IPL winners list from 2008 to 2025: Ultimate History of Champions
The Evolution of the Indian Premier League
Eighteen years ago, the launch of the IPL in 2008 revolutionized the global cricket landscape by introducing the T20 format in an unprecedented style. It shifted cricket from traditional ODI and Test structures to the fast-paced, high-glamour dynamics of the shortest format. Over the years, the tournament’s structure adapted, starting with eight teams in 2008, expanding to ten, temporarily adjusting during suspensions, and stabilizing as a ten-team league from 2022 onwards.
While some franchises have established absolute dominance, others have fought for over a decade to claim their maiden glory. Below is the detailed breakdown of the champions who have defined the league’s history.
The Complete Champions: Season-by-Season Breakdown
2008 – Rajasthan Royals
Led by the legendary Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals entered the inaugural IPL season as heavy underdogs. After an opening defeat to the Delhi Daredevils, they rebounded spectacularly, winning 11 of their remaining 14 league matches. They exacted revenge on Delhi in the semi-finals with a massive 105-run victory and went on to defeat the Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in a thrilling final to become the first-ever IPL champions.
2009 – Deccan Chargers
After a disappointing inaugural campaign, the Deccan Chargers staged an incredible comeback in 2009. Scraping into the semi-finals ahead of Kings XI Punjab via a superior net run rate, they defeated the table-topping Delhi Daredevils by six wickets in the semi-final. In the championship match, they held their nerve to defeat the Royal Challengers Bangalore by a narrow margin of six runs.
2010 – Chennai Super Kings
The 2010 season marked the dawn of Chennai Super Kings’ legendary dominance. After a mixed league stage of seven wins and seven losses, CSK hit their stride in the knockouts. They eliminated the defending champions Deccan Chargers by 38 runs in the semi-final, and secured their maiden title by defeating Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in the final, igniting one of cricket’s greatest rivalries.
2011 – Chennai Super Kings
CSK retained their crown in 2011, finishing second in the league stage during the first season to introduce the “playoff” system. CSK defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets in the first Qualifier. Although RCB fought back through the second Qualifier to set up a rematch, CSK dominated the final to secure back-to-back titles, becoming the first franchise to defend their championship.
2012 – Kolkata Knight Riders
Gautam Gambhir led Kolkata Knight Riders to a superb campaign in 2012, finishing second in the league stage with 10 wins. KKR booked their final ticket by defeating Delhi Capitals by 18 runs in the first Qualifier. Facing a CSK team seeking a historic title hat-trick, KKR chased down their target to win by five wickets and claim their first IPL trophy.
2013 – Mumbai Indians
The 2013 season was a turning point for Mumbai Indians, as captaincy transitioned from Ricky Ponting to Rohit Sharma mid-tournament. Under Rohit’s leadership, MI finished second in the league stage. They defeated CSK by 48 runs in the first Qualifier and repeated their dominance in the final, beating the Yellow Army by 23 runs to lift their maiden IPL title.
2014 – Kolkata Knight Riders
Under Gautam Gambhir’s captaincy, KKR reclaimed the throne in 2014. Finishing second in the league stage, they defeated Kings XI Punjab by 28 runs in the first Qualifier. In a high-octane final, KKR chased down Kings XI Punjab once again to win by three wickets, securing their second title in three years.
2015 – Mumbai Indians
The 2015 tournament saw a classic showdown between heavyweights CSK and MI, who finished as the top two teams in the league. MI defeated CSK in the first Qualifier, while CSK edged past RCB to set up another blockbuster final. Mumbai Indians dominated the final clash, defeating Chennai by 41 runs to secure their second IPL championship.
2016 – Sunrisers Hyderabad
With Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants replacing the suspended CSK and RR, the 2016 season produced a fairytale run for David Warner’s Sunrisers Hyderabad. Finishing third, SRH took the hard route: they beat KKR in the Eliminator, Gujarat Lions in the second Qualifier, and capped it off with an 8-run victory over RCB in the final. This marked the first time an Eliminator team won the championship.
2017 – Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma’s Mumbai Indians topped the league stage in 2017 with 10 wins. Despite losing to Rising Pune Supergiants in the first Qualifier, MI fought back to meet them again in the final. In an incredibly tense, low-scoring match, MI defended their total to win by a single run, becoming the first franchise to win three IPL titles.
2018 – Chennai Super Kings
After serving a two-year suspension, Chennai Super Kings made a sensational return in 2018. Led by MS Dhoni, they finished second in the league stage. CSK defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by two wickets in a tight first Qualifier, and completed the fairytale comeback by defeating SRH again by eight wickets in the final to lift their third title.
2019 – Mumbai Indians
The 2019 season witnessed a neck-and-neck race between MI and CSK, who finished top of the table with identical records. MI defeated CSK in the first Qualifier, and Chennai booked their rematch by defeating Delhi Capitals. In another legendary final, Mumbai Indians held their nerve to secure a dramatic one-run victory over CSK, claiming their fourth title.
2020 – Mumbai Indians
Played in the UAE later in the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 season was completely dominated by Mumbai Indians. They topped the league stage and defeated Delhi Capitals by 57 runs in the first Qualifier. MI cruised to a comfortable five-wicket victory over DC in the final, securing their fifth IPL title.
2021 – Chennai Super Kings
Chennai Super Kings returned to the top in 2021. After finishing second in the league stage, they defeated Delhi Capitals by four wickets in the first Qualifier. Facing Kolkata Knight Riders in the grand finale, CSK registered a comprehensive 27-run victory to claim their fourth IPL title.
2022 – Gujarat Titans
The expansion to ten teams in 2022 saw the debut of Gujarat Titans. Led by Hardik Pandya, the debutants shocked the league by topping the points table. They defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in the first Qualifier and repeated the exact margin in the final to lift the trophy in their inaugural season.
2023 – Chennai Super Kings
The 2023 season culminated in one of the most dramatic finishes in tournament history. Defending champions Gujarat Titans topped the table, with CSK close behind. CSK defeated GT in the first Qualifier. The final went down to the absolute wire, where Ravindra Jadeja‘s last-ball boundary sealed a five-wicket win for CSK, securing their fifth title to equal MI’s record.
2024 – Kolkata Knight Riders
Ending a decade-long wait, KKR dominated the 2024 edition, finishing atop the league standings. They defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by eight wickets in the first Qualifier to secure their spot in the summit clash. In the final, KKR outclassed SRH once more by the same eight-wicket margin, lifting their third IPL title.
2025 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru
After 17 years of heartbreak across 18 editions since the tournament’s inception in 2008, Royal Challengers Bengaluru finally achieved redemption in 2025. Finishing second in the league stage, RCB defeated Punjab Kings by eight wickets in the first Qualifier. They met PBKS again in the grand finale, securing a hard-fought six-run victory to lift their historic first-ever IPL championship trophy.
