Chennai posted 154-7 from their 20 overs, with Moeen Ali top scoring with 48 runs, and the Sunrisers surpassed the target with 14 balls remaining to pick up their first win of the season.
Abhishek Sharma played a key role for the Sunrisers with 75 off 50 balls, while Kane Williamson (32), Rahul Tripathi (39 not out) and Nicholas Pooran (five no) also chipped in.
Put in to bat first, the Super Kings had lost the wickets of Robin Uthappa (15) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (16) within the powerplay, and their innings was rather stop-start throughout.
Moeen aside, the struggling defending champions could not find any rhythm as Thangarasu Natarajan (2-30) and Washington Sundar (2-21) helped restrict them to a gettable target.
Mukesh Choudhary gave the Super Kings hope when making a breakthrough with the wicket of Williamson, but Sharma cut down the gap between runs required and balls remaining.
The opener led the chase with a first IPL half-century before being dismissed in the 18th over, by which time he and Tripathi had already done much of the damage.
Tripathi finished off the run chase in style by hitting a four off Dwayne Bravo to get the Sunrisers off the mark for the campaign.
Sharma shakes it up
Sharma has come under pressure as an opener but more than delivered here, with his 75 runs consisting of five fours and three maximums.
He will be disappointed with the manner of his exit with just 10 runs required for victory, the young all-rounder caught by Chris Jordan when trying to hit a huge one.
Super Kings lose again
Defending champions CSK have lost their first four IPL matches for only the second time, with the other instance coming in 2010 when, impressively, they went on to win the title.
On the basis of their displays so far, it will take some doing to repeat that feat of 12 years ago.
MI restricted CSK to 114 for 9, a total largely due to a defiant 52 from all-rounder Sam Curran. Trent Boult took career-best figures of 4 for 18 and Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Chahar each took two wickets to destroy CSK’s batting. Pollard bowled one over for four runs.
Requiring a run-rate of less than six runs an over, Player of the Match Ishan Khan smashed an unbeaten 37-ball 68 and Quinton de Kock, a 37-ball 46, in an unbroken stand of 116 to take MI to a historic 10-wicket victory.
It was the first time CSK had been beaten by 10 wickets since the IPL began in 2008.
Pollard, who assumed duties as captain after Rohit Sharma was sidelined by a hamstring injury, praised his team’s performance.
“We wanted to bowl them out under 100 but Sam batted well. I think it was a total team effort. Two-three wickets early put you in the game and to get 4-5 is fantastic. And then the openers going out and finishing off and not leaving any uncertainty was good,” Pollard said during his post-game interview.
He indicated that MI has a specific goal in mind as they aim for a fifth IPL title.
“We want to finish top two and it's a matter of getting the points and then think about the opponents,” he said indicating that the team wants to play even better.
“There's always room for improvement, myself making some mistakes on the field, guys not being aware in certain situations. Maybe it's not technical, but it's things you need to speak about.”
Asked if he enjoyed being captain, Pollard, who earlier this year led the Trinbago Knight Riders to their fourth CPL title said: “Sometimes you don't actually have to be a leader to be a leader, I know a thing or two. So it was just a matter of me stepping in and it came off tonight. It was just matter of making right decisions, not giving them freebies.”
England's Test captain has signed for Chennai Super Kings with the IPL season starting on March 31, ahead of the Ashes getting underway on June 16 in Birmingham.
Stokes struggled with his left knee in England's Test defeat to New Zealand in Wellington, where he could only bowl two overs while batting for 33 runs on the final day.
But McCullum has no concerns.
"I don't think he's jeopardising the Ashes. The skipper has a strong mind, and he knows how to get right for the big moments," he told reporters.
"In fact I look forward to watching him play for Chennai, and see him play cricket without the captaincy and having to worry about everyone else.
"We know when he comes back to us, he'll have that bit between his teeth. I also believe the Ashes is the script the skipper is waiting to write."
Stokes has delivered in huge moments for England, from starring in their 2019 World Cup victory to stunning Australia in a famous Ashes Test at Headingley when the series was last played on English soil four years ago.
He also scored an unbeaten 52 to propel England to victory at the T20 World Cup last year and has become the quickest Test captain to reach 10 wins.
At Chennai, he will play under head coach Stephen Fleming, who was once New Zealand team-mates with McCullum.
"I've got a tee-time with him, so I'll be making sure he looks after the skipper," said McCullum of Fleming.
"Chennai have a very good set-up, and they have an outstanding leader in Flem. He sees the big picture in everything, so I've no concerns."
Australia won the last Ashes 4-0 but after developing a distinct style of play since McCullum's appointment, England look primed to take the fight to the tourists.
"This team has grown over the last eight or nine months," McCullum added. "I think the players have become more at ease with how we're playing, and it's become more authentic.
"Our style certainly does give us the best chance of being able to topple a good Australian side.
"We know it won't be easy but with eight or nine months development of that style under our belts, we should be hard to beat. Bring it on!"
Stokes, who succeeded Joe Root to become England's Test captain last year, has implemented an aggressive approach and has led the side to 10 wins out of 12 since taking charge.
England have not won an Ashes series against Australia since 2015, but their skipper has promised not to deviate from this new style when they face the top-ranked Test side.
"I'm not going to change anything just because it's the Ashes," Stokes told Sky Sports.
"I'm not going to change for anything or any situation, because then I'm not being true to myself and what I've done over the last year.
"Every player knows the Ashes is where everything ramps up a bit – pressure, exposure, all kinds of stuff – but we'll just keep sticking to what we do.
"If you plan for negativity, it is inevitable it is going to happen."
English pitches have notoriously been prepared to suit their swing bowlers, but the England captain revealed he has now requested flatter pitches to help benefit their swashbuckling batting approach and abundance of fast-bowling talent.
"We want fast, flat wickets. We want to go out there and score quickly," he said. "I'm smiling because I'm looking forward to it.
"I think having the option to have someone who can bowl above 90 miles per hour is what any captain wants.
"Hold me to it. Every game I play this summer will be to produce a result."
Stokes is close to knowing his XI for the first Test and has been boosted by his own fitness after concerns about his knee after England's Test series in New Zealand.
The all-rounder bowled himself sparingly in that series and has not played for Chennai Super Kings in their last two IPL games but said he is now bowling "pain-free" for the first time in over a year.
"I've worked so hard over the last month, five weeks, to get where I am now," he said.
"That's down to a lot of hard work I've done – medically, in the gym, and I obviously had a bit of help with some cortisone injections.
"The main priority for me is making sure that I can fulfil my role as fourth seamer in the Ashes.
"I've had some good conversations with the people who are employed to look after us, body-wise. I said I'll be doing everything I can whilst I'm in India to make sure that when we get to the Ashes, I'll give myself the best opportunity to do my role."
Fleming is without Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh, who opted out of the tournament that has been moved to the UAE amid the on-going effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Deepak Chahar also tested positive for COVID-19, along with several members of support staff, while a number of Fleming's first-choice personnel - the likes of Shane Watson, MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu - are short of competitive action due to the wider realities of 2020.
"It has been different, and that's been part of the challenge - understanding the unknown," Fleming said.
"We didn't get off to a great start, with some positive COVID-19 cases, but I think we dealt with it very well.
"We were calm around our approach, looked after the players and staff very well, and the rest of the players were calm in the hotel room. There was a bit of anxiety wanting to get out and train.
"It is what it is, and the players dealt with it very well. In hindsight, the amount of pre-season training that we've done up to now, and the extra few days in the room, was probably a blessing."
Mumbai's reasons for trepidation are more historically based.
The last time the IPL was moved to the UAE in 2014, they lost each of their five games.
"We didn't have a great experience last time yes, but it's a different team now," skipper Rohit Sharma said.
"The thought process is different. Six years is a lot of time. Like I said, it's about understanding pitches and conditions, that is crucial so we are putting a lot of emphasis on that.
"Eventually the pitches will play a big part, so understanding and adapting quickly is important. But yes, the past won't play any part - it was just myself, Kieron Pollard and Jasprit Bumrah from that team.
"I think Bumrah played just one game. So the team is different, the staff is different [and] thought process is different. Looking forward to a great IPL."
It has been a miserable season for 2021 champions Chennai, who sit in ninth place with only one game remaining.
While the Super Kings let themselves down with the bat last time out against Mumbai Indians, Ruturaj Gaikwad's 53 and Narayan Jagadeesan's 39 not out this time helped them to 133-5 from their 20 overs.
But the run rate was not quick enough, with Gaikwad's score coming from 49 balls while it took 33 for Jagadeesan to reach his total as the Titans bowlers, spearheaded by Mohammed Shami (2-19), stifled the defending champions.
Gujarat's chase started well, and it took until the start of the eighth over for Chennai to strike, with Matheesha Pathirana dismissing Shubman Gill for 18.
Moeen Ali sent Matthew Wade (20) packing four overs later, but much of the damage had been done, with the Titans having already chipped away 90.
Wriddhiman Saha anchored the innings with a wonderful 67 not out, and his ninth boundary sealed an ultimately comfortable victory with five balls to spare.
Saha shows the Super Kings how it is done
Though Gaikwad scored a half-century, the Chennai opener was only able to hit five boundaries. Saha kept up the pace in reply, hitting eight fours and one six, with his unbeaten 67 coming at a strike rate of 117.54.
Woeful title defence coming to a sorry close
It is now two defeats in a row for the Super Kings, who face Rajasthan Royals in their final match. Gujarat, meanwhile, could have a say in who comes with them into the play-offs, when they face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday.
Narine, who has struggled with the bat throughout this IPL, and fellow West Indian Russell were two of those who failed to deliver as Kolkata were bowled out in 20 overs for 167, a total that owed much to Rahul Tripathi's 81 as he repaid the decision to promote him to open.
Chennai were confident of chasing their modest target when Shane Watson (50) and Ambati Rayudu (30) made 69 for the second wicket.
However, some brilliant death bowling from Narine (1-31) and Russell (1-18) meant the Super Kings came up short with 157-5.
Kolkata were indebted to Tripathi's 51-ball knock, which included eight fours and three sixes, as their star-studded middle order for once failed to show up.
Narine, who had been opening, was dropped down to four but could only make 17, while Eoin Morgan (7) and Russell (2) had rare off-days as Dwayne Bravo (3-37) led the Super Kings' fine bowling display.
There was then a boundary in each of Chennai's first 10 overs and they were coasting when requiring 69 off the final 48 balls with nine wickets in hand.
Yet Narine - who bowled overs 12, 14, 16 and 19 - applied the handbrake, along with Russell, whose two-over figures would have look much better had Ravindra Jadeja not struck the final three balls of the innings for an ultimately frivolous 14.
BATTING SHAKE-UP PAYS OFF FOR KNIGHT RIDERS
Kolkata's problems in the early stages of the tournament were due to a lack of big scores, with top scorer Shubman Gill down in 13th in the IPL for runs.
However, Tripathi hit their highest individual score in their five games so far, and boy was it needed given the rest of the order's struggles.
BOUNDARY DROUGHT COSTS SUPER KINGS
At 90-1 at the halfway point, Chennai were cruising and required only 78 from 60.
However, they failed to find or clear the ropes across the next 33 deliveries and were then left needing 55 off 27. It was that barren patch in the middle of their reply that ultimately proved their undoing.
The Super Kings had managed just one win in their previous six games but belied that poor run of form with a fine all-round performance in Dubai.
Bangalore had the chance to go top of the table but a total of 145-6 was not enough, despite a defiant half-century from captain Virat Kohli and 39 from AB de Villiers.
Sam Curran claimed 3-19 while Mitchell Santner returned figures of 1-23 from his four overs, setting up the opportunity for Chennai's batsmen to deliver a much-needed result.
Ruturaj Gaikwad led the way at the top of the order, finishing up unbeaten on 65 not out after sharing stands worth 46 and 67 with Faf du Plessis (25) and Ambati Rayudu (39) respectively.
Skipper MS Dhoni made 19 not out as his side cruised to their target with eight balls to spare, a victory that moves them off the bottom of the standings.
SAM THE MAN FOR A CHALLENGE
In a difficult campaign, Curran has shone for the Super Kings. The England all-rounder has performed whatever role required efficiently and is now his franchise's leading wicket-taker in 2020.
His left-arm seam accounted for a trio of big names, as he dismissed Aaron Finch early on before returning to take out international team-mate Moeen Ali and the key wicket of Kohli in the 19th over.
CHENNAI OPEN TO CHANGE
Gaikwad recorded his maiden half-century in the Twenty20 tournament, producing a fluent 51-ball innings that included three sixes.
The right-hander, 23, completed the job in style, pulling a Chris Morris short ball over the boundary. It was a far cry from his previous knock too, having fallen for a duck against Mumbai Indians last time out.
Moeen Ali contributed with both bat and ball as the Super Kings proved far too strong for their opponents at the Wankhede Stadium.
The Royals had prevailed in four of their previous five games at the Mumbai ground - including last time out against Delhi Capitals in a thriller - but fell away badly in reply to Chennai's total of 188-9.
Jos Buttler provided the only innings of note from the top order in the run chase, making 49 from 35 deliveries with five fours and a pair of sixes.
Rajasthan were in contention at 87-2 in their reply, but Buttler's departure - bowled by Ravindra Jadeja - sparked a collapse that saw five wickets fall for eight runs. They finished up on 143-9.
Jadeja finished with 2-28 but fellow spinner Moeen was the pick of the attack, the England all-rounder taking 3-7 from his three overs having earlier made 26 in Chennai's innings.
Faf du Plessis top-scored with 33 as all the top five reached double figures, while the Super Kings demonstrated their strength in depth when Dwayne Bravo made 20 not out from number nine in the order.
Royals run into trouble
Despite a miserable overall record, Rajasthan had won back-to-back matches against Chennai. However, they were unable to equal their longest winning run against them.
Buttler did his best but there was little support from the rest of the top order, the Super Kings' spinners emphatically turning the game in their favour.
All-round balance helps Chennai
Moeen Ali is the only player to reach three figures for runs and also claim a wicket so far in the 2021 IPL season.
His signing by the Super Kings in the auction appears an astute piece of business, particularly as the left-handed batsman has capitalised on his opportunities to bat up the order.
The 36-year-old Bravo reported to the Super Kings IPL camp in Dubai with a knee injury, which he picked up during the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) earlier this month. The player has, however, since been cleared to return to the line-up but based on an agreement with the management team the West Indian will not be back in the lineup early.
So far, the Super Kings have already played three IPL games. In Bravo’s absence, Englishman Sam Curran has been performing the overseas allrounder's job well, for the moment.
Bravo made history during last month’s CPL after becoming the first player in history to take 500 T20 wickets. In addition, his Trinbago Knight Riders captured a fourth title on the back of an unbeaten season. Bravo, who leads the CPL with most wickets taken, is currently 5th on the list of most career wickets in the IPL with 147. The list is topped by Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga who has claimed 172. The West Indian, however, tops the list for most wickets claimed in a tournament, with 32, a feat he accomplished during the 2013 edition.
Hyderabad had won their previous outing, beating Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to snap a five-game losing run in the competition, but this was another poor performance during a disappointing season for the franchise.
They mustered just 134-7 from their 20 overs, with only Wriddhiman Saha managing more than 18 runs in a sub-par showing with the bat in Sharjah.
However, the Sunrisers still ran their opponents close in the end, Chennai left needing 16 off the final two overs despite strong showings from opening duo Ruturaj Gaikwad (45) and Faf du Plessis (41).
However, 40-year-old MS Dhoni rolled back the years to finish the game in style, smashing a six to secure the victory with two balls to spare.
Super Kings bolster impressive record
Chennai have now won eight of their last 10 matches against the Sunrisers. This latest success was built on a solid team bowling performance, one which was led by Australia fast bowler Josh Hazlewood (3-24).
Saha show not quite enough
While he was on the losing side, Saha certainly cannot be blamed for the defeat. He made nearly a third of Hyderabad's runs on his own as he managed 44 from 46 deliveries, including a pair of sixes, but received little support from the rest of the top order.
The 19-year-old Garg top scored with an unbeaten 51 off 26 balls after the Sunrisers' top-order stars failed to fire.
Garg and 20-year-old Abhishek Sharma (31 from 24) put on 77 for the fifth wicket in seven overs to get David Warner's side up to 164-5, Deepak Chahar taking 2-31.
That proved to be enough for Sunrisers to secure back-to-back victories and move up to fourth, as bottom side CSK fell short on 157-5 - slumping to a third loss in a row for the first time since 2014.
Ravindra Jadeja (50 from 35) struck a first IPL half-century and MS Dhoni finished 47 not out, but the Super Kings remain on one victory in a poor start to the tournament.
They needed 28 off the last over to pull off an unlikely win and although Abdul Samad started with five wides and Sam Curran finished the match with a six, Chennai were unable to avoid another defeat.
Rashid Khan conceded just 12 runs from his four overs, but Sunrisers' win came at a cost as Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffered a thigh injury.
YOUNG GUNS STEP UP FOR SUNRISERS
Jonny Bairstow was cleaned up by an inswinger from Chahar without scoring in the first over and Sunrisers were 69-4 after 11 overs when Kane Williamson was run out.
With Warner (28) and Manish Pandey also back in the pavilion, it was left to Garg and Sharma to come to the rescue.
Garg hit a six and found the rope six times, while Sharma - who only turned 20 last month - also struck a maximum and another four boundaries as the young guns delivered for Sunrisers.
There was another memorable moment for man of the match Garg when his throw saw the back of the dangerous Faf du Plessis, run out for 22.
RASHID TURNS THE SCREW, CONCERN FOR KUMAR
Leg-spin sensation Rashid starred with 3-14 in a victory over Delhi Capitals last time out and he delivered again.
The Afghanistan tweaker did not add to his wicket tally for the tournament, but his 16 dot balls were the most in an innings in the 2020 edition of the tournament.
Only Sheldon Cottrell (47), Jasprit Bumrah (47) and Mohammad Shami (42) have bowled more deliveries without conceding a run in the opening four matches of the IPL than Rashid, who has racked up 41 dots.
The injury to Kumar in the penultimate over is a cause for concern for Warner's in-form side, though.
DHONI AND JADEJA MILESTONES NO CONSOLATION
Captain Dhoni and Jadeja reached milestones with the bat, but that would be no consolation for the experienced duo.
Dhoni moved to the 4,500-run mark in the IPL and Jadeja has 2,000 under his belt, yet their knocks were not enough to pick up much needed points.
Gaikwad scored 92 from 50 balls at Narendra Modi Stadium, tallying up the third-highest score in an IPL season opener, after Brendon McCullum's 158 in 2008 and Rohit Sharma's 98 in 2015.
The Super Kings reached 178-7 from their 20 overs, with captain MS Dhoni hitting an unbeaten 14 from seven balls in the closing stages of their innings.
Titans debutant Kane Williamson suffered a knee injury while fielding and was unable to bat, but Gujarat made a strong start, reaching 37 from the first 23 deliveries before Wriddhiman Saha succumbed to Rajvardhan Hangargekar (3-36).
Shubman Gill (63) expertly anchored the innings, though Chennai looked well placed to push on for victory when Tushar Deshpande dismissed the opener in the 15th over, following on from Sai Sudharsan and Hardik Pandya losing their wickets.
Their chances of victory looked greater still when the dangerous Vijay Shankar (27 from 21) was brilliantly caught out by Mitchell Santner, leaving the Titans requiring 30 from 18 balls.
Yet an expensive over from Deepak Chahar saw Rashid Khan add 10 runs in the space of two deliveries, and similar slackness from Hangargekar enabled Rahul Tewatia to seal victory.
Gaikwad and Gill the stars of the show
Gaikwad's exceptional 92 came at a strike rate of 184. His knock included nine sixes, with a further four shots hitting the rope.
Gill, though, provided the steady pair of hands needed to help push the Titans to victory. His 63 came at a S/R of 175, the second-highest in IPL history (minimum 25 runs).
Ton up for Shami
It was the Super Kings' death bowling that let them down, and they will rue an opportunity missed to claim their first win over the Titans.
The champions' bowlers did not perform brilliantly either, but Mohammed Shami's 2-29 saw him move onto 101 IPL wickets. He is the 15th Indian and 19th bowler overall to reach that milestone.
The former Australia all-rounder has decided to end his playing career after concluding his duties for the Chennai Super Kings at the 2020 Indian Premier League.
Watson - who scored 14 in his final appearance against Kolkata Knight Riders - played in 59 Tests, 190 one-dayers and 58 Twenty20 games during an international career that spanned 14 years.
Since his last appearance for Australia in 2016, the 39-year-old has been in action in T20 leagues around the world, including stints in the IPL, Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League.
"It all started out as a dream," Watson said in a video posted to his own YouTube channel. "As a young kid saying to my mum as I watched a Test match as a five-year-old, 'I want to play cricket for Australia'.
"Now as I officially announce my retirement from all cricket, I feel crazily lucky to have lived out my dream and then some.
"It really does feel like the right time knowing I played my last game of cricket ever for my beloved CSK who have been so incredibly good to me over the last three years.
"To think I'm finishing up my playing days as a 39-year-old after all of my injury setbacks along the way, I feel so ridiculously fortunate."
Watson scored four Test hundreds and averaged just over 40 in the ODI format, often batting at the top of the order for Australia.
The big-hitting right-hander starred for Chennai in the 2018 IPL final, smashing 117 not out to help the franchise secure a third title in their history.
He scored 299 runs at an average of 29.90 in this season's competition in Abu Dhabi, though was unable to help the Super Kings qualify for the play-offs.
