Most consecutive wins in IPL history

KKR 2015. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has given a lot of wonderful moments to its supporters in the last 15 years. In 2008, when it was started, the underrated Rajasthan Royals (RR) pulled off the trophy under their dashing skipper, the late Shane Warne. During their campaign, they showed fabulous consistency and set the feat of winning the most games in the league round (in 14 matches). The record was under RR’s grasp till 2014 as Punjab Kings (PBKS) equalled their record by winning 11 matches.

In the inaugural edition, Royals also stunned five other teams, including heavyweights Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) and won six consecutive games in the league round to advance to the knockouts. Their back-to-back six victories helped them gain confidence and outclass their rivals Capitals and CSK in the semi-final and final respectively to lift the trophy. After the 15 editions of the league, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are holding the record for the longest winning streak, bagging 10 games in a row in the 2014 IPL. 

Let’s look at the teams with the most consecutive wins in the IPL:

9. Mumbai Indians- 6 wins (2017)

Mumbai Indians 2017. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

In 2017, Mumbai Indians (MI) won their third title after defeating Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS) in the final by just one run. Under their captain, Rohit Sharma, the team played an aggressive brand of cricket throughout the tournament and emerged as the champions. 

The Men in Blue kicked off their campaign against RPS with a seven-wicket loss, but in the next six games, they showed a merciless approach towards their rivals. Following their loss at the hands of Pune, MI hosted Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Wankhede Stadium and clinched a four-wicket victory.

The win against Knight Riders gave them confidence and they continued the momentum in the next five matches, thrashing Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Gujarat Lions (GL), Punjab Kings (PBKS), and Delhi Capitals (DC). Their winning streak came to an end with a three-run loss against RPS.

8. Chennai Super Kings- 6 wins (2014)

Chennai Super Kings 2014. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the second most successful side in the league with four titles. Under their skipper MS Dhoni, Super Kings have unprecedented records to their name. In 2014, their journey ended in the Playoffs, losing to the season’s runner-up Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Qualifier Two.

However, during their campaign, Super Kings added an incredible achievement to their name. After losing to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six wickets in their opening match, they showed courage and delivered an amazing result to their fans with their incredible performances in the next six matches.

In their second game, they came heavily on Delhi Capitals to register a convincing 93-run win. The massive triumph worked as a confidence booster for Super Kings as they pummelled quality sides Rajasthan Royals (RR), Mumbai Indians (MI), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead. Their winning streak ended in their eighth game of the competition as they lost to PBKS for the second time in the competition.

7. Rajasthan Royals- 6 wins (2008)

Rajasthan Royals. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

As discussed earlier, Rajasthan Royals (RR) looked incredible in the inaugural edition of the tournament and became the first champions of the league under Shane Warne. During their spectacular competition, they also won six consecutive matches in the league round before heading to the knockouts.

After racking up 10 points with five victories in the first half of the league round, RR were looking forward to reserving their berths for the semi-finals. Following a seven-wicket humiliating defeat at the hands of Mumbai Indians (MI), RR came back to the track with their eight-wicket victory against Deccan Chargers (DC). 

After the comprehensive win against the Chargers, Royals vanquished Delhi Capitals (DC), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and Mumbai Indians (MI) and topped the points table. However, before making it to the knockouts, they lost to Punjab Kings (PBKS) and set up a victory streak of six wins.

6. Mumbai Indians- 6 wins (2008)

Mumbai Indians 2008. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

In the inaugural IPL season, Mumbai Indians started their season with four consecutive losses. In the absence of the-then regular captain, Sachin Tendulkar, the team management believed in the leadership skills of Harbhajan Singh. However, Mumbai couldn’t do anything special under the spin wizard as they lost their first three games.

In the fourth match, Shaun Pollock held the reins of the team but things didn’t change as they suffered a humiliating 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Deccan Chargers. After losing four games in a row, MI faced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens. Under the Protea, the Men in Blue thrashed the hosts by seven wickets and clinched their first victory of the league.

Following their first win, they got bigger in the tournament with their triumph in the next five matches. After claiming six consecutive wins, their chariot of victory stopped with a one-run loss at the hands of Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Wankhede Stadium, in Mumbai. 

5. Kolkata Knight Riders- 6 wins (2012)

KKR 2012. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won their maiden title under Gautam Gambhir. Under the veteran, the team played fearless cricket throughout the tournament and lifted the prestigious cup at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. However, things weren’t easy for Gambhir and Co. as they were struggling in the round-robin stage with only two wins in five games. 

After losing a close contest to Punjab Kings (PBKS) by two runs in their fifth game of the competition, KKR were looking to make a solid comeback in the next game against the same side. This time, the skipper led from the front and took the team home by eight wickets with his unbeaten 66 runs off just 44 deliveries.

The comprehensive win raised the confidence of Knight Riders as they went on to win their next matches against Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Pune Warriors India, and Delhi Capitals (DC) comfortably.  

4. Royal Challengers Bangalore- 7 wins (2011)

RCB 2011. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

During the 2011 edition of the IPL, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) showcased one of their best performances ever and ended up as the runners-up. However, their journey to the final was not simple as they were trailing in the tournament with three losses in five initial games. In their sixth match, Chris Gayle joined the camp and changed the fate of the team with his superb batting.

Riding on the Caribbean’s batter’s maiden ton, RCB won the match against KKR by nine wickets. After the huge victory, the Challengers moved to the-then Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium (Arun Jaitley Stadium) and thrashed Delhi Capitals by three wickets A couple of wins emboldened the team and they emerged as the dangerous side in the tournament.

After bagging two matches, Challengers came hard on their opponents in the next five matches and claimed colossal wins. At the end of the round-robin stage, RCB’s seven back-to-back triumphs helped them to rule the points chart with nine wins and four losses in 14 matches.  

3. Chennai Super Kings- 7 wins (2013)

Chennai Super Kings 2013. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

In 2013, MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) concluded their campaign as runners-up after losing to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the final at Eden Gardens. Their attendance in the decider in Kolkata marked their fourth consecutive appearance in the final of the league, which is still a record in the tournament. 

Discussing their journey from the start, Super Kings looked ordinary in the initial matches of the tournament, with two victories in the first four matches. However, after the loss against Pune, they improved their game plan and won seven games in a row. In their next match against Delhi Capitals (DC), they looked outstanding in all the departments and won the game by 86 runs.

The victory powered Super Kings as they pulled off their next six matches comfortably. These triumphs played a crucial part in Super Kings’ domination in the points chart with 11 victories and five losses. At the end of the tournament, they couldn’t take the trophy home but created an incredible feat.

2. Punjab Kings- 8 wins (2013-14)

PBKS 2013. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Adam Gilchrist was leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) for the last time in the 2013 edition of the league. Under the Aussie legend, the team couldn’t perform up to expectations and concluded their campaign in the sixth spot on the points table with just eight wins. However, they exited the tournament on a positive note with three consecutive victories in their last three matches.

In 2014, George Bailey held the reins of the team and took the side to the final of the tournament. With talented players such as (Captain) Bailey, Virender Sehwag, David Miller, Mitchell Johnson, Shaun Marsh, and Wriddhiman Saha, the team performed exceptionally and became the runners-up.

Earlier, in the competition, the team kicked off their campaign with five back-to-back victories. After achieving eight victories on a trot (three in 2013 and five in 2014), they are now the second-most successful team in terms of most consecutive wins in the history of the league.

1. Kolkata Knight Riders – 10 wins (2014-15)

KKR 2014. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Gautam Gambhir-led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad won their second title in 2014 with their last-over win against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the final at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Their incredible journey started with a comprehensive win against the defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) by 41 runs.

However, after the first half of the league round, they found themselves in danger with only two wins and four losses in seven games. To qualify for the Playoffs, they were required to be at their best in the remaining matches. Realising their responsibility, Gambhir and the boys put up an exemplary show for their fans, winning their last seven games of the league round.

The back-to-back wins in the round-robin stage boosted their confidence and they succeeded in winning Qualifier 1 and the final and became the champions for the second time. In 2015, they beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in the maiden game of the tournament and won the 10th game in a trot. They lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their next match at their home ground Eden Gardens and set the feat of 10 consecutive wins in the league.