Chennai Super Kings' 2010 IPL final playing XI: Where are they now?

Chennai Super Kings have been the most successful side in Indian Premier League history by a notable distance. With an unparalleled win percentage of 61.56, three league titles, seven final appearances and two Champions League T20 triumphs, the Men in Yellow stand a mile ahead of the other IPL outfits.

After missing out on the trophy in the first two editions of the tournament, MS Dhoni and co. set out to challenge for it once again in 2010. Usually, CSK dominate and demolish opponents in every season consistently, but the third season of the much-celebrated IPL wasn't to be the same case.

They endured a massive roller-coaster ride before reaching the semi-final stage. They started the season with a loss to Deccan Chargers, before picking up two wins in a row. What followed then, was an absolute shocker. They lost four in a row and the knockout stages looked out of reach. There was a sense of disbelief and disorganization in the camp. To make matters worse, Dhoni had suffered from a thumb injury.

They then won five out of their next seven games. Fortunately, four sides finished the season with 14 points from 14 games, but with the healthiest NRR (net run rate), CSK ended the group stage at the 3rd place, which set up a semi-final encounter with Adam Gilchrist's Deccan Chargers.

In the final, they raised a few eyebrows by thrashing Mumbai Indians, who had been in destructive form all season, with 11 wins from 15 games until then.

Let us now take a look back at what the players from that IPL Final-winning XI are up to now:

Openers

Matthew Hayden - Retired

Hayden is arguably the most explosive opener to have ever played the game

One of the most prolific openers Australia has ever produced, Matthew Hayden was a stalwart batsman for CSK. He scored 346 that season in 16 matches, including a match-winning 93 with the famous Mongoose bat.

However, uncharacteristically, he only managed 17 runs off 31 balls in the final. He is currently a TV Analyst, who works for a host of sport channels. The 46-year-old also conducts match previews and does match commentary.

Murali Vijay - Chennai Super Kings

Murali Vijay alerted the selectors and announced himself in this edition of the IPL. When the chips were down, his innings of 79 and 127 on a trot helped Chennai pick up two wins.

He looked good in his short innings of 26 in the final but was dismissed by a slower ball from Dilhara Fernando. A full-fledged test cricketer now, Vijay plays for the same side in the IPL after short stints at Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab. Although opportunities were cut-short last season, the opening batsman was a part of the title-winning side.

Middle order & All-rounders

Suresh Raina - Chennai Super Kings

Raina is one of IPL's best batsman

Raina put up a man-of-the-match performance in the 2010 final, with a 35-ball 57. In 172 innings in the IPL, he has amassed a remarkable 4,985 runs. Last season too, he scored over 440 runs for the champions.

He might be out of the national side now, but the southpaw is a long-serving giant in the IPL. He forms the nucleus of the CSK side, along with the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni.

Subramaniam Badrinath - Retired

A solid middle-order batsman, Subramaniam took up the responsibility to score runs for CSK in the middle overs and keep the scoreboard ticking. In the 2010 season, he was Chennai's third highest run scorer, with 356 runs.

On 1st September 2018, he retired from all forms of cricket, after having played two tests for India.

MS Dhoni - Chennai Super Kings

A true leader

MS Dhoni, the name says it all. Well, this man needs no introduction. He is still going strong for Chennai and India in limited overs cricket. When he came under scrutiny for having lost his finishing touches, captain cool shut his critics by piling up 455 runs at a strike rate of over 150. He lifted his third IPL trophy this year.

Albie Morkel - Free agent

Morkel was Chennai's genuine all-rounder for many years. In he 2010 season, he scored 198 runs and claimed 11 scalps in 14 matches. In the final, he finished off CSK's innings on a high, with 15 of 6 balls.

Albie Morkel is not a player in the IPL at the moment, having last featured for the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016.

Aniruddha Srikkanth - Free agent

Anirudha Srikkanth is without a team in the IPL, having gone unsold in the previous auction. In the 2010 season, he only scored 30 runs in four matches. He previously played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad a couple of years ago.

Bowlers

Ravichandran Ashwin - Kings XI Punjab

Ashwin in the ongoing test series against England

Ashwin broke into the scene in 2010 due to his accurate, economical bowling. He also earned praise for his carrom ball. That season, he outfoxed opposition batsmen 12 times.

Presently, he is the captain for the Kings XI Punjab, who bought him in the 2018 auction.

Shadab Jakati - Free agent - Politician cum first-class cricketer

Shadab Jakati was one of the rising stars of IPL 2009. Utilizing the spin-friendly South African tracks, he earned 13 wickets. For the next couple of seasons, he remained a regular in the CSK camp.

After promising displays in the Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy in 2016, he was purchased by RCB. However, lack of opportunities meant that no franchise picked him up in the 2018 auction. Interestingly, the left-arm spinner also joined a regional party in Goa in 2016.

Muttiah Muralitharan - Retired - Bowling coach of SRH

Muttiah Muralitharan in training

Muttiah Muralitharan is regarded as one of the best spinners on the planet. In the 2010 season, he had 15 wickets to his name, at a very acceptable economy of 6.85. In the final, he finished with 1-17 from his quota of four overs.

He is presently the bowling coach for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Under his stewardship, the Orange Army grew to become the best bowling side in IPL 2016.

Doug Bollinger - Retired

Doug Bollinger was one of the finds of the season in 2010. Due to his ability to generate pace and bounce, the Aussie was responsible for the team's turnaround of fortunes. With best figures of 4 for 13, he finished the term with 12 wickets from just 8 games.

In the final, he sent the dangerous Shikhar Dhawan back to the pavilion for a duck. Since 2012, he hadn't been a part of the Indian T20 festival. He announced his retirement from all forms of cricket earlier in February this year.