2 min readMar 23, 2026 01:04 PM IST
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) announced the launch of their CSK Hall of Fame where the franchise will pay tribute to all those who have played a key role in the team’s glorious history. The first players to be inducted in CSK’s Hall of Fame were Suresh Raina and Matthew Hayden, with the duo’s place in the Hall of Fame formalised on Sunday at CSK’s Roar ’26 fan event at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
Fondly called ‘Chinna Thala’ by CSK fans, Raina is the highest run-scoring Indian batsman for the Chennai franchise. He scored 5529 runs in 205 games for 13 seasons from 2008 to 2021 with an average of 32.52 and strike rate of 136.76. Raina was part of four IPL-winning CSK squads – in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. He was a vital middle order batter for Chennai where his consistency held fort for his side. Besides being an able fielder, he also claimed 25 wickets and captured 108 catches for the CSK. Raina was also part of two Champions League T20 title-winning teams at Chennai Super Kings – in 2010 and 2014.
2014 was among Raina’s standout seasons for CSK, he won the Player of the Tournament award in that edition for scoring 234 runs in the IPL.
Australian opener Hayden, meanwhile, spent less time with CSK than Raina but made a huge impact in the short time when he was there. He played 32 matches for CSK between 2008 and 2010. In this spell, he scored 1117 runs at an average of 36.90 and strike rate of 137.52. His best season came in 2009, when he scored 572 runs and became the first CSK player to win the Orange Cap. He was also a part of the CSK team that claimed their first Indian Premier League title in 2010.
The Roar ’26 event at Chepauk turned out to be a reunion as several former players from the CSK team who attended the event, which includes Dwayne Bravo, Shadab Jakati, Muttiah Muralitharan, Ambati Rayudu, Parthiv Patel, Joginder Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Subramaniam Badrinath and Murali Vijay.
Chennai Super Kings will start IPL 2026 with a game against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati on March 30.
