IPL Winners List: The Ultimate Year-by-Year Guide (2008-2025)
The Evolution of the Indian Premier League
Eighteen years ago, the launch of the IPL in 2008 introduced the T20 format in an unprecedented style on the horizon of cricket. It took cricket from the shadows of traditional formats like One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Test matches to the modern, fast-paced dynamics of the shortest format. Combining unmatched glamour with highly competitive cricket, the IPL quickly established itself as a league in a class of its own.
The tournament started with eight teams in the inaugural edition in 2008. Over the years, the composition of the league shifted; it was increased to ten teams before being reduced to nine in 2013. In 2016, the tournament returned to an eight-team format. The temporary suspensions of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) led to the temporary addition of Gujarat Lions (GL) and Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS).
Later, the return of CSK and RR marked the exit of GL and RPS, and the tournament continued with eight teams until 2021. From 2022 onwards, the league expanded once again to a 10-team tournament. While some franchises have dominated the competition throughout these 18 years, others had to wait nearly two decades to lift their first-ever trophy. Here is the complete year-by-year breakdown of the champions.
The Complete Year-by-Year IPL Winners List: 2008 to 2025
2008 – Rajasthan Royals
Led by the legendary Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals were widely considered the underdogs in the IPL’s inaugural edition in 2008. Their campaign started on a rough note with a nine-wicket defeat against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). However, they bounced back spectacularly, winning 11 and losing only three of their 14 league matches.
They avenged their early-stage defeat against the Daredevils with a massive 105-run victory in the first semi-final. In the grand finale, the Royals defeated CSK by three wickets in a last-ball thriller to become the first-ever IPL champions.
2009 – Deccan Chargers
After a disappointing bottom-of-the-table finish in the inaugural season, the Deccan Chargers made a remarkable comeback in the second edition, held in South Africa. They secured a spot in the semi-finals on net run rate, having registered seven wins and seven defeats in their 14 league matches, finishing level on points with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings).
In the first semi-final, the Chargers defeated the table-topping Delhi Daredevils by six wickets. They then faced the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in a tense final, winning by a narrow margin of six runs to secure the title.
2010 – Chennai Super Kings
After narrowly missing out on the title in 2008, the 2010 edition marked the beginning of Chennai Super Kings’ long-standing dominance. CSK had a roller-coaster league stage, qualifying for the knockouts with seven wins and seven defeats from their 14 games.
In the second semi-final, they outplayed the defending champions Deccan Chargers by 38 runs. CSK then secured their first-ever IPL title by defeating the Mumbai Indians (MI) by 22 runs in the final, initiating one of the tournament’s most iconic rivalries.
2011 – Chennai Super Kings
The 2011 season saw back-to-back dominance from Chennai Super Kings. The reigning champions finished second in the league stage with nine wins and five defeats. This edition was also historic as it introduced the ‘playoff’ system (Qualifiers and Eliminator) instead of the traditional semi-finals.
CSK defeated RCB by six wickets in the first qualifier to seal a direct spot in the final. RCB later defeated MI in the second qualifier to set up a rematch, but CSK proved too strong in the title clash, securing consecutive titles. Led by MS Dhoni, they became the first franchise to defend their IPL crown successfully.
2012 – Kolkata Knight Riders
Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) enjoyed an outstanding campaign in 2012, finishing second in the league stage with 10 wins, five defeats, and one no-result game out of 16 matches. KKR defeated the Delhi Capitals by 18 runs in the first qualifier to book their final berth.
They faced Chennai Super Kings in the final, who were making their third consecutive final appearance. KKR successfully chased down a steep target to win by five wickets, stopping CSK’s quest for a title hat-trick.
2013 – Mumbai Indians
The 2013 season was a year of transition for the Mumbai Indians, as Ricky Ponting stepped down from captaincy midway through the tournament, handing over the reins to Rohit Sharma. The change worked wonders as MI finished second in the league stage with 11 wins and five defeats.
MI beat CSK by 48 runs in the first qualifier to reach the final. Facing the same opponents in the summit clash, MI secured a 23-run victory to claim their maiden IPL title, while CSK suffered their fifth defeat in a final.
2014 – Kolkata Knight Riders
After failing to defend their title in 2013, KKR returned to championship form in 2014. Under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy, the team finished second in the league stage with nine wins and five defeats.
They defeated Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs in the first qualifier. In a high-scoring final, KKR chased down a massive target against the same opponents to win by three wickets, clinching their second IPL title in three years.
2015 – Mumbai Indians
The 2015 season highlighted the absolute dominance of CSK and MI, who finished at the top of the points table with 18 and 16 points respectively. MI defeated CSK by 25 runs in the first qualifier, but CSK bounced back by defeating RCB in the second qualifier by three wickets to setup another blockbuster final.
In the final, Mumbai Indians replicated their 2013 performance, dominating CSK to secure a comprehensive 41-run victory and lift their second IPL trophy.
2016 – Sunrisers Hyderabad
With Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals suspended, the 2016 season welcomed Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants. However, it was David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) that stole the spotlight. Finishing third in the league stage with eight wins and six defeats, SRH had to take the long route to the final.
They defeated KKR by 22 runs in the Eliminator and then beat Gujarat Lions by four wickets in the second qualifier. In the final, SRH edge past RCB in an absolute run-fest, winning by eight runs to claim their first title. They became the first team in IPL history to win the trophy after playing in the Eliminator match.
2017 – Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians dominated the 2017 season, finishing as table toppers with 10 wins and four defeats. MI faced Rising Pune Supergiants in the first qualifier and secured their spot in the final with a 20-run win.
In the final, they met the Supergiants once again. In a low-scoring thriller that went down to the final delivery, Mumbai Indians held their nerve to win by just one run, becoming the first franchise to win three IPL titles.
2018 – Chennai Super Kings
The 11th edition of the IPL marked the emotional return of Chennai Super Kings after a two-year suspension. MS Dhoni’s men made an immediate impact, finishing second in the league stage with nine wins and five defeats.
After a narrow two-wicket win against SRH in the first qualifier, CSK faced them again in the final. A brilliant century in the chase guided CSK to an easy eight-wicket victory, matching Mumbai Indians’ record of three IPL titles.
2019 – Mumbai Indians
The 2019 season was another battle for supremacy between MI and CSK. Both teams finished at the top of the table with 18 points each, recording identical win-loss records in the league stage.
MI defeated CSK by six wickets in the first qualifier. CSK then beat the Delhi Capitals in the second qualifier to set up yet another final. In an incredibly tense final, MI defeated CSK by a single run to lift their fourth IPL title, once again becoming the most successful team in the tournament’s history.
2020 – Mumbai Indians
Played under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition was suspended midway through the year and resumed in October and November. Mumbai Indians asserted absolute dominance, topping the league stage with nine wins and five defeats.
They defeated the Delhi Capitals by 57 runs in the first qualifier, and later cruised to a comfortable five-wicket victory over the same opponents in the final with eight balls to spare, claiming their fifth IPL title.
2021 – Chennai Super Kings
The pendulum swung back to Chennai Super Kings in 2021. After finishing second in the league stage with nine wins and five defeats, CSK defeated the Delhi Capitals by four wickets in the first qualifier to book their final spot.
In the final against Kolkata Knight Riders, the Super Kings produced a disciplined performance to win by 27 runs, adding a fourth IPL title to their legendary cabinet.
2022 – Gujarat Titans
The introduction of two new franchises in 2022 completely shook up the league, and the newly formed Gujarat Titans (GT) shocked everyone. Led by Hardik Pandya, GT topped the league table with 10 wins and four defeats in their debut season.
They beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the first qualifier, and repeated the exact same result in the final, winning by seven wickets to claim the title in their historic maiden season.
2023 – Chennai Super Kings
The defending champions Gujarat Titans dominated the league stage once again, finishing at the top of the table. However, they were closely followed by Chennai Super Kings, who finished second with eight wins, five defeats, and one no-result match.
CSK defeated GT by 15 runs in the first qualifier. The final turned into an absolute classic, where Ravindra Jadeja hit a boundary off the final delivery in a rain-affected match to seal a five-wicket win. With this victory, CSK equalled Mumbai Indians with five IPL titles.
2024 – Kolkata Knight Riders
After a decade-long wait, Kolkata Knight Riders returned to the pinnacle of the IPL in 2024. They dominated the league stage, finishing first with nine wins and three defeats. KKR defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the first qualifier.
In the final, KKR completely outclassed SRH once again, winning by the same eight-wicket margin to lift their third IPL trophy.
2025 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru
For 17 years and 18 editions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had come close to glory but always missed out under extreme pressure. However, the 2025 season became the year of redemption for RCB. They finished second in the league stage with nine wins, four defeats, and one no-result match.
RCB defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by eight wickets in the first qualifier, and then held their nerve in a thrilling final to defeat them again by six runs. This historic victory marked RCB’s first-ever IPL title, sparking wild celebrations among their incredibly loyal fanbase.
