IPL Winners List: Every Champion, Final & Trophy (2008-2026)
Every IPL season ends the same way: one team lifting the trophy, and one captain joining the most exclusive club in T20 cricket. This IPL winners list covers every champion from the first season in 2008 to the latest in 2026, plus the IPL trophy itself, the prize money, and what the IPL 2027 final will look like. If you want to know who won the IPL, in which year, and by beating whom, this is the complete list.
IPL Winners List: Every Champion From 2008 to 2026
Rajasthan Royals won the first IPL in 2008, beating Chennai Super Kings in the final and proving that a league built on stars could be won by a team nobody had picked. Deccan Chargers won in 2009, the only season played outside India, in South Africa. Chennai Super Kings then won back-to-back titles in 2010 and 2011, establishing the first great IPL dynasty under MS Dhoni.
Kolkata Knight Riders won their first title in 2012 and their second in 2014, both under Gautam Gambhir. Mumbai Indians won their first title in 2013, then again in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, building the joint-most successful record in the league with five titles under Rohit Sharma. Sunrisers Hyderabad won their only title so far in 2016.
Chennai Super Kings added titles in 2018, 2021 and 2023, taking their total to five and matching Mumbai Indians. Gujarat Titans won the title in their debut season in 2022, the fastest any new franchise has ever won the league. Kolkata Knight Riders won their third title in 2024. Royal Challengers Bengaluru then ended eighteen seasons without a title by winning in 2025, beating Punjab Kings in the final, and defended their crown in 2026 by beating Gujarat Titans in the final. That gives the current title count as: Mumbai Indians 5, Chennai Super Kings 5, Kolkata Knight Riders 3, Royal Challengers Bengaluru 2, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans 1 each. Delhi Capitals, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants are still waiting for their first title.
The IPL Final: How the Last Two Finals Were Won
The 2025 final ended Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s long wait. RCB beat Punjab Kings to win their first title, eighteen seasons after the league began, and the celebrations that followed showed how much the wait had meant to one of the league’s biggest fan bases.
The 2026 final was a rematch of a different kind. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the defending champions, faced Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Gujarat Titans batted first and scored 155 for 8, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased it down, reaching 161 for 5 to win by 5 wickets. Virat Kohli anchored the chase with 75 not out from 42 balls, and RCB became the first team in years to successfully defend an IPL title, winning back-to-back championships in 2025 and 2026. RCB’s 2026 title run, including the playoff results that took them to the final, is covered in detail in the article on RCB’s 2026 title.
The IPL Trophy and Prize Money
The IPL trophy is one of the most recognisable prizes in world cricket: the champions lift it on the podium after the final, and the winning captain’s photograph with the trophy becomes the defining image of every season. The trophy goes to the franchise, and the players receive winners’ medals, but the financial reward is just as significant.
For IPL 2026, the total prize pool was Rs 46.5 crore. The winning team received Rs 20 crore along with the trophy, the runners-up received Rs 13 crore, the third-placed team received Rs 7 crore, and the fourth-placed team received Rs 6.5 crore. Teams finishing fifth to tenth received no prize money from the BCCI pool. The prize structure has remained unchanged since 2021. By comparison, the first IPL champions in 2008, Rajasthan Royals, received Rs 4.8 crore, with runners-up Chennai Super Kings receiving Rs 2.4 crore: the winner’s prize has more than quadrupled in eighteen years.
Individual awards carry their own prizes. The Orange Cap winner (most runs in a season) and the Purple Cap winner (most wickets) each receive Rs 10 lakh, the Most Valuable Player receives Rs 10 lakh, and the Emerging Player of the Season receives Rs 20 lakh. Prize money paid to a franchise is split, with half typically distributed among the players and half retained by the franchise for support staff, management and operations. Since IPL 2025, players in the playing XI, including the Impact Player, also receive a match fee of Rs 7.5 lakh per match on top of their auction salary.
IPL Final 2027: Date, Venue and What to Expect
The IPL 2027 final is scheduled for 15 May 2027, closing a season window that runs from 10 March to 15 May 2027 with 74 matches. The venue has not been announced yet: traditionally the final is hosted by the home city of the defending champions, but the BCCI confirms the venue closer to the season. The full fixture list, including the final’s venue and timing, is expected around February 2027.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will enter IPL 2027 as defending champions, attempting a third straight title, something no IPL team has ever achieved. Gujarat Titans, the 2026 runners-up, will be aiming to go one better after losing the final. The road to the final runs through the same format as recent seasons: 70 league matches, then Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2, and the final, with the top four teams on the points table reaching the playoffs.
IPL Records Connected to the Finals
The finals have produced some of the league’s most memorable records. The highest score in IPL history, Chris Gayle’s 175 not out, came in a league match rather than a final, but the biggest team total, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s 287 for 3 in 2024, shows the batting firepower that finalists must handle. The most successful captains in finals are Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, with five titles each, and the most successful franchises remain Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings with five titles each.
The closest finals are remembered as fondly as the one-sided ones. The 2019 final, won by Mumbai Indians by a single run, and the 2023 final, decided on the last ball, are the standard against which every new final is judged. The 2026 final, won by 5 wickets with Kohli unbeaten, sits comfortably among the great chases.
Most Successful Captains in IPL History
Two captains stand above every other in IPL history: Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni, with five titles each. Rohit led Mumbai Indians to titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, building the most successful captaincy record in the league alongside Dhoni, who led Chennai Super Kings to titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. No other captain has won more than two titles, which shows how rare sustained success is in a league designed for parity through the auction.
Gautam Gambhir won two titles with Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014, and Rajat Patidar joined the two-title club by leading Royal Challengers Bengaluru to back-to-back championships in 2025 and 2026, the first RCB captain to win the league at all. Hardik Pandya won a title in his first season as captain, leading Gujarat Titans to the 2022 championship in their debut year, while David Warner led Sunrisers Hyderabad to their only title in 2016 and Shane Warne led Rajasthan Royals to the first title in 2008. The captain’s record matters because the IPL is a captain’s tournament: with only four overseas players allowed, the Indian core and the captain’s decisions decide most seasons.
Teams Still Waiting for Their First Title
Three franchises have never won the IPL, and their stories are part of the winners list too. Delhi Capitals have reached one final, in 2020, when they lost to Mumbai Indians, and have repeatedly reached the playoffs without converting. Punjab Kings have reached two finals, in 2014 (lost to Kolkata Knight Riders) and 2025 (lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru), making them the most unfortunate finalists in the league. Lucknow Super Giants, who joined in 2022, have reached the playoffs but never a final.
The wait is what makes the winners list so compelling. Royal Challengers Bengaluru waited eighteen seasons before their first title, and their breakthrough in 2025, followed by a successful defence in 2026, is the best evidence that no wait is permanent. For Delhi, Punjab and Lucknow fans, the 2027 season is another chance to join the list, and the auction in December 2026 will shape whether any of them can finally break through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the IPL in 2026?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru. They beat Gujarat Titans in the final at Ahmedabad, chasing 156 to win by 5 wickets, with Virat Kohli scoring 75 not out from 42 balls.
Who has won the most IPL titles?
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, with five titles each. Kolkata Knight Riders have three, Royal Challengers Bengaluru have two, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans have one each.
How much prize money does the IPL winner get?
Rs 20 crore, along with the IPL trophy. The runners-up receive Rs 13 crore, third place Rs 7 crore, and fourth place Rs 6.5 crore, from a total prize pool of Rs 46.5 crore.
When is the IPL 2027 final?
15 May 2027, closing the season window of 10 March to 15 May 2027. The venue is yet to be announced, and the schedule page on this site will update the moment the BCCI confirms the fixtures.
Who won the first IPL?
Rajasthan Royals, who beat Chennai Super Kings in the 2008 final. The first winners received Rs 4.8 crore, compared with Rs 20 crore today.
Conclusion
The IPL winners list is a story of dynasties and droughts: Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings with five titles each, Kolkata Knight Riders with three, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s emotional breakthrough followed by a successful defence. The trophy and the Rs 20 crore prize are the rewards, but the real prize is joining the list itself. When the IPL 2027 final arrives on 15 May 2027, one more team will either extend a dynasty or start one, and this list will gain its newest name.
