Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is a cricket franchise based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It competes in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and was among the original eight teams established in 2008. The team plays its home matches at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and is owned by Chennai Super Kings Cricket Limited. CSK is one of the successful IPL franchises, having won the IPL title five times, tied with Mumbai Indians. They hold the record for the most appearances in IPL finals, having reached the final 10 times out of 14 seasons and qualified for the playoffs 12 times. Additionally, CSK has won the Champions League Twenty20 twice, in 2010 and 2014. The team is currently led by Ruturaj Gaikwad and coached by Stephen Fleming. CSK has a significant fan base and became India's first unicorn sports enterprise in January 2022. As of 2022, it is the second most valuable IPL franchise with a valuation of $1.15 billion.

In September 2007, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the establishment of the Indian Premier League (IPL), with the inaugural season set for 2008. Chennai was among the eight city-based franchises unveiled for the inaugural edition.

The first IPL player auctions took place in January 2008. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) acquired MS Dhoni, the Indian team captain, for $1.5 million, making him the most expensive buy at the auction. The team also recruited international players such as Suresh Raina, Matthew Hayden, Stephen Fleming, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Michael Hussey. Dhoni was appointed as the team's captain, with Kepler Wessels serving as head coach.

CSK made their IPL debut on April 19, 2008, defeating Kings XI Punjab. They finished third in the league stage with eight wins, advancing to the playoffs. Despite losing to Rajasthan Royals in the final, CSK qualified for the inaugural CLT20, later cancelled due to the 2008 Mumbai attacks, but received $5 million as compensation.

In 2009, Stephen Fleming became CSK's head coach. They finished second in the league but lost in the semis to Royal Challengers Bangalore. Matthew Hayden won the Orange Cap for scoring 572 runs.

In 2010, CSK struggled initially but rallied to win five of their next seven games. They reached the semis and then won their first IPL title by defeating Mumbai Indians. They also won the 2010 CLT20, with Murali Vijay earning the Man of the Match and Ravichandran Ashwin the Player of the Series.

For the 2011 season, CSK retained MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, and Albie Morkel and bought back players like Hussey, Ashwin, Bollinger, and Badrinath at the auction. They finished second in the league stage, won the qualifier against Royal Challengers Bangalore, and secured their second consecutive IPL title by defeating the same team in the final.

In 2012, CSK signed Ravindra Jadeja for $2 million but had a mixed season, winning only five of their first 12 games. They qualified for the playoffs by winning three of their last four matches and reached the final but lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. In the Champions League, they couldn't progress past the group stage.

Before the 2013 season, CSK strengthened their bowling lineup with five new signings. They topped the group stage for the first time in IPL history with 11 wins from 16 matches. Michael Hussey won the Orange Cap for scoring 733 runs, and Dwayne Bravo claimed the Purple Cap for the most wickets. Despite this, they lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. In the Champions League, they reached the semi-finals but were defeated by Rajasthan Royals.

In May 2013, Gurunath Meiyappan, the team principal of CSK, was arrested on charges of betting on IPL matches. This led to a Supreme Court inquiry that found Meiyappan guilty of illegal betting during the 2013 IPL season.

Before the 2014 season, CSK retained key players like MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Dwayne Bravo. They added Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ashish Nehra, and Mohit Sharma at the auction. Despite a dispute that shifted their home matches from Chennai to Ranchi, they finished third in the points table and reached the playoffs. They won their second Champions League title by defeating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.

In 2015, CSK finished at the top of the group stage again but lost to Mumbai Indians in the final. Following the season, they were suspended from the IPL for two years due to their owners' involvement in illegal betting, as per the directive of the RM Lodha committee appointed by the Supreme Court of India.

Before the 2018 IPL auction, CSK retained MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja. They also brought back Faf du Plessis and Dwayne Bravo. After a two-year suspension, CSK's practice sessions at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai drew large crowds. They began their comeback season with a narrow win over Mumbai Indians and finished second in the league stage. CSK defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier and final to win their third IPL title, setting a record by beating Sunrisers Hyderabad four times in one season.

In 2019, CSK finished second in the league stage with nine wins, reaching the final for the eighth time but lost to Mumbai Indians by one run. Imran Tahir won the Purple Cap for most wickets.

Before the 2020 season, CSK added Sam Curran, Josh Hazlewood, and Piyush Chawla. The IPL was moved to the UAE due to COVID-19, and many CSK players contracted the virus, with Raina and Harbhajan Singh withdrawing. Despite winning their first match against Mumbai Indians, CSK finished 7th in the league stage, missing the playoffs for the first time. Captain MS Dhoni faced criticism for his performance and team decisions, leading to several players being released before the 2021 auction.

In the 2021 IPL auctions, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) acquired Cheteshwar Pujara, Krishnappa Gowtham, and Moeen Ali, and traded Robin Uthappa from Rajasthan Royals. They won five of the first seven matches before the season was suspended due to COVID-19. Upon resumption in the UAE, they finished second in the group stage and eventually won the tournament, clinching their fourth IPL title.

Before the 2022 season, CSK announced Ravindra Jadeja as the new captain, but he later relinquished the role to MS Dhoni after a poor start. CSK finished ninth in the group stage, failing to qualify for the playoffs for only the second time.

In the 2023 auctions, CSK bought Ben Stokes, Kyle Jamieson, and Ajinkya Rahane. They finished second in the group stage and won the qualifier to reach their tenth IPL final, ultimately winning their fifth title by defeating Gujarat Titans.

Ahead of the 2024 season, CSK acquired Daryl Mitchell, Sameer Rizvi, Shardul Thakur, Mustafizur Rahman, and Rachin Ravindra in the auctions. MS Dhoni handed over the captaincy to Ruturaj Gaikwad on 21 March 2024.

The CSK mascot, a young lion, is portrayed as a symbol of the city's fighting spirit and winning attitude The team anthem of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is "Whistle Podu"