Chennai Super Kings have never really needed help preserving memory. Their history has long lived on in yellow shirts, Chepauk noise, and the familiar names that have shaped the franchise’s identity. But on Sunday, the five-time champions gave that legacy a permanent frame, inducting Suresh Raina and Matthew Hayden as the first entrants into the franchise’s Hall of Fame during the Roar’26 fan event at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.
The move is significant not only because it honours two of CSK’s most influential former players, but also because it marks the first time the franchise has formally institutionalised its own cricketing history. In a team where continuity, loyalty and nostalgia have long been central to the brand, the Hall of Fame gives CSK a new way of telling its story – starting with one batter who became the emotional face of the side and another who helped define its early attacking identity.
Why Raina and Hayden were the first choices
Suresh Raina’s place was always going to be impossible to ignore. He remains CSK’s all-time leading run-scorer with 5,529 runs and represented the franchise from the inaugural IPL season in 2008 until 2021. During that period, he was part of four IPL title-winning campaigns and also played a major role in CSK’s Champions League T20 triumphs in 2010 and 2014. In the latter edition, he was named Player of the Tournament, underlining his value beyond just numbers.
Matthew Hayden’s CSK journey was shorter, but its impact was unmistakable. The former Australia opener was part of the franchise’s first title-winning side in 2010, and his most celebrated individual season came a year earlier when he won the Orange Cap in IPL 2009 with 572 runs. That remains one of the defining batting campaigns from CSK’s early years and made Hayden the first player from the franchise to finish as the league’s leading run-scorer. His official IPL tally stands at 1,107 runs in 32 matches
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The occasion was also a reunion of sorts, with several former CSK players in attendance, reinforcing the franchise’s effort to connect past and present. The timing matters too. CSK are set to open their IPL 2026 campaign against Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati, one of RR’s designated early home venues this season. As the new campaign approaches, CSK have chosen to begin not by looking ahead alone, but by first saluting the men who helped build the road to it.
