Chennai Super Kings are one of the biggest teams in the history of the cash-rich IPL. They won five IPL titles and two Champions League T20 trophies. The Yellow Army built a legacy that most teams can only dream of. When CSK are on song, they can tear any bowling attack apart.

Harbhajan Singh

But even the best have bad days. And on a few rare occasions, CSK’s batters have been completely outplayed. There have only been two times in IPL history when a bowler has taken a five-wicket haul against them. Just two. That tells you how tough it is to dominate CSK. But these two bowlers did it — and did it in style.

1) Sohail Tanvir - 6/14 vs CSK (2008)

The year was 2008. The very first IPL season. And Sohail Tanvir, the left-arm pacer from Pakistan, delivered one of the most brutal spells ever seen in the league. He was playing for Rajasthan Royals and completely wrecked CSK with figures of 6 for 14.

Tanvir’s bowling was sharp, unpredictable, and just too good on the day. He got early breakthroughs, kept the pressure on, and never let CSK settle. Chennai could only manage 109 runs. Rajasthan chased it down easily in 14.2 overs, with eight wickets in hand. Tanvir also took two catches in the match. He walked away with the Man of the Match award, and rightfully so. That spell still stands as one of the best in IPL history.

2) Harbhajan Singh - 5/18 vs CSK (2011)

In 2011, it was Harbhajan Singh who turned the game on its head. Playing for Mumbai Indians, Bhajji spun a web around CSK’s batters. He bowled with control, clever changes in pace, and plenty of confidence.

His final figures were 5 wickets for just 18 runs. Every time CSK looked like getting going, Harbhajan had an answer. CSK were chasing 165 but fell short by just 8 runs. It was Harbhajan’s spell that made the difference. That performance is still remembered by fans, especially because CSK rarely crumbles like that.

Both spells came in high-pressure games and against a team known for its depth and experience. For Tanvir and Harbhajan to do what they did takes serious skill. And those two performances are now etched in IPL folklore as the rare times someone truly tamed the Chennai Super Kings.