6 teams that have qualified for the playoffs for the most number of times

Indian Premier League has seen the participation of 13 different teams ever since its inception in 2008. Five of the teams were terminated for various reasons over the years. Two of the teams came temporarily as a replacement for Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals who were serving a two-year ban.

In the 11 years, the league has come a long way and has quickly risen above the ranks to be the best cricket tournament in the world. 6 of the 13 participating teams have won at least once and 5 of the IPL winning teams are still active in the league.

After 11 seasons of the IPL, here are the 6 teams that have qualified for the playoffs for the most number of times:

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#6 Sunrisers Hyderabad (4 times)

Sunrisers Hyderabad were inducted in the IPL in the 2013 season as a replacement for the now-defunct franchise Deccan Chargers. Sunrisers Hyderabad has been silent killers in the league over the years and is the only team that doesn't boast of many star players.

The Hyderabad based franchise has qualified for the playoffs in the 4 of the 6 season that they have been part of the league. Their best finish came in the 2018 season where they finished at the top of the table winning 9 of the 14 league stage matches.

Sunrisers Hyderabad played their only IPL final in 2016 and went on to clinch the title, beating the favorites Royal Challengers Bangalore.

#5 Rajasthan Royals (4 times)

Rajasthan Royals, the winners of the first season of the IPL have looked ordinary after the inaugural season. After the first season, they failed to qualify for the playoffs for 4 seasons in a row. The team was banned from the tournament in 2016 and 2017 and returned in the 2018 season to make a strong statement.

Overall in the IPL, they have qualified for the playoffs 4 times. Their best season came in 2008, where they finished at the top of the table after winning 11 of the 14 league stage matches. They played their only final in 2008 and won it to become the first team to win the IPL.

#4 Royal Challengers Bangalore (5 times)

Royal Challengers Bangalore has been the unluckiest team in the IPL. The team has always struggled to make it to the playoffs in spite of building one of the best teams in the IPL every single season. The team has had some of the biggest names in the world like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, and Chris Gayle among others, but is yet to win an IPL title.

In the 11 season so far, they have qualified for the playoffs 5 times. Their best season came in IPL 2016 where they finished 2nd on the points table and emerged as the runner-ups.

Royal Challengers have played in 3 IPL finals in 2009, 2011 and 2016 respectively, but have unfortunately lost all of them.

#3 Kolkata Knight Riders (6 times)

Kolkata Knight Riders started the IPL on a low, failing to qualify for the playoffs in the first three seasons itself. Their fortunes changed when Gautam Gambhir joined them in IPL 2011. The team qualified for the playoffs in the 5 of the 7 seasons that he captained them.

Overall the team has qualified for the playoffs 6 times in the 11 seasons. They have never finished on the top of the points table so far. Their best finish came in the 2012 and 2014 seasons where they finished 2nd on the points table and went on to win the title both the times. They have played in 2 IPL finals and have won both of them.

#2 Mumbai Indians (7 times)

Mumbai Indians has been the most uncertain team in the IPL. The team is known for pulling off unexpected wins and qualifying for the playoffs at the last moment. Mumbai Indians failed to qualify for the playoffs in the first two seasons of the IPL but have been consistent in the last 9 years.

In the last 11 years, they have qualified for the playoffs 7 times. The Rohit Sharma led side missed to make it for the 8th time by a whisker in the 2018 season. They have finished at the top of the table twice, in 2010 and 2017 respectively. Their best IPL season came in 2017 where they won 10 of the 14 league stage matches and went on to win the title.

Mumbai Indians have played in 4 IPL finals and have won three times in 2013, 2015 and 2017 respectively.

#1 Chennai Super Kings (9 times)

Chennai Super Kings has been the most consistent teams in the IPL. The team has qualified for the playoffs in every single season they have participated in the tournament. They are the only team to have a 100% playoffs qualification record.

The team which got suspended for two years has played in 9 seasons of the 11 seasons of the IPL. The Chennai team has been led by MS Dhoni since the inception of the tournament in 2008 and has been the most dominating teams so far.

They have finished on the top of the table twice, in the 2013 and the 2015 season. Chennai Super Kings have played in 6 IPL finals and have lifted the trophy twice, in 2010 and 2011 respectively.