CSK vs MI: 39 Meetings, the IPL's Closest Long-Running Rivalry
June 23, 2026 · CricketStudio · How to cite
1The Finding
Mumbai Indians lead Chennai Super Kings 21–18 across 39 IPL meetings — 16 seasons, zero no-results. The closest long-running H2H in IPL history.
2What the Numbers Show
| Metric | Value | Sample / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Total meetings | 39 | 0 no-results, 16 seasons (2008–2024) |
| MI wins | 21 | 53.8% win rate |
| CSK wins | 18 | 46.2% win rate |
| Win margin | 3 matches | Smallest gap in any 35+-match IPL rivalry |
| Seasons contested | 16 of 18 | CSK absent 2016–2017 (suspended) |
3Why It's Surprising
Among all rivalries with ≥30 meetings in the IPL corpus, KKR vs MI shows a 13-match gap (24–11 to MI over 35 meetings — 37% lopsidedness). CSK vs MI is the single richest rival matchup by volume with the smallest gap: 3 wins separating two of the most trophy-laden franchises across 16 seasons. The rivalry survived CSK's two-year suspension (2016–17) and the teams meeting in five different finals.
4Scope and Limits
- Covers IPL 2008–2024 only (Cricsheet corpus). IPL 2026 H2H meetings excluded.
- No adjustment for neutral venues vs. home venues.
- Playoff and final matches included — same weight as league stage.
- Only counts "active teams" — franchises that existed in both 2024 and 2025.
5Provenance
CricketStudio aggregation of Cricsheet IPL corpus (CC BY 3.0). All docs/match/ipl-cs-* files with home/away slugs csk and mi, 2008–2024. Computed 2026-06-23. Script: scripts/build-ipl-historical-trend-data.mjs.