Indian Premier League is arguably the biggest cricketing event in the world and if we compare its fan following then it might even surpass Cricket’s prestigious 50-over World Cup. IPL’s inaugural season was way back in 2008 and no one could ever imagine that by 2021, it could become one of the World’s richest leagues competing with other sports leagues like the Premier League, NBA, NFL.
IPL was launched with 8 franchises based on 8 megacities of India. All franchises started from the same starting line but now some franchises are on a different level whether it is in terms of brand value or cricketing sense. Franchises like Chennai Super Kings are way ahead of Rajasthan Royals in every cricketing or commercial game. During this journey, we have also witnessed some cameos also when some franchises entered this race and exited due to their respective reasons.
In 2011, BCCI introduced 2 new franchises which were Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Warriors India and after 10 years, BCCI has again launched two new franchises: Lucknow and Ahmedabad. IPL is much more than a cricket game now as dozens of money is involved in it, some franchises are making handsome money out of it and some are just above the break-even level. In this article, we will look at the top IPL franchises that have the highest fan following and are enjoying terrific success in the commercial world.
#8. Rajasthan Royals
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | Manoj Badale (65%), Lachlan Murdoch (13%), RedBird Capital Partners (15%) |
| Brand Value | INR 249 Crores |
| Best Finish | Champions- 2008 |
| Last Season Finish | 7th |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2021 (Lowest in the League) |
| Most Runs | Ajinkya Rahane (2,810 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Siddharth Trivedi (65 Wickets) |
Who would have thought that the inaugural champions of the Indian Premier League would be last on this list? The Ultimate underdogs of IPL, Rajasthan Royals have not enjoyed much success after a fantastic first season which is the main reason behind their lack of popularity among fans.
Shane Warne was their icon player for 5 seasons before Rahul Dravid took over but the franchise has never reached the Finals since 2008. Although, they are more famous for grooming young talents and providing them center stage as they did with Sanju Samson in 2013 but still it is the final result which matters and fans have not been pleased with them lately.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 1st (Champions) |
| 2009 | 6th |
| 2010 | 7th |
| 2011 | 6th |
| 2012 | 7th |
| 2013 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2014 | 5th |
| 2015 | 4th (Playoffs) |
| 2018 | 4th (Playoffs) |
| 2019 | 7th |
| 2020 | 8th |
| 2021 | 7th |
They are last in terms of every battle whether it is a commercial game or game of cricket. Even during their matches, the view count is lowest among other franchises. Let’s take a look at their Fan Following across all platforms.
Social Media Stats
| 2 Million | |
| 4.8 Million | |
| 1.8 Million |
#7. Punjab Kings
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | Dabur (46%), Wadia Group (23%), Preity Zinta (23%), Apeejay Surrendra Group (8%) |
| Brand Value | INR 318 Crores |
| Best Finish | 1st- 2014 |
| Last Season Finish | 6th |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2310 (3rd Lowest in the League) |
| Most Runs | KL Rahul (2,548 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Piyush Chawla (87 Wickets) |
Next on the list is surprisingly the team from Punjab. Punjab Kings who were previously known as Kings XI Punjab changed their name in 2021 in search of any astrological luck but again had a disappointing last season. Punjab is a cricket fanatic state and has produced many greats of the game till now but their franchise has not succeeded in IPL till now which is the main reason behind their lack of fan following.
Teams’ on-field performance reflects their fan following and Punjab has not been the best of teams of IPL in terms of performance. They have not still won the trophy and in fact, they have only reached the Playoffs twice which is the lowest among all eight teams. Punjab will be hoping for a change of fortunes from the next mega auctions and could finally give a glare of hope to Punjab’s fans.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 3rd (Semi-Finals) |
| 2009 | 5th |
| 2010 | 8th |
| 2011 | 5th |
| 2012 | 6th |
| 2013 | 6th |
| 2014 | 1st (Runner-up) |
| 2015 | 8th |
| 2016 | 8th |
| 2017 | 5th |
| 2018 | 7th |
| 2019 | 6th |
| 2020 | 6th |
| 2021 | 6th |
Punjab didn’t have an icon player who could lure fans to Stadium every night. During the first three seasons, they had Yuvraj Singh as a face but after he left, the franchise has failed to find the face of the team. Lately KL Rahul was leading the team and was touted to be their face in upcoming seasons but reports are coming that he is on his way out so definitely they are currently out of luck. Let’s look at their social media following.
Social Media Stats
| 2.4 Million | |
| 8.6 Million | |
| 2.6 Million |
#6. Sunrisers Hyderabad
| Founded | 2012 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | Sun Group |
| Brand Value | INR 442 Crores |
| Best Finish | Champions- 2016 |
| Last Season Finish | 8th |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2282 (2nd Lowest in the League) |
| Most Runs | David Warner (4,014 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Bhuvneshwar Kumar (101 Wickets) |
Sunrisers Hyderabad came as a replacement of Deccan Chargers in 2013 and so far their IPL journey has been really impressive. They won the title in the 2016 season and have been really consistent in the last few years as they have only missed the playoffs once since 2016. They have a huge fan following in their home state and their orange army especially is really intriguing.
Sunrisers are a really tough team to defeat at their home and it is only because of their packed home crowd who come in numbers to support their heroes. Although, they are 6th on this list as they don’t have much big fan following around the world outside their home state. They are arguably the 3rd best side after Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in the last 5 years which is the main reason behind their rapid growth in such a short span of time.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2013 | 4th (Playoffs) |
| 2014 | 6th |
| 2015 | 6th |
| 2016 | 3rd (Champions) |
| 2017 | 4th |
| 2018 | 1st |
| 2019 | 4th |
| 2020 | 3rd |
| 2021 | 8th |
One of the biggest challenges for the Hyderabad team outside cricket was to create a loyal fan base without having a real local player who could be their icon but players like David Warner and Kane Williamson have emerged to be their team’s face and fans have enjoyed their presence. Their social media engagement is also consistent like their on-field performances.
Social Media Stats
| 2.5 Million | |
| 5.9 Million | |
| 2.8 Million |
#5. Delhi Capitals
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | GMR Group (50%), JSW Group (50%) |
| Brand Value | INR 370 Crores |
| Best Finish | 1st- 2021 |
| Last Season Finish | 1st |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2496 (5th Best) |
| Most Runs | Rishabh Pant (2,292 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Amit Mishra (106 Wickets) |
Delhi Capitals has been the most improved side in the last three years after internal management change which has been their main reason behind growth on both on-field and off-field performances. They didn’t reach Playoffs for 6 years until 2019 when Shreyas led them to Playoffs after ages. Since then, they haven’t looked back and were runner up in 2020 and finished first in 2021.
Delhi now has one of the biggest attractions of Indian cricket, Rishabh Pant who is going to be their leader in the upcoming season, and given his rising stature, it could well benefit Delhi Capitals in the commercial market and their brand value might shoot up in coming years. Fans love him and Delhi’s impressive performance compliments each other well.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 4th (Semi-Finals) |
| 2009 | 1st (Semi-Finals) |
| 2010 | 5th |
| 2011 | 10th |
| 2012 | 1st |
| 2013 | 9th |
| 2014 | 8th |
| 2015 | 7th |
| 2016 | 6th |
| 2017 | 6th |
| 2018 | 8th |
| 2019 | 3rd |
| 2020 | 2nd |
| 2021 | 1st |
Delhi team has one of the most loyal fan bases and even without qualifying for playoffs from 2012 to 2019, the fans used to come in numbers to support their team. Now Delhi is now one of the strongest teams and it’s their time to pay them back by winning a title in the 2022 season. Delhi has a good following on social media as well.
Social Media Stats
| 2.9 Million | |
| 7.7 Million | |
| 2.1 Million |
#4. Royal Challengers Bangalore
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | United Spirit Limited |
| Brand Value | INR 536 Crores |
| Best Finish | Runner-up 2009, 2011, 2016 |
| Last Season Finish | 3rd |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2596 (3rd Best) |
| Most Runs | Virat Kohli (6,283 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Yuzvendra Chahal (139 Wickets) |
Royal Challengers Bangalore are next on the list. The Bangalore site has the craziest fans around the world and on top of that, they have Virat Kohli who is the biggest athlete currently on this globe. However, they have failed to pay back to the fans as their trophy cabinet is still empty. Royal Challengers Bangalore has a history of having a star-studded lineup with the likes of Anil Kumble, Kevin Pieterson, Rahul Dravid, and Virat Kohli during their initial days. Their legacy was carried forward by Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers.
Royal Challengers have been Runner-up thrice and will be hoping to finally break the jinx next year but would have to find a new captain first as Virat Kohli has resigned as captain. They also will have to find a replacement for AB De Villiers who was their sure-shot performer for more than one decade. Most importantly, their fans always had their back in past seasons which is really special to see as not many franchises are blessed with such a loyal fan base.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 7th |
| 2009 | 3rd (Runner-up) |
| 2010 | 4th (Semi-Finals) |
| 2011 | 1st (Playoffs) |
| 2012 | 5h |
| 2013 | 5th |
| 2014 | 7th |
| 2015 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2016 | 2nd (Runner-up) |
| 2017 | 8th |
| 2018 | 6th |
| 2019 | 8th |
| 2020 | 2nd |
| 2021 | 1st |
Royal Challengers Bangalore have not won a single title yet but outside of the cricketing game, they have achieved big things. Their brand value is really high and one of the main reasons behind this has been their skipper Virat Kohli who has helped them to grow commercially. Their social media engagement is usually high because of Virat Kohli.
Social Media Stats
| 7.7 Million | |
| 9.8 Million | |
| 5.2 Million |
#3. Kolkata Knight Riders
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | (Red Chillies Entertainment (55%), Mehta Group (45%) |
| Brand Value | INR 543 Crores |
| Best Finish | Champions- 2012, 2014 |
| Last Season Finish | 4th |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2606 (4th Best) |
| Most Runs | Gautam Gambhir (3,035 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Sunil Narine (143 Wickets) |
Kolkata Knight Riders is next on this list and the biggest reason behind their high popularity is not being a cricketer. Shahrukh Khan is the co-owner of this Kolkata-based franchise and given his popularity around the world, seeing Kolkata Knight Riders at 3rd is not surprising. Kolkata had disappointing first three seasons but how long could King Khan’s team trail behind in the race.
After 2010, Kolkata gave the captaincy to Gautam Gambhir which was a masterstroke as he won 2 championships with them and took Kolkata Knight Riders to another level. Their fan following is really huge and most of the credit should be given to Gautam Gambhir. In Kolkata itself, people are crazy about their team and at every home match, we could see a Purple ocean at Eden Gardens.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 6th |
| 2009 | 8th |
| 2010 | 6th |
| 2011 | 4th (Playoffs) |
| 2012 | 2nd -Champions |
| 2013 | 7th |
| 2014 | 2nd- Champions |
| 2015 | 5th |
| 2016 | 4th (Playoffs) |
| 2017 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2018 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2019 | 5th |
| 2020 | 5th |
| 2021 | 4th |
Kolkata Knight Riders team is sometimes labeled as Shahrukh Khan’s team but there are other co-owners as well with Juhi Chawla’s husband also owning stocks in this team. Kolkata is one of the most followed teams around social media and most of the credit should be given to their performances on the cricket field.
Social Media Stats
| 2.8 Million | |
| 16 Million | |
| 4.6 Million |
#2. Mumbai Indians
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | Reliance Industries |
| Brand Value | INR 761 Crores |
| Best Finish | Champions- 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 |
| Last Season Finish | 5th |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2767 (2nd Best) |
| Most Runs | Rohit Sharma (4,441 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Lasith Malinga (170 Wickets) |
At 2nd number is the IPL’S most successful team Mumbai Indians. Mumbai Indians have won this championship 5 times and there’s no surprise why people love them. Sachin Tendulkar was their face till 2013 which was the main reason behind every age group people supporting them from season one. Fans all over the globe are crazy about Mumbai Indians and their matches usually get higher Viewership.
Rohit Sharma is the captain of this team and has been key behind their 5 times championship triumph. Their on-field success has played a massive role in winning the trust of fans which is why Mumbai Indians usually top the chart in terms of any comparisons with another team.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 5th |
| 2009 | 7th |
| 2010 | 1st |
| 2011 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2012 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2013 | 2nd- Champions |
| 2014 | 4th- (Playoffs) |
| 2015 | 2nd- (Champions) |
| 2016 | 5th |
| 2017 | 1st (Champions) |
| 2018 | 5th |
| 2019 | 1st (Champions) |
| 2020 | 1st (Champions) |
| 2021 | 5th |
Mumbai Indians are owned by Mukesh Ambani who is one of the most renowned business personalities of India. Mumbai plays their home matches at Wankhede which is near the Arabian sea but Mumbai fans create a magical environment that sometimes makes you feel like you have two blue oceans where one is silent and the other at its peak. Their fans call themselves MI Paltan.
Social Media Stats
| 8.2 Million | |
| 13.7 Million | |
| 7 Million |
#1. Chennai Super Kings
| Founded | 2008 |
| Owners (% Stakes) | Chennai Super Kings Ltd. |
| Brand Value | INR 611 Crores |
| Best Finish | Champions- 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 |
| Last Season Finish | 2nd |
| Viewership Score (Acc. BARC) | 2901 (Best) |
| Most Runs | Suresh Raina (4,655 Runs) |
| Most Wickets | Dwayne Bravo (116 Wickets) |
There is one very famous joke in world cricket that 7 teams compete in IPL to play Chennai Super Kings in the finals and there is a big reason behind this joke. The Chennai-based franchise is the ultra-consistent team of IPL and no other franchises come nowhere near their popularity. MS Dhoni leads this side and from day one, the Chennai crowd has supported him and his team at every moment.
Chennai Super Kings was banned for two seasons in from 2016 to 2017 and there was a big fear of losing fanbase but in that period their fan base got multiplied and in 2018 fans gathered in numbers to celebrate their team’s return and in return, Dhoni and his team won IPL title which sparked biggest sporting party in Tamil Nadu. Chennai is not only the most consistent team of IPL but in all franchise cricket around the world, no team comes close to their consistency.
Performance Season-Wise
| 2008 | 2nd (Runner-up) |
| 2009 | 3rd (Semi-Finals) |
| 2010 | 2nd (Champions) |
| 2011 | 2nd (Champions) |
| 2012 | 3rd (Runner-up) |
| 2013 | 1st (Runner-up) |
| 2014 | 3rd (Playoffs) |
| 2015 | 1st (Runner-up) |
| 2018 | 2nd (Champions) |
| 2019 | 2nd (Runner-up) |
| 2020 | 7th |
| 2021 | 2nd (Champions) |
Chennai’s fan base is really attached to their team and especially their bond with some players like Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, and MS Dhoni is just a treat to watch. Even the IPL’S commissioner has confessed that Chennai is the biggest team in the League and their good performance brings huge profits to the BCCI.
Social Media Stats
| 9 Million | |
| 12 Million | |
| 7.8 Million |
