The Tournament Within the Tournament
Eighteen IPL seasons have produced eighteen finals. No other format of cricket concentrates drama so efficiently: two months of league matches, two weeks of playoffs, one night when everything matters. The IPL final is cricket's highest-pressure single-day contest — higher than any ODI final, more immediately decisive than any Test match.
This is the complete record of every final, with the decisive moment that determined each outcome.
All 18 Finals: The Complete Record
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Score (W) | Score (RU) | Margin | Decisive moment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | CSK | Won by 3 wkts | 163/5 | 3 wickets | Yusuf Pathan sixes, over 19 |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers | RCB | 143/6 | 137/9 | 6 runs | Vaas last ball |
| 2010 | CSK | MI | 168/5 | 146/9 | 22 runs | Suresh Raina 73* |
| 2011 | CSK | RCB | 205/5 | 147/8 | 58 runs | Murali Vijay 95 |
| 2012 | KKR | CSK | Won by 5 wkts | 190/3 | 5 wickets | Manvinder Bisla 89* |
| 2013 | MI | CSK | Won by 23 runs | 148/9 | 23 runs | Malinga 2 wkts in over 19 |
| 2014 | KKR | KXIP | Won by 3 wkts | 199/4 | 3 wickets | Morne Morkel 3 wkts |
| 2015 | MI | CSK | 202/5 | 161/8 | 41 runs | Malinga 4/26 |
| 2016 | SRH | RCB | 208/7 | 200/7 | 8 runs | Warner 69 + Narine final over |
| 2017 | MI | RPS | Won by 1 run | 129/8 | 1 run | Krunal Pandya defended final ball |
| 2018 | CSK | SRH | Won by 8 wkts | 204/5 | 8 wickets | Shane Watson 117* |
| 2019 | MI | CSK | Won by 1 run | 149/8 | 1 run | Bumrah defended final ball |
| 2020 | MI | DC | Won by 5 wkts | 156/7 | 5 wickets | Ryan Rickelton 33* |
| 2021 | CSK | KKR | 192/3 | 165/9 | 27 runs | Faf du Plessis 86 |
| 2022 | GT | RR | Won by 7 wkts | 130/9 | 7 wickets | Hardik Pandya 34* |
| 2023 | CSK | GT | Won by 5 wkts | 214/9 | 5 wickets | Sanju Samson 47* |
| 2024 | KKR | SRH | Won by 8 wkts | 113 | 8 wickets | Mitchell Starc 3/14 |
| 2025 | RCB | SRH | Won by 6 wkts | 210/5 | 6 wickets | Kohli 72 + Hazlewood 3 wkts |
The Three Greatest Finals
2017 — MI vs Rising Pune Supergiant (1 run)
The tightest final in IPL history. RPS needed 2 off the final ball to win. MS Dhoni — the greatest finisher in T20 history — was on strike. Krunal Pandya bowled it. Dhoni hit it to deep midwicket. One run. MI won by one. The moment crystallised why T20 finals produce more drama per delivery than any other cricket format.
2012 — KKR vs CSK (5 wickets)
The 2012 final is remembered not for the result but for the innings that created it. Manvinder Bisla — a wicketkeeper batter who had barely featured in the 2012 season — was promoted up the order by Gautam Gambhir when KKR were chasing 191. Bisla scored 89 not out off 48 balls, one of the most explosive finals innings in IPL history. CSK had no answer. The surprise promotion, the unknown batter destroying a world-class bowling attack — it remains the most unexpected performance in an IPL final.
2018 — CSK vs SRH (8 wickets)
Watson's 117 not out transformed a chase into an exhibition. CSK needed 179 to win. Watson scored 117 not out off 57 balls and was there at the end — the highest individual score in any IPL final. The innings was particularly significant because it came on CSK's return from their two-year ban: Watson provided the definitive statement that CSK had returned, not merely survived.
Title Distribution
| Franchise | Titles | Finals | Win % in finals |
|---|---|---|---|
| MI | 5 | 7 | 71.4% |
| CSK | 5 | 10 | 50.0% |
| KKR | 3 | 3 | 100% |
| SRH | 1 | 3 | 33.3% |
| GT | 1 | 2 | 50.0% |
| RCB | 1 | 4 | 25.0% |
| RR | 1 | 2 | 50.0% |
| DC (Chargers) | 1 | 1 | 100% |
KKR's 100% final win rate (3 from 3) is the most remarkable statistic in this table — no team has reached and lost an IPL final more than Kolkata Knight Riders. They have appeared in three finals in 2012, 2014, and 2024 and won all three.
FAQ
Q: Which IPL final had the smallest margin of victory?
The 2017 and 2019 IPL finals both ended with a 1-run margin — the smallest possible winning margin in cricket. Both were won by Mumbai Indians: in 2017 over Rising Pune Supergiant (Krunal Pandya defended the last ball against MS Dhoni), and in 2019 over Chennai Super Kings (Bumrah defended the last ball against Shardul Thakur).
Q: What is the highest individual score in an IPL final?
Shane Watson scored 117 not out off 57 balls for Chennai Super Kings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 IPL final — the highest individual score in any IPL final in history.
Q: Which team has won the most IPL finals without losing?
Kolkata Knight Riders have the best record in IPL finals, having appeared in three finals (2012, 2014, 2024) and won all three — a 100% final win rate.