5 most followed IPL teams on social media

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has caught the imagination of one and allsinceits inception in 2008. And social media has played an important role in making the tournament into what it is at this moment of time.All franchises have used social media as a successful marketing tool to promote their respective teams. The BCCI have also used the platform in a good manner, hosting Twitter Battles and updating the official IPL handle with match videos regularly.Here are the 5 most followed IPL teams on social media (Facebook + Twitter):NOTE: The numbers mentioned in this article are updated until 27 April 2015.

#5 Royal Challengers Bangalore - 6.98m

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) may not have won a single edition of the IPL so far, yet they remain one of the most popular teams. This is due to the fact that they have usually played an entertaining brand of cricket, with international superstars like Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers starring for the Vijay Mallya-owned franchise.

Interestingly, RCB’s captain Virat Kohli is the most followed cricketer on Twitter, with 6.61m people following his account on the micro-blogging website.

Facebook: 9.28m

Twitter: 2.18m

Total: 11.47m

#4 Kings XI Punjab - 7.73m

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) didn’t enjoy much success in the first 6 seasons of the IPL, with their only semi-final appearance coming in the first edition of the tournament. But their momentum changed in 2014 after they bought superbly in the auction that year.

With players like Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and Mitchell Johnson in their side, KXIP exhibited an exciting brand of cricket, which turned them into a team that became adored by the neutrals.

Bollywood actress Preity Zinta’s presence also helps in the popularity stakes.

Facebook: m

Twitter: 1.29m

Total: 7.73m

#3 Mumbai Indians - 9.6m

Mumbai Indians (MI) are the most expensive franchise in the IPL, with Reliance's Mukesh Ambani buying the team for $111.9m. They were considered as major underachievers as they failed to win a single edition of the IPL until 2013 when they finally broke their duck.

MI, currently captained by Rohit Sharma, also have two Champions League T20 titles to their name. Their popularity can be attributed to Sachin Tendulkar’s presence in the side, as a player until 2013, and as a mentor since.

Facebook: 8.7m

Twitter: 895,000

Total: 9.6m

#2 Chennai Super Kings - 12.36m

The Chennai-based franchise are the most successful IPL team ever and it’s no surprise to see them having such a huge following on social media. With Indian superstars like MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina in their ranks, CSK are not only popular in Chennai, but enjoy a huge fan following all over India as well.

Although they are number two on this list, when it comes to Twitter, they are numero uno. The Dhoni-led side are currently the only IPL franchise with over a million followers on the social media website.

The franchise, formerly owned by India Cements, haven’t lifted the IPL trophy since 2011 and will be hopeful to break that drought this season.

Facebook: 10.9m

Twitter: 1.46m

Total: 12.36m

#1 Kolkata Knight Riders - 12.39m

Pipping the Super Kings to the top spot are defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Since the start of the IPL, 8 years ago, KKR have definitely been the most flamboyant team off the field. For the first three years, their performances on the field didn't match up to the hype, but all that changed soon after.

The first of two events that defined the Kolkata-based franchise’s change in fortunes came in the IPL auction of 2011 when they bought Gautam Gambhir for a then record fee. His captaincy in the years to follow has gone a long way in helping the franchise achieve so much.

The second event came in the auction, the following year, when they paid $700,000 for Sunil Narine – back then, a largely unknown mystery spinner. The West Indian went on to win the Player of the Tournament award in 2012 as KKR won the IPL for the first time.

KKR’s popularity is no surprise as they are owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh, who is a regular at the Eden Gardens when the team plays at home.

Facebook: 11.4m

Twitter: 992,000

Total: 12.39m