because he regularly had fewer deliveries available.

His highest score against CSK was 52.

Karthik’s success came through repeated contributions rather than centuries or huge scores.

He was particularly effective late in innings, when his ability to sweep pace, access fine leg and attack wide yorkers made him difficult to contain.

His career against CSK also stretched from the inaugural IPL era into the modern Impact Player period.

Few batters faced as many different versions of the Chennai bowling attack.

David Warner – 696 Runs Against CSK

David Warner scored 696 runs in 21 matches against Chennai Super Kings.

His highest score was 90.

Warner also recorded an extraordinary run of five consecutive half-centuries against CSK across multiple seasons.

That streak began with his 90 in 2014 and continued through repeated fifty-plus innings in later meetings.

Warner’s attacking approach was particularly useful against Chennai because he was willing to pressure their bowlers before the field spread.

Many teams tried to simply survive CSK’s opening and middle-over phases.

Warner often tried to change the game in the Powerplay.

His strong record came while playing for Delhi and Sunrisers Hyderabad and places him comfortably among the leading overseas run-scorers against Chennai.

KL Rahul – Strong Average Against CSK

KL Rahul has one of the best averages among the leading run-scorers against Chennai.

Through the completed 2026 season, he has scored 648 runs in 17 matches at an average above 43.

His highest score is 98 not out.

Rahul’s record includes several fifties and a mixture of opening and top-order roles.

His 82 for Lucknow Super Giants in 2024 was one of his strongest innings against Chennai.

That knock helped LSG chase 177 comfortably.

Rahul’s method against CSK has usually been based on patience against spin before accelerating against pace.

His average suggests that he has been one of the hardest batters for Chennai to remove once established.

Highest Individual Scores Against CSK in IPL

Marcus Stoinis holds the record for the highest individual score against Chennai Super Kings.

He made an unbeaten 124 for Lucknow Super Giants at Chepauk in 2024.

Several of the biggest scores came in successful chases.

Stoinis’ 124 not out and Valthaty’s 120 not out are among the highest individual scores ever recorded while chasing in IPL history.

Marcus Stoinis’ Record 124 Not Out

Marcus Stoinis broke the record for the highest score against CSK in 2024.

Chennai had posted 210/4 at Chepauk after Ruturaj Gaikwad scored an unbeaten century.

LSG then lost an early wicket.

Stoinis came in at No. 3 and controlled the chase.

He scored 124 not out from 63 balls and remained at the crease until the target was completed in 19.3 overs.

The innings was particularly impressive because it came at Chepauk, where CSK have historically been extremely difficult to beat.

Stoinis surpassed Virender Sehwag’s previous record of 122.

Virender Sehwag’s 122 in the 2014 Qualifier

Virender Sehwag produced one of the greatest IPL playoff innings against CSK in Qualifier 2 in 2014.

Playing for Punjab Kings, he scored 122 from only 58 balls.

He struck 12 fours and eight sixes and pushed Punjab to 226/6.

CSK responded aggressively through Suresh Raina but eventually finished short.

Punjab won by 24 runs and reached the final.

Sehwag’s innings remains one of the most important centuries ever scored against Chennai because it came in a knockout match.

Paul Valthaty’s 120 Not Out

Paul Valthaty’s unbeaten 120 against CSK in 2011 remains one of the IPL’s classic early-season performances.

Chennai scored 188/4.

Punjab needed a powerful start, and Valthaty delivered exactly that.

He hit 19 fours and two sixes and stayed unbeaten as Punjab reached 193/4.

At the time, it was one of the highest scores ever made in an IPL chase.

Valthaty never built a long IPL career, but this innings ensured his name remained part of the league’s record books.

Centuries Against CSK in IPL History

CSK have conceded several individual centuries despite fielding strong bowling attacks for most of their existence.

The 2024 season was especially difficult for CSK in terms of centuries conceded.

Stoinis, Rohit, Gill and Sudharsan all reached three figures against Chennai during the same campaign.

Gill and Sudharsan even scored hundreds in the same innings for Gujarat Titans.

Gill and Sudharsan’s Double-Century Assault

Gujarat Titans produced one of the most dominant opening partnerships against CSK in 2024.

Shubman Gill scored 104.

Sai Sudharsan made 103.

Together they added 210 for the first wicket.

It was one of the largest opening partnerships in IPL history.

Both batters attacked Chennai’s pace and spin options and pushed Gujarat to 231/3.

CSK could not recover in the chase.

The match became only the third instance at the time of two batters scoring centuries in the same IPL innings.

Sanath Jayasuriya’s 114 Not Out

Sanath Jayasuriya was the first batter to score an IPL century against CSK.

Mumbai Indians were chasing 157 at Wankhede in 2008.

Jayasuriya completely destroyed the target.

He scored 114 not out from only 48 balls, hitting nine fours and 11 sixes.

Mumbai reached 158/1 in just 13.5 overs.

The strike rate of 237.50 remains one of the most aggressive century performances Chennai have ever faced.

Famous Batting Performances Against Chennai

Not every famous innings against CSK ended in a century.

Kieron Pollard’s 87 Not Out in 2021

Kieron Pollard produced one of the greatest finishing performances in IPL history against Chennai in 2021.

CSK made 218/4.

Mumbai looked under pressure during the chase before Pollard launched a brutal counterattack.

He scored 87 not out from only 34 balls.

Mumbai reached the target from the final ball.

Pollard’s strike rate above 255 remains one of the highest for any substantial innings against CSK.

Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson in 2015

Rajasthan Royals made Chennai’s attack look unusually ineffective in 2015.

Ajinkya Rahane scored an unbeaten 76 while Shane Watson made 73.

The pair dominated the chase and helped Rajasthan reach 157/2 with plenty of deliveries remaining.

Their controlled aggression showed that Chennai could be beaten without an all-out power-hitting approach.

Rohit Sharma’s 76 Not Out in 2025

Mumbai Indians needed 177 at Wankhede.

Rohit Sharma stayed unbeaten on 76 from 45 balls, while Suryakumar Yadav smashed 68 not out from 30.

MI reached 177/1 in only 15.4 overs.

For Rohit, the innings strengthened an already outstanding career record against Chennai and came one year after his unbeaten century against the same opponents.

Why CSK Have Been Difficult to Bat Against

Chennai’s bowling strength has rarely depended on one superstar.

Instead, they have built attacks around balance and clearly defined roles.

Ashwin controlled the Powerplay during the early years.

Bravo became one of the league’s finest death bowlers.

Jadeja offered fast, accurate spin through the middle overs.

Tahir attacked with leg-spin.

Deepak Chahar provided new-ball swing.

Later attacks used Pathirana’s slingy pace, Noor Ahmad’s wrist-spin and several younger Indian quicks.

The home conditions at Chepauk added another layer.

Slow surfaces reduced the value of pure power and rewarded batters who could use their feet and rotate strike.

That is why consistent scoring against CSK often required tactical flexibility rather than one preferred method.

Kohli Versus Dhawan for the CSK Run Record

For years, Shikhar Dhawan owned the record for most runs against CSK.

He passed 1,000 before anyone else.

Kohli gradually closed the gap and eventually overtook him.

The two records were built differently.

Dhawan averaged above 44 and scored a century.

Kohli has not made a hundred against Chennai but has produced more fifty-plus scores and continued playing after Dhawan’s retirement.

Kohli’s total of 1,174 now gives him a clear lead.

It is also one of the highest run aggregates by any batter against a single opponent in IPL history.

Conclusion

Virat Kohli holds the record for the most runs against Chennai Super Kings in IPL history with 1,174.

Shikhar Dhawan is second with 1,057, while Rohit Sharma ranks third with 972.

Dinesh Karthik and David Warner complete the top five, with KL Rahul, Kieron Pollard, Shubman Gill, Robin Uthappa and AB de Villiers also among the leading scorers.

Marcus Stoinis owns the highest individual score against CSK after making 124 not out at Chepauk in 2024.

Virender Sehwag’s 122 in the 2014 Qualifier, Paul Valthaty’s unbeaten 120 in 2011 and Sanath Jayasuriya’s 114 not out in 2008 remain other iconic performances.

Chennai have built their reputation around disciplined, intelligent bowling, which makes these batting records especially valuable.

Kohli’s combination of longevity and consistency now puts him clearly ahead of every other batter against the five-time champions.

FAQs

Who has scored the most runs against CSK in IPL history?

Virat Kohli holds the record with 1,174 runs against Chennai Super Kings through the completed 2026 IPL season.

How many runs did Shikhar Dhawan score against CSK?

Shikhar Dhawan scored 1,057 IPL runs against CSK at an average of 44.04.

What is the highest individual score against CSK?

Marcus Stoinis holds the record with 124 not out for Lucknow Super Giants against Chennai at Chepauk in 2024.

Has Virat Kohli scored an IPL century against CSK?

No. Kohli’s highest IPL score against Chennai Super Kings is 90 not out despite scoring more runs against them than any other batter.

Who was the first batter to score an IPL century against CSK?

Sanath Jayasuriya was the first, scoring an unbeaten 114 for Mumbai Indians against Chennai in 2008.

Which batter has scored the most centuries against CSK?

No batter has dominated the century count against Chennai with multiple repeated hundreds in the historical list; most CSK centurions have one century each.