IPL Teams 2021 – Who Are The IPL Team Owners?

IPL History

There have been 13 IPL seasons so far. It was founded in the late-2000s as a response to the Indian Cricket League (ICL), which was not recognised by the BCCI or ICC.

The ICL was treated as a rebel league, with lifetime bans handed to players who participated.

September 2007 saw the IPL announced. Lalit Modi, who is often credited with the idea, explained how the competition would work, where the funding would come from and how teams could compose their squads.

This moment was obviously met with a blend of scepticism and excitement throughout the cricketing world.

The BCCI claimed this was a long-term plan, and not a response to the ICL. The Indian Cricket League folded in 2008, while the IPL was an immediate success, with the franchises being sold for almost double their combined base prices.

Expansion came after a couple of seasons with Pune Warriors India and Kochi Tuskers Kerala, but neither team hung around.

The league has had its fair share of low points – notably the betting scandal which saw the Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals suspended for two seasons.

Current IPL Teams

Former IPL Teams

There are five extinct IPL teams. The Kochi Tuskers Kerala had the shortest stint in the competition, surviving just one season after joining as part of the 2011 expansion.

The Kochi-based franchise finished down in eighth, resulting in group stage elimination. Bickering between the owners meant the franchise did not pay their 10% bank guarantee in 2011.

The board of the IPL made multiple efforts to contact them with no response – in September 2011, it was announced the team had been terminated and their players entered the auction.

The Deccan Chargers are the best-known of the extinct teams, having won the competition in 2009.

Deccan had stars including Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara and Dale Steyn, but the franchise dissolved in 2012. Financial troubles could not be overcome and there was no suitable bid to buy the franchise.

Pune Warriors India, like Kochi, arrived in the expansion. They hung around for two more seasons, but they folded in 2013 after a disagreement with the league over the annual franchise fee.

It wasn’t a successful spell in the IPL either, finishing in the bottom two in each of their campaigns.

When Chennai and Rajasthan were banned for two seasons, Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions stepped in. The two new franchises competed for the 2016 and 2017 seasons, with Rising Pune losing the 2017 final by one run.

Most Successful IPL Team

The Mumbai Indians have topped IPL betting odds in recent years and with good reason. Mumbai has won the tournament on five occasions, four of which have come in the last six seasons.

Chennai Super Kings are the only other franchise to have won the IPL more than twice – Chennai last won the competition in 2018 and fell to the Indians in the 2019 final.

Captained by Rohit Sharma, coached by Mahela Jayawardene and with arguably the best white-ball bowler in the world in Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai is set up for further success.

Widely considered the best T20 team ever, the Mumbai franchise have been home to stars aplenty, including Sachin Tendulkar, Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh, Mitchell Johnson and Ricky Ponting.

IPL 2021 Auction

The 2021 IPL auction will take place on February 18th. All eight franchises have already announced their lists of retained and released players.

Ben Stokes and Pat Cummins, two of the most expensive players in IPL history, were among the stars retained by their respective teams.

The Rajasthan Royals, home to Stokes, also retained fellow England stars Jofra Archer and Jos Buttler. Rajasthan had a disappointing IPL in 2020 – the Royals will be active in the 2021 auction.

Plenty of big names are up for grabs in the 2021 IPL auction. Steve Smith, Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and Nathan Coulter-Nile are just four Australian internationals who will be available.

Moeen Ali, Jason Roy, Tom Banton and Tom Curran are all hoping to be picked up, too.

IPL 2022 Teams

Late in 2020, the IPL AGM approved two new teams for the 2022 season.

This would take the competition to a 10-team format again (which it was briefly earlier in its existence) – there are thought to be at least four ‘corporate giants’ interested in owning a franchise.

At this stage, there’s limited information on the potential new teams. This will likely mean an increase in the number of matches, which could throw up logistical issues, and it will be interesting to see where they are located.

Given the continued success of the IPL, expansion presents a great opportunity for players all over the world who might have previously missed out.