Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have won five IPL titles each since 2008
Be it the Indian Premier League (IPL) or any other sports league in the world, there is always a team or two who are hailed as the big teams. There’s nothing wrong with giving them the tag because they have earned it by winning titles. In the case of the IPL, Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are hailed as the big teams because they are the only IPL teams to have lifted two IPL titles each.
However, in the present era, can CSK and MI be called the biggest teams in the IPL, or is the IPL past that perception?
In 2008, the IPL started as a tournament with eight teams. In later years, several teams joined to become a nine-team or 10-team tournament. However, those teams did not spend too much time in the tournament, and therefore, their presence wasn’t felt much by the regular members.
However, in 2022, the scenario changed. Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants joined IPL, and unlike other teams in the past, these two newcomers have enough monetary backing to stay afloat in the tournament irrespective of their results.
The tournament has grown to be more competitive than ever. For example, in 2022, Gujarat Titans lifted the trophy in its debut year. On the other hand, Lucknow Super Giants finished third.
Even in 2023, Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants finished in the top four. And it is not only about these two new joinees, but other teams have upped their game as well.
The dynamics have shifted towards other teams from Chennai and Mumbai because if you look at the points table since 2022, the game has become a close call for every team, trying to seek a place in the top four.
There has been a massive reshuffle in the team line-ups, and last season, seven teams won seven games or more. Even in 2023, six teams won seven or more games.
Even teams such as Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, which are usually considered the weakest of the lot, have found ways to rise up the order, creating upsets now and then.
Once upon a time, Chennai and Mumbai were the two most dominant sides, and they were always expected to finish in the top four, and they did so often in almost every season.
However, since 2022, Chennai and Mumbai have lost that spark, finishing ninth and tenth, respectively. In 2023, Chennai lifted the trophy but slipped to fifth place in 2024. Mumbai, too, has witnessed a dip in performance.
If we look at Chennai, the team relies on former CSK members to bring them in, whereas Mumbai, which is under a new captaincy and new combinations, hasn’t had the same success.
Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings no longer scare opponents as they used to. In the ongoing season, it’s anybody’s game, which is already evident given that Mumbai and Chennai are languishing at the bottom of the table.
In our book of thoughts, the reigns of CSK and MI are over, and the IPL is now more of a level playing field for every team.
