IPL Story: Indian Premier League: Cricket is called a gentleman’s game, and there’s no shortage of passion in this sport. Cricket is not played in many countries, but only a handful have teams participating in global cricket competitions. Cricket is England’s national sport, and Lord’s is known as the “Mecca of Cricket.” Initially, the game was played in the Test format, where two teams faced each other for six days. Over time, new formats of cricket emerged, and now the T20 format is the most watched worldwide. Given the popularity of T20, the International Cricket Council (ICC) began organizing a World Cup in this format in 2007.
India won the first edition of the T20 World Cup under the captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni.The craze for cricket in India is no secret, and spectators of all age groups are interested in the game. In response to this popularity and craze for cricket, the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) launched the IPL (Indian Premier League). The IPL began operations on April 18, 2008, and quickly became the world’s most expensive and largest cricket league. As of last year, the IPL has completed 15 seasons, with its 16th season scheduled for 2023.
The BCCI invests generously in this world’s largest cricket league, and viewership continues to grow year after year. The IPL’s first season received tremendous support worldwide, with many prominent cricket stars participating. Key IPL matches have set new viewership records. Online streaming also sees record viewership. It’s even said that the IPL has forced the film industry to postpone or postpone the release dates of upcoming movies.
How IPL (Indian Premier League) Became Such a Big Brand
As we’ve already mentioned, IPL is the most-watched cricket league in the world, so it’s obvious that its brand value will be quite substantial. According to media reports, the IPL’s brand value was estimated at approximately $8.4 billion in 2022. In Indian currency, this figure is over 68,000 crore rupees. In 2023, the first week of IPL Season 16’s viewership broke the record for the entire season 15. This season, Jio Cinema holds the rights to the digital broadcast of the IPL and garnered 1.47 billion viewers in the first week itself.
As you can imagine, with such a large audience, Jio Cinema is not charging any subscription fees to watch IPL matches, as it generates substantial advertising revenue from these viewers. IPL matches are held in large, modern stadiums across the country, and the number of spectators is higher every year. Even tickets for major matches are sold out in advance because the craze for this league is in itself insane.
How did the IPL begin? What was Lalit Modi’s idea?
You might be surprised to learn that Lalit Modi, not the BCCI, is the brain behind the IPL. While studying college at Duke University, Lalit Modi closely observed the operation of American professional sports leagues and conceived the idea of creating such a professional league. To realize this idea, in 1996, he even negotiated with ESPN about broadcasting matches. At that time, his plan focused on a 50-over format. He created a league with eight franchise teams, which was then named the Indian Cricket League. The BCCI also approved Lalit Modi’s idea.
Everything was going well, and Lalit Modi had even invested a large sum of money in the league, but a controversy thwarted the entire plan. A senior BCCI official allegedly demanded a bribe from Lalit Modi, and Lalit Modi’s refusal resulted in the BCCI closing the doors to the Indian Cricket League, ending the league’s plans. Lalit Modi had made significant investments in this process, which were lost along with the plan.
In 2007, the BCCI granted $25 million, marking the birth of the IPL.
By 2007, cricket, like the rest of the world, was growing rapidly, and its T20 format had taken the sporting world by storm. Seeing the 20-20 format’s massive fan following, Lalit Modi modified his idea slightly and decided to launch a T20 league called the Indian Premier League. This time, his plan (the story of the IPL) was not thwarted, as he himself held the position of BCCI Vice President at the time. Lalit Modi wasted no time in implementing his idea in 2007 and secured BCCI President Sharad Pawar’s approval of the league. At Sharad Pawar’s initiative, the BCCI also granted Lalit Modi a conditional $25 million to prepare player contracts for the IPL.
On September 12, 2007, Lalit Modi launched the IPL league in Delhi in the presence of legendary players like Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Stephen Fleming, and Glenn McGrath. During the launch, Lalit Modi explained in detail how the IPL would be played. He announced the IPL without finalizing the arrangements for teams and players, or the broadcasting process, because he knew his idea had potential and would be a superhit.
What has changed since the IPL’s inception?
Many things changed from IPL Season 1 to Season 16. Teams were redesigned, and some teams were banned. Initially, the IPL featured eight franchises, but from Season 15, the number of teams was increased to 10. The IPL has been held outside India twice. The second season of the IPL was played in South Africa in 2009, and the 2014 IPL was held in the UAE. Both times, this cricketing extravaganza was held outside the country due to general elections, but there was no shortage of spectators abroad. However, the IPL faced a dark period when the match-fixing scandal engulfed it, implicating several prominent players.
Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings were banned for two years in 2015. This action was taken after spot-fixing and betting activities were discovered during the 2013 IPL season. In IPL Season 6, three Indian players—Ankeet Chavan, S. Sreesanth, and Ajit Chandila—were banned for life after being found guilty of spot-fixing. All three players were part of the Rajasthan Royals team. The case later reached the Supreme Court.
IPL Franchise Teams
The IPL’s first season began in 2008 with eight franchise teams, and in IPL Season 16, 10 teams are playing. Delhi Capitals, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants and Gujarat Titans are competing for the title this season. Let us tell you, earlier in the years 2012 and 2013, nine teams each played in the IPL and in 2010, 10 teams participated in this league. Last year in 2022, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants joined the IPL as new teams.
Big Bollywood celebrities like Preity Zinta, Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla have also bought IPL franchise teams. While Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla own Kolkata Knight Riders, Preity Zinta is the owner of Punjab Kings. Nita Ambani, wife of the country’s biggest businessman Mukesh Ambani, is the owner of IPL team Mumbai Indians. They are often seen cheering on the field during their respective matches. (Story of IPL)
Which teams have won the IPL title so far?
In the IPL, Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians and Captain Cool (Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s) Chennai Super Kings have dominated the tournament. Together, the two teams have won a total of nine titles. The Mumbai Indians have won the IPL trophy five times. (Story of IPL) The Mumbai Indians won the title in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Meanwhile, the Chennai Super Kings won the IPL trophy in 2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) also won the IPL in 2012 and 2014.
Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Deccan Chargers have each won the IPL once. Notably, the Gujarat Titans, which joined the IPL in 2022, achieved a remarkable feat by winning the title in their very first season. Captained by Hardik Pandya, the team performed brilliantly throughout Season 15 and emerged victorious. Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore are still awaiting their IPL title.
IPL Winners List (2008-2025) Find out the champions, runner-up teams, and the venue of each IPL final match
Latest Update: The final match of the TATA IPL 2025 took place on June 3, 2025, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) triumphed over the Punjab Kings (PBKS) to claim their inaugural IPL title. Following their earlier victory against PBKS in Qualifier 1, RCB demonstrated their superiority once more in the final, achieving a momentous win and concluding an 18-year quest for the prestigious IPL trophy.
IPL Story: Most IPL Trophy Victories by Teams (2008–2025) Here is a brief overview of the most successful IPL franchises according to the number of titles secured:
Which Team Has Secured the Most IPL Titles?
As of 2025, the Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are tied for the highest number of IPL trophies, each having won five titles. In the next position, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have achieved three IPL championships, with their latest victory occurring in IPL 2024.
Other teams that have won a single IPL title include:
- Gujarat Titans (GT)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)
- Rajasthan Royals (RR)
- Royal Challengers Bangalore
- The now-defunct Deccan Chargers (DC)
Who Claimed the IPL 2025 Title?
The final of IPL 2025, which took place on June 3, 2025, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, marked a significant occasion as the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) triumphed over Punjab Kings (PBKS) to secure their inaugural IPL title. After 18 seasons of anticipation, RCB finally broke their title drought, creating history and bringing joy to countless fans who had eagerly awaited this moment.
IPL 2025 Awards
Who Secured the IPL 2024 Title?
The champions of IPL 2024 are the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who achieved their third title with a dominant display against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final held at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. KKR dismissed SRH for a mere 113 runs — the lowest score ever recorded in an IPL final — and successfully chased down the target with a comprehensive team effort.
Who Claimed the IPL 2023 Title?
IPL Story: The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious in the IPL 2023 final by defeating Gujarat Titans (GT) in a thrilling match. CSK successfully chased the target, finishing with five wickets remaining, thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s remarkable six and four on the final two deliveries. This victory marked CSK’s fifth IPL title, equaling the record set by the Mumbai Indians.
- Orange Cap (Most Runs): Shubman Gill (GT) – 890 runs in 17 matches
- Purple Cap (Most Wickets): Mohammed Shami (GT) – 28 wickets
- Prize Money: ₹20 crore for the winners (CSK), ₹13 crore for the runners-up (GT)
IPL Story: On one hand, before the start of the IPL season, teams spend money like water in the auction of players, similarly, the winners of the IPL league are also given a huge amount of money as prize money. The winning team of IPL is given a prize of 20 crores and the runner-up team is given a prize of 13 crores. The third and fourth qualifying teams are given a prize of 7 crores each.
In the first season of IPL, the prize money for the winner was 12 crores rupees, which was increased to 20 crores in the year 2019. Apart from this, many other prizes are also given to the players based on their performance. See the list of special awards and their prize money:
1. Purple Cap Winner – 1.5 million
2. Orange Cap Winner – 1.5 million
3. Super Striker of the Season – 1.5 million
4. Most Sixes in the Season – 1.2 million
5. Power Player of the Season – 1.2 million
6. Most Valuable Player – 1.2 million
7. Game Changer of the Season – 1.2 million
8. Emerging Player of the Season – 2 million.
5 New Rules Implemented in IPL Season 16, Will Affect Teams
It should be noted that starting in 2023, some special rules have been implemented in the IPL, such as the Impact Player Rule, DRS review for wide/no ball, teams will be required to announce their playing 11 after the toss, a dead ball will be issued for an unfair moment, and slow over rates will be punished in the match itself. While all these new rules have increased the excitement of the league and the game, they have also tightened the screws on teams that show laxity on the field.
So this was the history of the IPL and the journey of this greatest cricket league so far. Please let us know what you thought of this information by commenting or emailing us. For the latest and interesting news related to IPL and cricket, stay connected with our blog www.cricketeros.com and learn all the latest news from the world of cricket. (Story of IPL)
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