The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL Live Stream UK) kicked off in late March and has had some riveting matches so far with the top teams making early claims at the top of the table.
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings, two of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL, failed to qualify even for the playoffs last year and the former have begun the season with two losses. Gujarat Titans, a team, which was playing its first season in the championship, rose like a phoenix from the ashes and won the tournament last year and look good to continue their momentum this year.
Hardik Pandya was also named as the Indian skipper for the three-match T20I series against Dasun Shanaka’s Sri Lanka following the IPL triumph. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the Indian team management showed faith in Hardik to handle leadership duties.
As far as the IPL is concerned, it started way back in 2008 and has own grown in stature. After Brendon McCullum scored a hundred for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, the IPL hasn’t looked back.
The Royals, who won that tournament that year under the leadership of the Late Shane Warne, are yet to win a title since then.
Mumbai Indians happen to be the most successful IPL team, having won five IPL titles in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, although in the previous two seasons, they failed to go through to the next round.
The Super Kings are the second-most successful IPL team, having won the championship four times. In 2020, the Men in Yellow failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in the history of the IPL. But in 2021, CSK came back to win the title after beating the Knight Riders in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
After CSK and MI, KKR happen to be the third-most successful team, having won the title two times in 2012 and 2014 under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership.