“2013 was the most difficult phase of my life. I was never as depressed as I was then.” — MS Dhoni, former CSK captain.
That one line sums up what the Chennai Super Kings went through. The team that stood for consistency, calmness, and success suddenly found itself in the middle of a storm.
For years, CSK had been the heartbeat of the IPL, with fans in every corner of the country. But then came a time when the yellow flags disappeared, the roars at Chepauk went quiet, and the fortress once called AnbuDen turned still.
There was a time when CSK wasn’t part of the IPL at all. For two long seasons, the team and its fans were forced to watch from the sidelines. What led to that silence? This is the story of that dark chapter—the scandal that shook Indian cricket, the ban that broke millions of hearts, and the comeback that proved why CSK is more than just a team.
Why Was Chennai Super Kings Banned for 2 Years?
Chennai Super Kings, the two-time champions at the time, were banned from the IPL following the 2013 IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal.
The scandal came to light with the arrest of three major Rajasthan Royals players. Later, the authorities realised that the virus of fixing had spread to other industries, like the Bollywood actors, among others.
When Vindu Dara Singh was arrested and interrogated, he confessed to having placed the bets on behalf of Gurunath Meiyappan, who was, until that point, a major part of the Chennai Super Kings and the Team Principal.
What is the reason behind CSK Ban?
The main reason behind the CSK Ban in 2016 was Gurunath Meiyappan’s involvement in the 2013 IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal. During the IPL 2013 season, Meiyappan was accused of sharing inside information and placing illegal bets on matches.
While no CSK players or team coaches were implicated, Meiyappan’s position within the franchise made CSK responsible for a breach of the league’s anti-corruption code.
Meiyappan was a senior team official of Chennai Super Kings and the son-in-law of then BCCI president N. Srinivasan. As a result, he was very well-informed about every development within the team.
Since 2008, he has been consistently with the team and has even spoken to the Team Principal. A title that was bestowed upon him by the team, or maybe self-appointed.
Meiyappan was often seen at team events, sitting at the auction table. And often, he could be spotted in the dugouts during or in the post-match celebrations. Reports claim that he was close to coach Stephen Fleming, who called him CSK’s Team Owner.
That’s why, when the name of such an important person came to light, all hell broke loose for CSK as a franchise. Meiyappan’s involvement with the team was one of the main reasons for the team’s 2015 ban.
How was Meiyappan found guilty?
Chennai Super Kings’ troubles began in May 2013, when Rajasthan Royals players were arrested and the IPL betting and spot-fixing scandal first came to light, as the limelight quickly shifted to them when police summoned their officials for investigation.
Having obtained phone calls and records showing Meiyappan placing bets on IPL matches, passing inside-team information to bookies, and maintaining constant contact with middlemen like Vindoo Dara Singh, the CSK official was detained.
His involvement became undeniable when investigators confirmed he had bet both for and against CSK during the 2013 season. The same charges were filed against the man by the later Mudgal and Lodha Committee, and the verdict found that Meiyappan was indeed guilty.
This led to his lifetime ban from any association with cricket-related activities. As a aftermath, CSK was banned for two years as well.
When were CSK Banned from IPL?
Chennai Super Kings was banned from the IPL for two years from 2016 to 2017 and returned to the tournament in 2018. During this time, two temporary teams were created to fill in for the two seasons, namely Rising Pune Super Giants and Gujarat Lions.
What happened to CSK players during Ban?
During the IPL ban, Chennai Super Kings players were scattered across different franchises. For example, MS Dhoni went on to lead the Rising Pune Super Giants, along with a host of CSK and Rajasthan players like Ashwin, Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, among others.
While Suresh Raina was named the captain of the Gujarat Lions, another team was introduced temporarily during the ban years. Raina was accompanied by familiar names in the form of Ravindra Jadeja, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, and even Dwayne Smith.
Neither of the two teams was able to win the tournament in these two years. However, under Steve Smith’s captaincy, Rising Pune Super Giants reached the final in 2017, only to fall by a very small margin to Mumbai Indians.
How Did CSK Make Their Comeback?
CSK made a grand comeback to the IPL in 2018, winning their third IPL trophy in the best possible way. “The Tagline of 2018 was to tell them we’re back,” Dhoni stated emphatically when discussing CSK’s mission that season.
That is exactly what the CSK team did. It was a host of new names with the original core of Dhoni, Jadeja, Raina, Bravo, and Faf du Plessis in the tow. However, the newer names like Watson, Harbhajan, and Rayudu added new dimensions to their playing style.
Because of the lack of youngsters, CSK was even called the “Dad’s Army.” Still, this team, with an average age of 34.5 years, showed the young chaps how it’s done in style.
With strong performance in the league stages, and applying finishing touches in the knockouts, CSK brushed aside all the ban talks with their pure cricketing brilliance to emerge as the title winners.
After lifting the 2018 trophy, Dhoni said: “Every win is special, so it’s not about comparing. By the end of the day, you try to have fun, enjoy your cricket, and that’s what we did this season”.
