The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a men's Twenty20 cricket league held annually in India. The league has attracted a massive following among fans in India and globally. Cricket fans enjoy the league because of how competitive the teams are and how resilient the payers appear. Every team has loyal fans, but which IPL team has the most fans?
Cricket teams attract fans based on the number of title wins, top players, trophies, and home support. The conduct of players is also a huge factor, as no fan wants to support a team whose squad is known to have indisciplined or lethargic players.
Which IPL team has the most fans?
India is one of the best cricket nations in the world, and that alone makes their cricket league one of the most entertaining to follow. Most IPL teams enjoy nationwide support as their players are revered within and outside India. Below is a list of clubs with the biggest fanbase in IPL according to Cric Head:
1. Chennai Super Kings
Which IPL team has the most fans in the world? Known as CSK by fans, Chennai Super Kings is the club with the most following in the IPL. The cricket team, founded in 2008, has some of the best players not just in the Indian Cricket League but in the world.
Top players include MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ben Stokes, and Devon Conway. With about 3 million subscribers on YouTube, 12 million followers on Instagram, and 10 million followers on Twitter, the cricket club has the most online and offline fans.
2. Mumbai Indians
The second most followed IPL team will make you fall more in love with cricket, even as a casual fan. Mumbai Indians is not just a high-profile club; it has as many titles as Chennai Kings in the league.
Some of the club's best players include Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Cameron Green, and Arjun Tendulkar. Mumbai Indians have over 2.9 million subscribers on YouTube, 12 million followers on Instagram, and 8 million followers on Twitter.
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
As their name suggests, a match with this team is often a real challenge. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) was founded in 2008. This team is based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is one of the IPL teams with the largest fanbase.
Royal Challengers Bangalore is the third most followed club in the IPL, and for good reason. The team has the highest-paid cricketer in IPL history, Virat Kohli. The player's popularity affects the number of fans. Royal Challengers Bangalore has the most IPL centuries for any team, 13.
The team's social media following is among the top in the league, with the club having more than 3.6 million subscribers on YouTube, over 10 million followers on Instagram, and close to 7 million followers on Twitter.
4. Kolkata Knight Riders
The city of Kolkata brags about this very competitive team whenever cricket is discussed. Founded in 2008, the club is owned by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, actress Juhi Chawla and her spouse Jay Mehta.
Top players in the team include Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Mandeep Singh, and Lockie Ferguson. On YouTube, Kolkata Knight Riders have slightly above 1 million subscribers, 4 million followers on Instagram, and more than 5 million followers on Twitter.
5. Rajasthan Royals
Which IPL team has loyal fans? This club could not miss this list as it has had the most loyal fans since 2008. Rajasthan Royals (RR) won the first edition of the IPL in 2008 and have maintained their position among the top teams in the country.
2022 was another excellent year for the team as RR gained more fans thanks to their qualification to the final of the IPL in 2022. Top players in the team include Sanju Samson, who, interestingly enough, captained in the 2022 final. Other notable names are Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler.
In social media, the club has the most following on Instagram, where 3 million fans follow the team's account. YouTube and Twitter have a following of about 700k subscribers and 2.7 million followers, respectively.
6. Sunrisers Hyderabad
Founded in 2012, Sunrisers Hyderabad has had fast growth compared to other clubs in the league. Since winning its first title in 2016, the team has been a favourite in their state in Hyderabad and across India.
Some of the club's cricketers include Aiden Markram, Harry Brook, Heinrich Klaasen, Abhishek Sharma, and Umran Malik. The club’s Instagram and Twitter accounts have a little over 3 million followers on each platform, with their YoTube subscription heading towards a million.
7. Delhi Capitals
Which team is the most popular team in IPL? Delhi Capitals is one of the most popular teams in IPL. This team was founded in 2008. Rishabh Pant, David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar, and Yash Dhull are its top players.
The Delhi-based club has the biggest fans in the northern part of India. On social media, the club has a combined following of 7 million fans on both Instagram and Twitter and slightly more than 800k subscribers on YouTube.
8. Punjab Kings
To be treated like a king, you must carry yourself as such. This is the mantra the Mohali-based cricket club follows wherever they go. The club was founded in 2008 as the Kings XI Punjab and later changed its name to the current in February 2021.
The name change also came with a logo change, which was a good step in rebranding and connecting with fans. Top Punjab Kings' names are Shikhar Dhawan, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, and Arshdeep Singh.
On social media, the club has a combined 6 million followers on both Instagram and Twitter and a further half a million subscribers on YouTube.
9. Gujarat Titans
Gujarat Titans are like the new kids on the block and one of the most popular IPL teams. Founded in 2021, the team is still working on building its fan base and doing a great job while at it. Gujarat Titans won their first IPL titles in their first IPL season in 2022.
The club’s home ground is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Stadium in Motera. Top players include Mohit Sharma, Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami, and Rahul Tewatia. The team has a combined fan following of about 4 million followers across YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.
10. Lucknow Super Giants
Based in Lucknow, the Lucknow Super Giants is morphing into one of the cricket teams one must watch out for. With names like Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Marcus Stoinis in the squad, LSG is swiftly growing to be among fans' favourites in the cricket world.
Their social media presence may not be as massive as other teams, but Lucknow Super Giants already has close to 2 million followers on Instagram. Their Twitter followers are almost hitting 1 million, with YouTube lagging as they have less than 100k subscribers.
Which IPL team has the most fans? - Final word
The 2023 Indian Premier League matches may have ended, but that has not stopped cricket discussions among sports circles. When discussing which IPL team has the most fans, CSK and Mumbai Indians always emerge at the top.
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Many companies have acquired millions through football betting, advertising and selling football products. The world's wealthiest clubs make money through shirt sales, television rights, ticket sales, prize money, participation fees, and sponsorships.