IPL's Most Successful Franchises: Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians with 5 Titles Each
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have each won 5 IPL titles — the most by any franchise. CSK: 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023. MI: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020. Together they account for 10 of the 16 IPL titles (through 2023). CSK is known as 'Yellow Army' and is widely considered the most loved franchise in India. MI is the most valuable franchise ($1.8 billion). Their rivalry is considered the biggest in Indian cricket.
The IPL has been dominated by two franchises: Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. Between them, they have won 10 of the 16 IPL titles (through 2023). The CSK vs MI IPL final or qualifier match is the most-watched domestic cricket fixture in the world.
Chennai Super Kings
CSK have won the IPL 5 times (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023) under MS Dhoni's captaincy. They have the highest qualification rate for the IPL playoffs (qualified in all but 2 seasons — suspended 2016–17). Known for their shrewd auction strategy: CSK retains experienced players longer than other franchises and prioritises conditions-specific selection. Their Chepauk home ground in Chennai provides one of cricket's most vocal home crowds (the 'Yellow Army'). CSK's 2023 title win (vs Gujarat Titans, Dhoni hit the winning runs) came in Dhoni's likely final full IPL season — watched by 80 million viewers in India.
Mumbai Indians
MI have won 5 IPL titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020) — the most recent three under Rohit Sharma's captaincy. MI are the most analytically advanced franchise in the IPL: they invest heavily in data science and performance analysis. They identified and developed Jasprit Bumrah (who debuted in the IPL at 19 for MI), Hardik Pandya, and Suryakumar Yadav before these players became India internationals. Their Wankhede home is the second-most atmospheric cricket stadium in India. MI were valued at approximately $1.8 billion in 2022 — the highest of any cricket franchise globally.
Frequently asked questions
Why was CSK suspended for two years in 2016–17, and how did the franchise recover to win the 2018 IPL title?
CSK suspension 2016–17: cause and recovery. Chennai Super Kings were suspended from the IPL for 2 years (2016 and 2017) following the findings of the Lodha Committee report on the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. The background: the 2013 IPL had been rocked by a spot-fixing scandal involving players from Rajasthan Royals and CSK officials. N Srinivasan, the BCCI president at the time, was also the owner of the CSK franchise through his company India Cements. His son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was found guilty of illegal betting on IPL matches by the Lodha Committee. The punishment: CSK and Rajasthan Royals were suspended from the IPL for 2 years (2016 and 2017). Most of CSK's contracted players were dispersed to other franchises (Rising Pune Supergiant, which existed only in 2016–17 to absorb CSK players). Dhoni captained Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017 — reaching the 2017 IPL final (lost to Mumbai Indians by 1 run). The recovery: when CSK returned in 2018, the franchise used a combination of retained players (Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh) and targeted auction purchases to rebuild. They won the 2018 IPL title (beating Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final). The 2018 win was widely regarded as one of the great comeback stories in cricket: a franchise suspended for corruption allegations returning and winning immediately. Key to the recovery: Dhoni's loyalty to CSK (he could have become more attractive to other franchises during the suspension) and CSK's aggressive retention of core players post-suspension.