The IPL's Youngest Rivalry — Six Meetings, Zero Predictability
When Lucknow Super Giants entered the IPL in 2022, few expected them to hold their own against Chennai Super Kings — a franchise with five titles, two decades of dominance, and the most loyal fanbase in Indian cricket. Yet across 6 meetings between 2022 and 2025, Lucknow Super Giants won 3, Chennai Super Kings won 2, and 1 match produced no result. That 3-2 ledger in Lucknow's favour makes this one of the few rivalries where the newer franchise holds the edge over a legacy giant.
What makes the Chennai Super Kings versus Lucknow Super Giants fixture fascinating is not the volume of meetings — it is the unpredictability. Neither side has managed to win consecutive decided games in this fixture. Every season has produced at least one result going each way, and the margins have ranged from 12-run thrillers at Chepauk to 8-wicket demolitions at the Ekana Cricket Stadium. For a rivalry only four seasons old, it has already produced enough drama to merit permanent attention.
All-Time Head-to-Head Record
| Metric | Chennai Super Kings | Lucknow Super Giants |
|---|---|---|
| Matches won | 2 | 3 |
| Win percentage | 33.3% | 50.0% |
| No results | 1 | 1 |
| Total meetings | 6 | 6 |
| Biggest victory (runs) | 12 | — |
| Biggest victory (wickets) | 5 | 8 |
Lucknow Super Giants' 50% win rate across all 6 meetings, compared to Chennai Super Kings' 33.3%, represents a clear gap. However, with only 5 decided matches in the sample, each new meeting has the power to swing the overall record significantly. One no-result in Lucknow during 2023 denied both sides a chance to build momentum that season.
Last 5 Meetings
| Date | Venue | Winner | Margin | Player of the Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2025 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | Chennai Super Kings | 5 wickets | MS Dhoni |
| 23 Apr 2024 | Chepauk, Chennai | Lucknow Super Giants | 6 wickets | Marcus Stoinis |
| 19 Apr 2024 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | Lucknow Super Giants | 8 wickets | KL Rahul |
| 3 May 2023 | Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | No Result | — | — |
| 3 Apr 2023 | Chepauk, Chennai | Chennai Super Kings | 12 runs | Moeen Ali |
The 6th and earliest meeting — the first-ever encounter on 31 March 2022 at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai — was won by Lucknow Super Giants by 6 wickets. Evin Lewis earned the Player of the Match award, announcing the new franchise's arrival with a statement win against the defending champions.
Defining Moments
The 8-Wicket Demolition — Lucknow, 19 April 2024
Lucknow Super Giants' most dominant victory in this fixture came in Match 34 of the 2024 season. At the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, the home side chased down Chennai's total with 8 wickets in hand. KL Rahul anchored the chase with a composed innings that gave Chennai Super Kings' bowlers nothing to work with. The 8-wicket margin remains the largest wicket-based victory in the CSK-LSG head-to-head record, and it demonstrated that Lucknow had developed genuine confidence against the five-time champions.
Chennai's 12-Run Defence — Chepauk, 3 April 2023
The closest result in this rivalry came in Match 6 of the 2023 IPL season. Chennai Super Kings posted a competitive total at Chepauk and then defended it by 12 runs — a margin that sounds comfortable but belied a tense final phase. Moeen Ali was named Player of the Match for his all-round contribution. This victory was significant because it was Chennai Super Kings' first win against Lucknow after losing their inaugural meeting in 2022. It proved that Chennai's slow-pitch mastery at home could neutralise Lucknow's aggressive batting approach.
Dhoni's Farewell Season Masterclass — Lucknow, 14 April 2025
The most recent meeting, in the 2025 IPL season, saw Chennai Super Kings chase down Lucknow's target with 5 wickets in hand — at Lucknow's home ground, no less. MS Dhoni earned the Player of the Match award, adding another chapter to his extraordinary IPL legacy. This result evened the decided record to 3-2 in Lucknow's favour and demonstrated that Chennai Super Kings could win in hostile conditions when their experienced campaigners delivered.
Venue Split
| Venue | Meetings | CSK Wins | LSG Wins | No Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ekana Stadium, Lucknow | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Chepauk, Chennai | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
The venue data reveals a striking symmetry. At the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow — where 3 of the 6 meetings have taken place — the decided results are split 1-1, with 1 no-result. At Chepauk in Chennai, the record is similarly deadlocked at 1-1. The only venue to break the pattern is Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, where the very first meeting in 2022 went Lucknow's way. Neither franchise holds a meaningful venue advantage in this fixture, which is unusual for a rivalry involving Chennai Super Kings, a franchise historically dominant at home.
The concentration of matches at the Ekana Stadium makes Lucknow the de facto home of this rivalry. Three of the 6 meetings have been played there, and future IPL schedules will likely continue to weight this fixture towards the Ekana and Chepauk — the two franchises' respective home grounds.
Lucknow's Early Dominance — 2022 to 2024
Across the 2022, 2023, and 2024 IPL seasons, Lucknow Super Giants won 3 of the 4 decided meetings against Chennai Super Kings. The only Chennai victory in that span was the 12-run home win at Chepauk in April 2023. Lucknow's 3-1 record over those three years was built on disciplined chasing — all 3 of Lucknow's wins came batting second, winning by 6, 6, and 8 wickets respectively. This pattern suggested that Lucknow's middle-order batters had found a formula for pacing chases against Chennai's spin-heavy attack. Chennai Super Kings' lone win in that period came when they were the team defending a total — the only successful defence in the entire rivalry.
It was not until 2025 that Chennai broke Lucknow's away-chase dominance, winning by 5 wickets at Lucknow to stop the slide.
The Rivalry's Place in IPL History
The Chennai Super Kings versus Lucknow Super Giants fixture represents the IPL's generational divide in miniature. Chennai Super Kings, founded in 2008, carry the weight of 5 IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023), 9 finals appearances, and an era-defining captain in MS Dhoni. Lucknow Super Giants, debuting in 2022, have no titles and no finals appearances — yet they hold a winning record against the most decorated franchise in the tournament's history.
This is not a rivalry built on decades of animosity or cross-city passion. It is a rivalry built on competitive defiance — a new franchise refusing to be intimidated by the old guard. With only 6 meetings to date, every future encounter has the potential to reshape the overall narrative. If Chennai Super Kings win 2 more decided matches, they take the lead. If Lucknow Super Giants maintain their current trajectory, they cement one of the most improbable head-to-head advantages in IPL history.
The rivalry will be revisited every IPL season, and given the pattern of alternating results, there is no reason to expect either side will build an unassailable lead any time soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the head-to-head record between CSK and LSG in the IPL?
Across 6 IPL meetings from 2022 to 2025, Lucknow Super Giants lead Chennai Super Kings 3-2, with 1 match producing no result. Lucknow hold a win percentage of 50% compared to Chennai's 33.3% in this fixture.
When did CSK and LSG first play each other in the IPL?
The first-ever meeting between Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants took place on 31 March 2022 at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai (Match 7 of IPL 2022). Lucknow Super Giants won by 6 wickets, with Evin Lewis earning the Player of the Match award.
What is the biggest victory in CSK vs LSG matches?
The largest margin of victory in this fixture is Lucknow Super Giants' 8-wicket win at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on 19 April 2024 (Match 34, IPL 2024). KL Rahul was named Player of the Match.
What is the closest finish in CSK vs LSG IPL history?
The closest decided result is Chennai Super Kings' 12-run win at Chepauk on 3 April 2023 (Match 6, IPL 2023). Moeen Ali was the Player of the Match. This is also the only match in the rivalry decided by a runs margin.
Which venue has hosted the most CSK vs LSG matches?
The Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow has hosted 3 of the 6 CSK vs LSG meetings — the most of any venue. Results there are split: Chennai Super Kings 1, Lucknow Super Giants 1, No Result 1.
Where can I watch CSK vs LSG matches live?
All IPL matches, including Chennai Super Kings versus Lucknow Super Giants fixtures, are broadcast live on JioStar across all IPL seasons. Streaming is available on the JioCinema platform.
How many IPL titles do CSK and LSG have?
Chennai Super Kings have won 5 IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023), making them the joint-most successful franchise alongside Mumbai Indians. Lucknow Super Giants, having entered the IPL in 2022, have not won a title. Despite the title disparity, Lucknow hold the head-to-head advantage in meetings between the two sides.