The first season of the Indian Premier League was kick-started on 18th April 2008. The season came to an end on 1st June 2008, with Rajasthan Royals was the champions. Just like the football and basketball leagues in America, Tata Indian Premier League has a franchise-system for hiring players as well as for transfers. The franchises are auctioned off, with the highest bidder being the owner of a particular team.
Player Auction & ICON Players
After the formation of IPL, the first players' auction took place on 20th February 2008. Out of all the Indian players, IPL placed 'icon status' on a select few, namely Rahul Dravid, Saurav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, and Virender Sehwag. Initially, VVS Laxman was also given icon status, but he opted out of it voluntarily. The main reason behind it was provide his team Deccan Chargers) with more money to bid for players. Icon players are not bid upon and play for their home city only.
Inaugural Season
The inaugural season i.e. the first season of IPL T20 cricket started on 18th April 2008, in Bangalore - the IT Hub of India. In the season, a total of 59 matches were scheduled, spread over 46 days. Of the 59 matches, only 58 were played, one being disrupted by rain. All the eight teams played against each other twice, in a round robin system. After each of the team had played with the seven other teams twice, the top four ranking sides moved to semi-finals. The winners of the two semi-finals played the finals, with its outcome deciding the champions.
IPL Teams
There are a total of ten teams (two suspends) in the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 Cricket, namely:
- Bangalore Royal Challengers
- Kings XI Punjab
- Chennai Super Kings, terminates for 2016 and 2017
- Kolkata Knight Riders
- Sunrisers Hyderabad
- Mumbai Indians
- Delhi Daredevils
- Rajasthan Royals, terminates for 2016 and 2017
- Gujarat Lions, Only for 2016 and 2017
- Rising Pune SuperGiants, Only for 2016 and 2017
- Gujarat Titans, Added since 2022
- Lucknow Super Giants, Added since 2022
IPL Winner List
| Season | Winners | Runner-up | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings | 8 April to 1 June |
| 2009 | Hyderabad Deccan Chargers | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 18 April to 24 May |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians | 15 March to 24 April |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 8 April to 28 May |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Chennai Super Kings | 4 April to 27 May |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | 3 April to 26 May |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders | Kings XI Punjab | 16 April to 1 June |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | 8 April to 24 May |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Royal Challengers Bangalore | 9 April to 29 May |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians | Rising Pune Supergiants | 5 April to 21 May |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 7 April to 27 May |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings | 23 March to 12 May |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians | Delhi Capitals | 19 Sept. to 10 Nov. |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders | 9 April to 15 Oct. |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans | Rajasthan Royals | 26 March to 29 May |
| 2023 | Chennai Super Kings | Gujarat Titans | 31 March to 29 May |
