New Delhi: Since the inception of Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings not only emerged as one of the most popular franchises among fans, but also one of the most dominating T20 squads in world cricket.
Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the yellow brigade became a force to reckon with by producing remarkable performances year after year.
Unfortunately, their dream run came to an abrupt end, when CSK, along with Rajasthan Royals were banned for two years – 2016 and 2017 seasons – for betting activities of their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra during the 2013 season.
The punishment was handed down by a Supreme Court-appointed three-member committee headed by former chief justice of India RM Lodha
Despite the ban, the CSK think tank was pretty active on social media and continued to receive massive support from their fans all across the country.
Much to the delight of the fans and the management, Chennai's two-year ban ended on Thursday.
The franchise posted an emotional message on Twitter on Friday which read, "Super Morning, Lions! The wait is finally over. Time to rise and shine! #CSKReturns #whistlepodu."
Super Morning, Lions! The wait is finally over. Time to rise and shine! #CSKReturns #whistlepodu pic.twitter.com/qmD3zAuN3z
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) July 14, 2017
CSK fans were all over Twitter celebrating their team's comeback. Here are some of the reactions:
One family
One team
One love
One Captain
Love you CSK#WhistlePodu #CSKtillidie— Shiva (@shiv4747) July 14, 2017
The Wait is finally over! @ChennaiIPL Returns. #CSKReturns pic.twitter.com/lbARTbrZdL
— Shenick Dhoni Jain (@Sjdhoni) July 14, 2017
The Chennai Super Kings are back in the IPL and so are the Whistles #CSKReturns @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/dnTQPzUuF5
— Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) July 14, 2017
CSK are two-time IPL winners having won the cash-rich tournament in 2010 and 2011.
The franchise has produced some of the tournament's most consistent performers in Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.