Cricket

List of First-Time IPL Champions

A complete list of all IPL franchises that won the title for the first time, including the year, captain, and the significance of each maiden triumph.

8 itemsUpdated Mar 23, 2026

Every IPL season has delivered the joy of at least one team lifting the trophy for the very first time at some point in the tournament's history. Eight different franchises have been crowned first-time IPL champions across 18 seasons. The most emotional maiden win belongs to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2025 — after 18 long years, three final heartbreaks, and the unwavering loyalty of Virat Kohli. Gujarat Titans pulled off the fastest maiden triumph — winning in their very first IPL season in 2022. Deccan Chargers' maiden win in 2009, going from last place to champions, remains the greatest turnaround story for a first-time winner.

#	Name	Captain	Final opponent	Seasons waited	Year of maiden win
1	Rajasthan Royals — 2008 First Ever IPL Champions — Season 1 Rajasthan Royals became the first-ever IPL champions in the inaugural 2008 season under Shane Warne. Their maiden win came against all odds — they were the least backed team at the auction but produced one of sport's greatest underdog stories.	Shane Warne	Chennai Super Kings	1	2008
2	Deccan Chargers — 2009 Maiden Win in Season 2 Deccan Chargers won their maiden IPL title in 2009 — their second season — having finished last in 2008. The title, won in South Africa under Adam Gilchrist, remains the only IPL trophy in the franchise's history before their dissolution in 2012.	Adam Gilchrist	Royal Challengers Bangalore	2	2009
3	Chennai Super Kings — 2010 Maiden Win in Season 3 Chennai Super Kings won their maiden IPL title in their third season (2010) under MS Dhoni, defeating Mumbai Indians. It was the beginning of a dynasty — they would go on to win four more titles under the same captain.	MS Dhoni	Mumbai Indians	3	2010
4	Kolkata Knight Riders — 2012 Maiden Win in Season 5 Kolkata Knight Riders had been a high-profile yet underperforming franchise for four seasons before winning their maiden title in 2012 under Gautam Gambhir. The wait of 5 seasons before their first title was ended with a comprehensive final win over CSK.	Gautam Gambhir	Chennai Super Kings	5	2012
5	Mumbai Indians — 2013 Maiden Win in Season 6 Mumbai Indians — despite being one of the most high-profile franchises — had to wait until their sixth season to win their first title. Under Rohit Sharma's captaincy in 2013, they finally delivered, and then went on to become the most successful franchise in IPL history.	Rohit Sharma	Chennai Super Kings	6	2013
6	Sunrisers Hyderabad — 2016 Maiden Win in Season 4 (of SRH existence) Sunrisers Hyderabad, who replaced the defunct Deccan Chargers from 2013, won their maiden title in 2016 — their fourth IPL season — under David Warner. Their bowling-dominant approach suffocated a record-breaking RCB batting lineup in the final.	David Warner	Royal Challengers Bangalore	4	2016
7	Gujarat Titans — 2022 Fastest Maiden Win — Season 1 (Debut Season) Gujarat Titans became only the second team in IPL history to win the title in their very first season (after Rajasthan Royals in 2008). Hardik Pandya's debut as franchise captain produced an immediate championship — the fastest maiden win in IPL history.	Hardik Pandya	Rajasthan Royals	1	2022
8	Royal Challengers Bengaluru — 2025 Longest Wait for a Maiden IPL Title — 18 Seasons Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL in their 18th attempt in 2025, ending the longest wait for a maiden title in the tournament's history. Three previous final losses (2009, 2011, 2016) made the triumph under Rajat Patidar the most emotionally significant maiden win ever, especially for lifelong RCB servant Virat Kohli.	Rajat Patidar	Punjab Kings	18	2025

This list is compiled from verified public records and reference sources. Last verified: March 23, 2026.

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