IPL winners list from 2008 to 2025: Complete History of Champions

RCB celebrate IPL 2025 title win (Source: AFP)

The Evolution of the Indian Premier League

Eighteen years ago, the start 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 the traditional formats in ODIs and Tests to the modern dynamics of the shortest format. The IPL happened to be a league of its own kind that included a unique mix of glamour with fast-paced cricket.

The tournament started with eight teams in the inaugural edition in 2008, which was further increased to ten teams before being reduced to nine in 2013. Later in 2016, the tournament was played again with eight teams. The temporary suspension of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Rajasthan Royals (RR) was followed by the temporary addition of the 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 was played with eight teams until 2021 before permanently expanding to ten teams from 2022 onwards. Some of the participating franchises have dominated the tournament throughout these 18 years, while a few have had to endure long, agonizing waits to lift their first-ever trophy. Below is the complete, detailed IPL winners list from 2008 to 2025.

Year-by-Year IPL Champions (2008 – 2025)

2008 – Rajasthan Royals

Led by the former Australian legend Shane Warne, the Rajasthan Royals were considered the ultimate underdogs in the IPL’s inaugural edition in 2008. Their journey started with a heavy defeat against the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) by a nine-wicket margin. However, they didn’t look back after that setback, going on to win 11 games while losing only three of their 14 league matches. They squared off their league-stage defeat with the Daredevils by securing a massive 105-run win in the first semi-final. In the grand finale, the Royals defeated CSK by three wickets to become the first-ever IPL champions.

2009 – Deccan Chargers

After enduring a dismal run in the inaugural edition, the Deccan Chargers came back strongly in the tournament’s second edition. It was their net run rate that helped them qualify for the semi-finals, as they had the same number of wins and defeats as Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). The Deccan Chargers won and lost seven games each in their 14 league matches. In the first semi-final, they took on the table-toppers Delhi Daredevils and won the game by six wickets to seal a spot in the summit clash. Furthermore, they defeated RCB by a narrow margin of six runs in a thrilling final to clinch the title.

2010 – Chennai Super Kings

After narrowly missing out on the title in the 2008 edition, IPL 2010 marked the start of CSK’s absolute dominance in the tournament. They made it to the knockout stage with seven wins and seven defeats, navigating a roller-coaster journey through their 14 league matches. In the second semi-final, CSK outplayed the then-defending champions Deccan Chargers by 38 runs to become the first finalists of the third edition. In the final, the yellow outfit defeated the Mumbai Indians by 22 runs to clinch their first-ever IPL title. This CSK vs MI final also marked the start of the tournament’s most iconic rivalry.

2011 – Chennai Super Kings

Once again, it was another year of CSK’s IPL dominance. The then-reigning champions finished in second place in the league stage, winning nine games and losing five in their 14 matches. Notably, this was the first-ever IPL edition in which the knockout stage was played in a ‘playoff’ format rather than traditional ‘semi-finals’. CSK took on RCB in the first qualifier and secured a direct spot in the final with a six-wicket win. Later, RCB took on the Eliminator’s winner MI in the second qualifier, winning by 43 runs to face CSK in the title clash. But CSK dominated the grand finale to clinch their second successive IPL title. The MS Dhoni-led side also became the first team to win two IPL titles in consecutive editions.

2012 – Kolkata Knight Riders

The Gautam Gambhir-led KKR finished in the second spot in IPL 2012’s league stage, securing 10 wins and five defeats alongside a no-result game in a total of 16 games. In the playoffs, they faced the Delhi Capitals in the first qualifier and won the game by 18 runs to become the first finalists. KKR faced the then-defending champions CSK in the tournament’s final, where CSK scripted history with their third successive appearance in an IPL final. However, Gautam Gambhir’s men pushed CSK away from their title hat-trick by winning the title with a five-wicket win in the final.

2013 – Mumbai Indians

IPL 2013 was a year of leadership transition for the Mumbai Indians, as former skipper Ricky Ponting handed over the captaincy to Rohit Sharma in the middle of the tournament. This decision did not affect the team’s brilliant run, as they finished second in the league stage with 11 wins and five defeats in their 16 games. MI defeated the then two-time IPL champions, CSK, by 48 runs in the first qualifier to reach the final. They faced the yellow outfit again in the title clash, winning by 23 runs to clinch their first-ever title. This was also CSK’s record-extending fifth appearance in an IPL final.

2014 – Kolkata Knight Riders

After failing to defend their IPL 2012 title in the 2013 edition, KKR once again shone in the tournament’s seventh edition. The Gautam Gambhir-led side finished in the second spot with nine wins and five defeats in their 14 league matches. KKR took on the Kings XI Punjab in the first qualifier and won the game by 28 runs to qualify for the final, where they defeated KXIP again by three wickets to clinch their second IPL title after a gap of one edition.

2015 – Mumbai Indians

The 2015 edition saw the familiar dominance of CSK and MI. The two powerhouses finished in the top two spots in the points table with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Both teams faced each other in the first qualifier, where MI won by 25 runs. However, CSK’s three-wicket win against RCB in the second qualifier set the stage for another iconic MI vs CSK IPL final. Repeating their IPL 2013 heroics, the Mumbai Indians dominated CSK once again in the final, winning the game by 41 runs to clinch their second IPL title.

2016 – Sunrisers Hyderabad

The IPL 2016 edition marked the addition of two temporary teams, Gujarat Lions and Rising Pune Supergiants, who replaced RR and CSK. What attracted the most attention was the performance of the David Warner-led Sunrisers Hyderabad. They finished third in the league stage of the tournament with eight wins and six defeats in 14 games. SRH faced the then-two-time champions KKR in the eliminator, winning by 22 runs to advance to the second qualifier. They then defeated the Gujarat Lions by four wickets to enter the final, where they clinched a thrilling eight-run win to lift their first-ever IPL title. This marked the first time in IPL history that a team playing in the Eliminator went on to win the title.

2017 – Mumbai Indians

The Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians dominated the IPL again in the 2017 edition, finishing the league stage as table-toppers with 10 wins and four defeats in 14 fixtures. MI took on Rising Pune Supergiants in the first qualifier, where Rohit Sharma’s men fell short, but they secured their berth in the final through the second qualifier. Facing the Supergiants again in the final, MI won a low-scoring, nail-biting encounter by a single run to clinch their third IPL title, becoming the most successful team in the tournament at that time.

2018 – Chennai Super Kings

The 11th edition of the IPL marked the emotional comeback of Chennai Super Kings after serving a two-year ban. The MS Dhoni-led side delivered an emphatic statement, finishing in second place in the league stage with nine wins and five defeats in 14 games. CSK qualified for the summit clash after a narrow two-wicket win against SRH in the first qualifier. They faced the Sunrisers again in the final and clinched the title with a comfortable eight-wicket win. With this title, MS Dhoni’s men equaled the Mumbai Indians as the most successful team in IPL history.

2019 – Mumbai Indians

IPL’s 12th edition in 2019 was another year of MI and CSK dominating the league. The two most successful teams finished in the first and second spots in the league stage with 18 points each, sporting identical win-loss records. Both teams faced each other in the first qualifier, where MI won by six wickets to become the first finalists. CSK qualified for the final with a six-wicket win against Delhi Capitals in the second qualifier. In the final, Mumbai Indians held their nerves in a nail-biting finish, defeating CSK by a margin of just one run to clinch their fourth IPL title and surpass Chennai.

2020 – Mumbai Indians

This was the first-ever IPL edition to be played under the shadow of a global pandemic. The tournament was halted midway due to COVID-19 and resumed around October and November. Mumbai Indians dominated the entire edition, topping the league stage with nine wins and five defeats. They defeated the Delhi Capitals by 57 runs in the first qualifier to enter the finals. Rohit Sharma’s men faced DC again in the final and won comfortably by five wickets with eight balls to spare, clinching their fifth IPL title.

2021 – Chennai Super Kings

The pendulum swung back to CSK in 2021 as they ended up winning their fourth title. After finishing second in the league stage with nine wins and five defeats, CSK faced the Delhi Capitals in the first qualifier, winning by four wickets to qualify for the final. In the final against KKR, the Super Kings registered a comfortable win by 27 runs to add another glorious chapter to their IPL journey.

2022 – Gujarat Titans

The new entrants in IPL 2022, the Gujarat Titans, left everyone awestruck by winning the title in their debut season. Led by Hardik Pandya, GT finished at the top of the league stage with 10 wins and four defeats. In the first qualifier, GT comfortably outplayed the Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets to reach the final. Hardik Pandya’s men faced the Royals again in the final, winning by the exact same seven-wicket margin to lift the title.

2023 – Chennai Super Kings

The defending champions Gujarat Titans dominated the tournament once again, finishing at the top of the IPL 2023 league stage. They were closely followed by the four-time champions CSK in second place, who secured eight wins, five defeats, and one no-result game. CSK and GT locked horns in the first qualifier, with CSK winning by 15 runs. In the final, they defeated the reigning champions thanks to Ravindra Jadeja’s historic last-ball heroics in a thrilling summit clash, giving CSK a five-wicket win and their fifth title to equal MI’s record.

2024 – Kolkata Knight Riders

After a long wait of 10 years, KKR dominated the 2024 season. Their campaign in the league stage ended in first place with nine wins and three defeats. They defeated SRH by eight wickets in the first qualifier to reach the final. In the final, KKR outshone SRH once again by the same eight-wicket margin to lift their third title in the tournament’s history.

2025 – Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore had reached close to the title in multiple previous editions but missed out due to luck or pressure. However, IPL 2025 became the year of RCB’s ultimate redemption after a long wait of 17 years across 18 editions since 2008. They finished second in the league stage with nine wins, four defeats, and one no-result. They defeated PBKS by eight wickets in the first qualifier before outplaying them again by six runs in a tense final to clinch the title. This marked the first-ever IPL title for RCB in the history of the tournament.