The Indian Premier League (IPL) is all about rivalries and the clash between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) certainly remains one of the most iconic Kicking off from that epic 2008 IPL Final, where Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals edged MS Dhoni’s men on the last ball to win by 2 wickets, this fixture has been a no-brainer in terms of blockbusters since Day 1.
Over all the seasons, the two franchises have witnessed great heights and disheartened lows, but every time the field confrontation takes place, the CSK vs RR head to head clashes turn into sheer cricketing drama. We can expect either star-studded flick, with plenty of runs in the sky on a flat track or subtle script judging each other’s moves with skill in the spin, when these two teams come together. Tale of dominance, resilience, and spectacular individual performances, the CSK vs RR head to head numbers continue to excite fans and cricket analysts alike, as they dive into details. Here is a size guide which splits down everything from record, to stadium statistic, to contributions from the game’s greatest: The epic IPL rivalry
CSK vs RR Head to Head Record
If you want to see how close these two heavyweights stand when you weigh them up against each other all time, then look no further than the CSK vs RR head to head record. Over many IPL campaigns, through mega auctions and age-transitions of their squads, the gap between Chennai and Rajasthan has been razor-thin.
They have met 31 times in the history of the tournament. Chennai Super Kings do edge in the overall head-to-head count but the Rajasthan Royals have been one of the few teams who have given the Yellow Army regular run for their money, particularly in the last couple of years.
Here is a quick snapshot of their overall encounters in the IPL:
| Year | Venue | Winner | Margin |
| 2008 | Jaipur | RR | 8 wickets |
| 2008 | Chennai | RR | 10 runs |
| 2008 (Final) | Mumbai (DY Patil) | RR | 3 wickets |
| 2009 | Centurion | CSK | 38 runs |
| 2009 | Kimberley | CSK | 7 wickets |
| 2010 | Ahmedabad | RR | 17 runs |
| 2010 | Chennai | CSK | 23 runs |
| 2011 | Chennai | CSK | 8 wickets |
| 2011 | Jaipur | CSK | 63 runs |
| 2012 | Chennai | CSK | 7 wickets |
| 2012 | Jaipur | CSK | 4 wickets |
| 2013 | Chennai | CSK | 5 wickets |
| 2013 | Jaipur | RR | 5 wickets |
| 2014 | Dubai | CSK | 7 runs |
| 2014 | Ranchi | CSK | 5 wickets |
| 2015 | Ahmedabad | RR | 8 wickets |
| 2015 | Chennai | CSK | 12 runs |
| 2018 | Pune | CSK | 64 runs |
| 2018 | Jaipur | RR | 4 wickets |
| 2019 | Chennai | CSK | 8 runs |
| 2019 | Jaipur | CSK | 4 wickets |
| 2020 | Sharjah | RR | 16 runs |
| 2020 | Abu Dhabi | RR | 7 wickets |
| 2021 | Mumbai (Wankhede) | CSK | 45 runs |
| 2021 | Abu Dhabi | RR | 7 wickets |
| 2022 | Mumbai (Brabourne) | RR | 5 wickets |
| 2023 | Chennai | RR | 3 runs |
| 2023 | Jaipur | RR | 32 runs |
| 2024 | Chennai | CSK | 5 wickets |
| 2025 | Guwahati | RR | 6 runs |
| 2025 | New Delhi | RR | 6 wickets |
The narrowest of margins, 16 to 15, is the tip that gives the lie to a standings blip: a CSK-RR match is 50-50 chop a championship form as form.
RR vs CSK Head to Head: Complete IPL Match Results and Stats
Beyond just the win-loss column, the more granular CSK vs RR head to head record reveals some extraordinary team stats. Both franchises scored huge totals and then created hammering batting collapses. The highest ever total in this fixture is 246/5 by Chennai (in 2010) thanks to a wonderful innings from Murali Vijay. However, Rajasthan too have numerous scores of over 200 themselves with the highest being a score of 223/5 in the same match back in 2010.
RR vs CSK Overall Record: Full Head-to-Head History
In order to best get a feel for how this rivalry works, we need to dissect not just how each team is doing overall but how they perform in specific moments throughout the course of a match. The difference between batting first to chase a total in T20 cricket is immense, and this is no different in this match up.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) Overall Records vs CSK
The Royals have dismantled one of the most successful franchises in the history of the IPL on 15 occasions out of 31 matches, garnering a win percentage of about 48.4.
| Category | Rajasthan Royals Record |
| Total Matches Played | 31 |
| Total Wins | 15 |
| Highest Team Total | 223/5 (2010) |
| Lowest Team Total | 110 (2008) |
| Most Runs (Individual) | Shane Watson (480 runs) |
| Most Wickets (Individual) | Sohail Tanvir (10 wickets) |
| Best Bowling Figures | Sohail Tanvir (6/14 in 2008) |
| Highest Individual Score | Shane Watson (101 in 2013) |
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Overall Records vs RR
Chennai holds the edge with 16 wins, boasting a win percentage of roughly 51.6%.
| Category | Chennai Super Kings Record |
| Total Matches Played | 31 |
| Total Wins | 16 |
| Highest Team Total | 246/5 (2010) |
| Lowest Team Total | 109 (2008) |
| Most Runs (Individual) | Suresh Raina (630 runs) |
| Most Wickets (Individual) | Ravindra Jadeja (20 wickets) |
| Best Bowling Figures | Ravindra Jadeja (4/11 in 2021) |
| Highest Individual Score | Murali Vijay (127 in 2010) |
CSK Vs RR Head-to-Head at Home Ground
Home conditions are a huge fortress to franchises in the IPL and Chennai & Rajasthan have balanced their squads according to their home pitch.
CSK Record at Home Ground Against RR
Chennai’s MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) has proved to be a fortress for visiting sides. Typically the pitch has sewn up the brand of slow bowlers, gripping and sharpening turning. Chennai historically has a great record against CSK vs RR head to head clashes at Chepauk. CSK has won 6 out of the matches played here while RR has achieved a few rare victories. The Men in Yellow have made Chepauk a real fortress, where their spin-heavy attack almost invariably ensnares the stroke makers from Rajasthan.
| Category | CSK Record at Home |
| Matches Played | 9 |
| Matches Won | 7 |
| Matches Lost | 2 |
| Win Percentage | 77.7% |
RR Record at Home Ground Against CSK
Then, the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, in Jaipur, a whole new level of difficulty. Rajasthan makes its mark here; a large outfield, the pitch usually has something for the seamers early on. RR has a mammoth upper hand when it comes to their home ground. They have managed to beat Super Kings on 5 occasions out of 8 matches they have played against them in Jaipur. The big boundaries are right up the alley of the Royals, especially considering their bowlers with their cutters and wide yorkers, who will make it tough for the CSK power hitters to clear the ropes effortlessly.
| Category | RR Record at Home |
| Matches Played | 7 |
| Matches Won | 4 |
| Matches Lost | 3 |
| Win Percentage | 57.1% |
CSK Vs RR Head-to-Head at Away Ground
Winning away from home is the hallmark of a champion team. Let’s see how they perform in enemy territory.
CSK Record at Away Ground Against RR
Chennai have notoriously found it tough to adjust to opposition ground, especially so at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Out of their visits, they have managed to win 3 times clearly. With ground dimensions on the larger side, CSK middle order find sixes difficult to come by, making the team resort to heavy running between the wickets which is put under pressure by Rajasthan’s agile fielders.
| Category | CSK Record at Away (Jaipur) |
| Matches Played | 7 |
| Matches Won | 3 |
| Matches Lost | 4 |
| Win Percentage | 42.8% |
RR Record at Away Ground Against CSK
Likewise, Rajasthan have found it nigh impossible to break the Chepauk code. Winning in the home grounds of Chennai has always been a Herculean task, with RR managing it only a handful of times in IPL history. But their epic 3-run win at Chepauk in IPL 2023 showed that they have finally started to crack CSK’s spin fortress on their own turf.
| Category | RR Record at Away (Chennai) |
| Matches Played | 9 |
| Matches Won | 2 |
| Matches Lost | 7 |
| Win Percentage | 22.2% |
CSK Vs RR Head-to-Head at Neutral Venues
Neutral grounds have less of the home advantage and more of a pure skills test. The CSK-vs-RR rivalry has moved around neutral venues over the years, playing at grounds in Mumbai (Wankhede, Brabourne, DY Patil), Pune, and Ahmedadbad, alongwith South Africa and the UAE (Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai).
The teams are nearly evenly split across these neutral venues. Rajasthan Royals high-fived in the UAE 2020 and 2021 season taking essential victories playing the conditions efficient. In Indian venues like Pune or Mumbai where Chennai have been neutral venues, Chennai have used the true bounce of the surface to out-bat Rajasthan on plenty of occasions. The games are often last-over nail-biters on neutral turf, demonstrating that removed the home-field requisite, these teams are pretty much even-stevens.
| Category | Record at Neutral Venues |
| Total Matches Played | 15 |
| CSK Wins | 6 |
| RR Wins | 9 |
| Win Percentage (RR) | 60% |
Player Contributions in CSK vs RR Fixtures
Legendary players build the bedrock for great rivalries. These are the top five CSK vs RR all time performers who made a distinct mark on the timeline of the two franchises. (Players updated as per CSK vs RR game).
MS Dhoni (CSK)
CSK have had the ultimate game-changer in the form of the legendary skipper. MS Dhoni has orchestrated many rescue missions, scoring north of 550 runs against the Rajasthan Royals. Be it coming as a rescue during a top-order collapse or finishing with a flourish in the death overs, his tactical acumen and ice-cool temperament has often taken the match away from the jaws of a rescued Rajasthan win.
Jos Buttler (RR)
The Rajasthan ace certainly is Chennai’s most potent weapon against the dynamic English opener. During the powerplay, Buttler has regularly gone after the CSK bowlers. He always keeps a grip over the field, his ability to hit conventional cricketing shots for six, and with almost 350 runs against the Super Kings at such a daunting strike rate with rarely a strike rate less than 145 makes him a perennial thorn to the bowling unit of the Yellow Army.
Ravindra Jadeja (CSK)
Ravindra Jadeja started his IPL career with the Rajasthan Royals, winning the inaugural trophy in 2008, but soon becoming a mainstay with Chennai. Jadeja has been the dominant wicket taker against his old franchise taking 20 plus wickets over the years. They’re a perfect match for Chepauk, and his incredible 4/11 is the best bowling figures for any CSK bowler against this opponent.
Sanju Samson (RR)
The Rajasthan Royals captain has an elegant destructiveness to his batting. He’s one of India’s best players of spin, and CSK’s spin-heavy attacks can be countered with the help of very appropriate timing – which is what Samson depends on. In matches against Chennai, he is an ever-reliable rock for RR, often converting stable starts into match-winning scores.
Shane Watson (RR / CSK)
They dont come any more legendary in this rivalry than Shane Watson – we will see both franchises treat him like royalty. He is also the highest runscorer in the history of this fixture. Remarkably, Watson ‘s the only one to make a ton for Rajasthan ( 101 in 2013 ) against Chennai and as he entered the twilight of his career, then won matches single handedly for Chennai, and piled on runs for the Yellow Army.
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Conclusion
In the end, CSK vs RR head to head record is proof of the fact that T20 cricket cannot be predicted and proved the excitement. Despite CSK leading narrowly in head-to-head wins over the Rajasthan Royals by 16 to 15, very little separates the five-time IPL champions and the side that won the inaugural title. Rajasthan have recently bridged that historical gap and the dichotomy creates an exciting scenario for seasons ahead. Cricket fans across the world are guaranteed a visual treat of tactics, temperament and most importantly talent and when these two heavyweights lock horns, you can definitely mark your calendars.
FAQs
Who has the better record in CSK vs RR matches?
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have a miniscule all-time edge over the Rajasthan Royals. CSK have won 16 of the 31 matches played between the two in the IPL, while RR have won the remaining 15.
What is the highest team score in CSK vs RR matches?
The highest score in this match-up is 246/5 that was scored by Chennai Super Kings during IPL 2010. It was an absolute run-fest as Rajasthan Royals too went onto score 223/5 in the same match.
Who has scored the most runs in CSK vs RR matches?
Raina has the most number of runs scored by the CSK batsman (630 runs) in this particular fixture. Arguably, no player has taken part in this rivalry as often as Shane Watson, who represented both franchises during his career and scored close to 800 runs in 75+ appearances.
Who won the IPL Final 2008?
In the first ever IPL Final in 2008, Rajasthan Royals pulled off a thrilling last-over chase to defeat the Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets.
