IPL: Full list of winners in opening matches of tournament over the years

CSK, with nine appearances, have played the most number of opening matches in IPL history

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League, i.e. IPL 2025 has begun with the opening match of the event seeing the ROyal Challengers Bengaluru cruising to a comfortable 7-wicket win against the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Garden on March 22.  Notably after 17 seasons only on three ocassions teams winning the opening game went on to lift the trophy. CSK achieved this feat twice in 2011 and 2018, while KKR achieved this mile stone back in 2014. Apar from them, on two teams winning the opening game eneded as the runner-ups, i.e., CSK in 2019 and GT in 2023. 

Check IPL 2025 Match 4: DC vs LSG live score, match updates, full scorecard here

 

      Now let us take a look at all the winners of IPL opening games in the last 17 editions.   

IPL 2008: Kolkata Knight Riders 

In the inaugural match of IPL 2008, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) dominated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) with a resounding 140-run victory at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru. Brendon McCullum's explosive 158 not out set the tone for the entire tournament, creating a record that stood tall for many years. RCB's response was lacklustre, bowled out for just 82 runs.

 

IPL 2009: Mumbai Indians 

With the tournament shifted to South Africa, Mumbai Indians (MI) triumphed over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 19 runs at Newlands, Cape Town. Sachin Tendulkar led MI's batting effort, while Lasith Malinga's fiery bowling restricted CSK in their chase.

 

IPL 2010: Kolkata Knight Riders 

KKR clinched a narrow 11-run win against Deccan Chargers at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai. Sourav Ganguly's leadership and a disciplined bowling effort saw KKR edge out the defending champions in a close contest.

 

IPL 2011: Chennai Super Kings 

CSK began their title defence with a thrilling 2-run victory over KKR at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Despite Jacques Kallis' steady innings, Doug Bollinger's effective death-over bowling ensured CSK's triumph in a gripping finish.

 

IPL 2012: Mumbai Indians 

MI defeated CSK in a low-scoring encounter at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, winning by 8 wickets. Lasith Malinga's brilliance with the ball dismantled CSK's batting order, and a quick start from Richard Levi sealed the game for MI.

 

IPL 2013: Kolkata Knight Riders 

KKR began their title defence strongly, beating Delhi Daredevils by 6 wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Sunil Narine's spin magic choked Delhi's batting, and KKR's batters chased down the target comfortably.

 

IPL 2014: Kolkata Knight Riders 

KKR outclassed Mumbai Indians by 41 runs at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Jacques Kallis’ all-round performance and Sunil Narine's spin ensured KKR's dominance in the match, setting the tone for a successful season.

 

IPL 2015: Kolkata Knight Riders 

KKR defeated Mumbai Indians again, this time by 7 wickets at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Gautam Gambhir led the chase with a composed innings, while KKR’s bowlers restricted MI’s powerful line-up effectively.

 

IPL 2016: Rising Pune Supergiant 

Making their debut, Rising Pune Supergiant (RPSG) stunned MI with a 9-wicket win at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Ajinkya Rahane's classy batting and RPSG’s disciplined bowling performance marked a memorable start for the new franchise.

 

IPL 2017: Sunrisers Hyderabad 

SRH defeated RCB by 35 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad. Yuvraj Singh's explosive innings propelled SRH to a strong total, while their bowlers dismantled RCB’s line-up effectively, securing a convincing win.

 

IPL 2018: Chennai Super Kings 

Returning from suspension, CSK pulled off a thrilling 1-wicket victory against MI at the Wankhede Stadium. Dwayne Bravo's late fireworks rescued CSK from a difficult position, marking a remarkable comeback for the franchise.

 

IPL 2019: Chennai Super Kings 

CSK crushed RCB by 7 wickets in a spin-dominated match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Harbhajan Singh and Imran Tahir's combined spin assault restricted RCB to a meagre total of 70 runs, which CSK chased comfortably.

 

IPL 2020: Chennai Super Kings 

In the UAE edition of IPL, CSK defeated MI by 5 wickets at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi. Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu's steady partnership anchored CSK’s chase, giving them a solid start to the season.

 

IPL 2021: Royal Challengers Bangalore 

RCB edged out MI in a thrilling last-ball finish, winning by 2 wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. AB de Villiers' composed innings and Harshal Patel's five-wicket haul highlighted RCB's gritty performance.

 

IPL 2022: Kolkata Knight Riders 

KKR beat CSK by 6 wickets in the season opener at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Umesh Yadav’s fiery bowling and a composed chase from KKR’s batting line-up ensured a comfortable victory.

 

IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans 

In their debut IPL season, Gujarat Titans stunned CSK by 5 wickets at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad. Shubman Gill's impressive batting display and a disciplined bowling effort helped GT make a strong first impression.

 

IPL 2024: Chennai Super Kings 

CSK defeated RCB by 6 wickets at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, showcasing their dominance once again. Ruturaj Gaikwad’s steady innings and Ravindra Jadeja’s all-round brilliance guided CSK to a solid victory.  IPL 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru/ Kolkata Knight Riders  The ongoing match between RCB and KKR saw the Royal Challengers Bengaluru take home a 7-wicket win on the night at Eden Gardens    Full list of IPL opening match winners and their final standing: 

Year	Matchup	Venue	Winner	Margin of Victory	Winner's Final Position
2008	KKR vs RCB	M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru	Kolkata Knight Riders	140 runs	6th
2009	MI vs CSK	Newlands, Cape Town	Mumbai Indians	19 runs	7th
2010	KKR vs Deccan Chargers	Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai	Kolkata Knight Riders	11 runs	6th
2011	CSK vs KKR	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	Chennai Super Kings	2 runs	Champions
2012	MI vs CSK	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	Mumbai Indians	8 wickets	4th
2013	KKR vs Delhi Daredevils	Eden Gardens, Kolkata	Kolkata Knight Riders	6 wickets	7th
2014	KKR vs MI	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Kolkata Knight Riders	41 runs	Champions
2015	KKR vs MI	Eden Gardens, Kolkata	Kolkata Knight Riders	7 wickets	5th
2016	MI vs RPSG	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai	Rising Pune Supergiant	9 wickets	7th
2017	SRH vs RCB	Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad	Sunrisers Hyderabad	35 runs	4th
2018	MI vs CSK	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai	Chennai Super Kings	1 wicket	Champions
2019	CSK vs RCB	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	Chennai Super Kings	7 wickets	Runners-up
2020	MI vs CSK	Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi	Chennai Super Kings	5 wickets	7th
2021	MI vs RCB	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	Royal Challengers Bangalore	2 wickets	4th
2022	CSK vs KKR	Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai	Kolkata Knight Riders	6 wickets	7th
2023	GT vs CSK	Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad	Gujarat Titans	5 wickets	Runners-up
2024	CSK vs RCB	MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai	Chennai Super Kings	Champions	5th
2025	KKR vs RCB	Eden Gardens, Kolkata	Royal Challengers Bengaluru	-	-