Rankings of all IPL seasons from 2008 to 2025
The 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is currently offering viewers thrilling action day and night. Attendance has skyrocketed and stadiums across the country are packed to the brim.
While there have been many notable batting performances, some bowlers have also shown that they are still indispensable in the shortest format.
This uncertainty and competition in the league is one of the reasons for its craze around the world, and cricket fans look forward to this two-month festival every year.
18. IPL 2008
The inaugural edition of the IPL started with a lot of excitement. Even though India had won the T20 World Cup in 2007, the format was still new to many. Also, it was quite interesting to see players who had been together in the dressing room for so many years suddenly plotting to bring each other down on the field. Even as the teams were still figuring out the ins and outs of the league, fans loved the new concept. In the opening match between KKR and RCB, Brendon McCullum lit the tournament on fire with a spectacular century. It was amazing to see legends like Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya playing alongside the Indian youngsters.
17. IPL 2009
The IPL 2009 was shifted to South Africa to coincide with the multi-phase Indian general election schedule of 2009. While fans in India were unable to watch their favourite teams play in stadiums, they tuned in to watch the games on television. In India alone, the IPL 2009 attracted a huge television audience of around 200 million viewers. The now-defunct Deccan Chargers, led by Adam Gilchrist, won the title.
16. IPL 2010
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) won the tournament for the first time in IPL 2010 and it was the beginning of a memorable era for the franchise. However, the season as a whole was not as exciting. While fans thronged the stadiums, there was no real excitement to keep them interested. The intensity among the players was surprisingly low.
15. IPL 2011
IPL 2011 was a memorable cricket season for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons was India's ODI World Cup victory just a few days before the league started. However, it was a lackluster season for IPL as fans were still celebrating India's first win in the global tournament in 28 years. When stars like MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli were representing the 'Men in Blue', fans were cheering for them. Suddenly, these stars started competing against each other in the IPL, and this did not go down well with the fans.
14. IPL 2012
IPL 2012 was one of the most exciting seasons of the league. This season saw fans enjoy many thrilling last over matches and some future legends like Sunil Narine and Ajinkya Rahane rose to fame. Narine played a crucial role in helping KKR win their first IPL title. The final between KKR and CSK was a spectacular battle, where KKR chased down a target of 191 runs and won the title. One of the main attractions of this season was the intense rivalry.
13. IPL 2013
While IPL 2013 saw some exciting matches, the quality of the cricket was not much to speak of. CSK and MI dominated the entire season and eventually faced each other in the final. MI won the title by defeating CSK in a close final at Eden Gardens. The teams at the bottom of the points table played extremely poorly and were unable to put pressure on the stronger teams throughout the season. Also, significant spot-fixing and betting scandals marred the on-field play.
12. IPL 2014
IPL 2014 was one of the most exciting seasons for many reasons. Two of the best catches in IPL history were taken in this season. Chris Lynn took a brilliant catch to dismiss AB de Villiers against RCB, while Kieron Pollard showed his admirable sportsmanship and awareness of the game with a breathtaking catch against Rajasthan Royals. Another memorable moment of this season was KKR's comeback. They turned around a slow start and won eight consecutive matches on their way to the final.
The Gautam Gambhir-led side defeated Punjab Kings in a high-scoring final, securing victory with three wickets and three balls to spare while chasing a target of 200. For MI, Aditya Tarr's six against Rajasthan Royals helped them chase down the target of 190 in 14.3 overs and helped Rohit and his team qualify for the playoffs. With two runs needed off the last ball, Tarr hit a six off James Faulkner's delivery in his first over of the match. Also, Yusuf Pathan played an epic innings of 72 off 22 balls against SRH to help KKR stay in the top two of the points table.
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11. IPL 2015
IPL 2015 once again saw CSK and MI often crushing the other teams. The battle for the middle position in the points table was frustrating, and as a result the game was not as exciting as the fans had hoped. In the end, MI won their second title by defeating CSK in a one-sided final.
10. IPL 2016
Although CSK and RR did not play this season, the new franchise Gujarat Lions put in some impressive performances and finished the season at the top of the points table at the end of the league stage. However, SRH defeated them in Qualifier 2 to reach the final. In the final, the Orange Army won their first title by defeating RCB by just eight runs. Virat Kohli had a phenomenal season with the bat and finished the season with 973 runs in 16 matches, the highest in IPL history. MS Dhoni's 23 in the last over to win the match against Punjab Kings and AB de Villiers' 79* off 47 balls against Gujarat in Qualifier 1 when RCB were floundering at 29/5 are still fondly remembered.
9. IPL 2017
IPL 2017 lost two fan-favorite teams as CSK and RR were banned. Barring a few close matches, most of the matches were one-sided. The number of matches ending in last-over thrillers was not very high, which made IPL a fan-favorite. The pitches in Pune and Delhi were slow, and low-scoring matches were played there. Virat Kohli was also absent early in the season, which was disappointing for many. The new teams – Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions – failed to win over the fans. Everyone knew that this was their last season in the league, which made it difficult for them to connect with the teams.
8. IPL 2018
The return of CSK and RR after serving a two-year ban was one of the main attractions of IPL 2018. MS Dhoni had one of his best seasons with the bat and led the team to the title. Rishabh Pant also established himself as one of the most talented youngsters in Indian cricket and scored an astonishing 684 runs. Also, almost every team was in the play-offs till the last week of the competition. As a result, almost every match of this season was full of excitement.
7. IPL 2019
IPL 2019 was an unexpected success. Some of the notable moments of this season are still fresh in the memories of cricket fans. Ravichandran Ashwin's run-out of Jos Buttler from the non-striker's end sparked a debate in the cricketing circles about the 'spirit of the game'. David Warner and Jonny Bairstow formed a consistent partnership at the top of the batting order for Sunrisers Hyderabad and their understanding on the field was a sight to behold. The final match between arch-rivals CSK and MI was a thrilling contest. MI won the match by one run as Shardul Thakur was bowled out by Lasith Malinga's perfect yorker.
6. IPL 2020
While IPL 2020 featured some exciting matches, it was not much of a relief due to the restrictions imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament was shifted to the United Arab Emirates and no spectators were allowed to enter the stadiums. The players were kept in a bio-bubble throughout the season. Indian fans were glued to the television screens as they waited for quite some time to see their favourite players take to the field. There had been no series in India since March and the IPL started in September. This season saw fans witness some interesting battles. MI won their fifth title by defeating Delhi Capitals in the final.
5. IPL 2021
Although IPL 2021 started in India, the tournament was suspended midway on May 4 after several players and support staff tested positive for COVID-19. The tournament resumed in the United Arab Emirates a few months later. Apart from the return of CSK and KKR to the tournament, there was not much interesting happening this season. Chennai defeated KKR to win their fourth title.
4. IPL 2022
IPL 2022 saw spectators return to stadiums after most of the restrictions imposed during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis were lifted. Although the matches were held in India, the traditional home-away format was scrapped. Instead, the group stage matches of the tournament were played entirely in the state of Maharashtra, with Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune hosting the matches. The playoffs and final were held in Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Many of the matches in IPL 2022 were not exciting until the last minute. Despite having a large fan base, MI and CSK failed to do well in the tournament. Gujarat Titans won the title in their debut season. Another new team, Lucknow Super Giants, also made it to the playoffs. However, while their performance was commendable, according to some fans, the tournament lacked the fierce rivalry that had developed over time.
3. IPL 2023
According to many, IPL 2023 was the most entertaining season in the history of the league. This was the first time the home-away format returned after the Covid-19 era. Thirty-seven 200-plus runs were scored in that season, which was a record at the time. Rinku Singh's five sixes in the last five balls to win the match in the KKR vs GT match caught everyone's attention. Apart from Rinku, other youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Verma and Tushar Deshpande also made their mark.
In fact, Yashaswi smashed the fastest IPL half-century in just 13 balls against KKR. The league got a new Orange Cap winner, and this time it was India's batting wonder Shubman Gill. The play-off qualification also dragged on until the last few matches. RCB, MI, RR and LSG were in the running till the last stage of the round-robin phase. Dhoni's mania captivated the cricketing world as his fans painted every stadium yellow. The social media frenzy and on-field drama kept the fans spellbound.
2. IPL 2024
Many fans have termed IPL 2024 as the most boring season in the history of the league. This is because most of the pitches at venues like Eden Gardens, Wankhede Stadium, Arun Jaitley Stadium and Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium were flat, where the bowlers did not get much help. Fans love to see fours and sixes, but most of them also enjoy a fair fight between bat and ball. However, IPL 2024 was mainly a season of batsmen's dominance and bowlers' desperate efforts to maintain their relevance. Kolkata Knight Riders won the title for the third time by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final.
1. IPL 2025
The 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League was a highly competitive and dramatic season, making it a memorable one for cricket fans. The competition between the teams in IPL 2025 was fierce, with almost every match being a close one, with the excitement continuing till the last over.
The biggest attraction of this season has been the outstanding performance of the young players. Many new faces have won matches with their talent and emerged as future stars. At the same time, experienced players have also taken charge at crucial times and led the team to victory.
The batting in IPL 2025 was very aggressive. 200 or more runs were easily chased in several matches. The openers set the pace of the match by scoring big runs in the Powerplay. The finishers, in particular, played a crucial role, changing the outcome of the match in the last few overs.
The bowling department also witnessed some impressive performances. The tactical bowling of yorkers, slower balls and spinners in the death overs decided the fate of the match.
All in all, IPL 2025 was a tournament that had record-breaking innings, the rise of youngsters, and dramatic wins and losses. The season once again proved why IPL is the most popular and competitive franchise league in world cricket.
Source :- ESPNcricinfo
FAQs
Which season is considered the most exciting in IPL history?
IPL 2023 and IPL 2025 are considered one of the best.
Why did IPL 2024 seem boring to some fans?
The bowlers received less support due to the flat pitch.
Where was IPL 2020 held?
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
What was the biggest attraction of IPL 2008?
Brendon McCullum's brilliant century in the opening match.
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