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The Indian Premier League (IPL) began in 2008 with eight city-based franchises battling against each other to win the coveted trophy. Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore were the eight teams in the inaugural IPL season.
Over the years, the number of franchises has changed many times. Only five out of the original eight teams have played in all 14 seasons of the league.
One of the most important things in the IPL is consistency. Every team plays around 14-16 league matches and it is necessary to perform well regularly to finish in the top four. A top-four finish on the points table guarantees the team a place in the playoffs.
Qualifying for the playoffs is the first step to becoming champions. While Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals and Royal Challengers Bangalore have played in all seasons so far, they are not among the top three teams with the most playoff appearances.
Instead, the following three franchises have shown remarkable consistency since 2008, finishing in the top four of the points table the most number of times.
#3 Kolkata Knight Riders - 7 times
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore have each finished seven times in the top four. But the Kolkata-based franchise edged Bangalore for a place on this list by virtue of their two championship wins.
The Knight Riders did not finish in the top four in the first three seasons. The team management decided to revamp the squad after the failures. Gautam Gambhir took over the reins of the franchise and guided them to the playoffs in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.
Dinesh Karthik led KKR to the playoffs in 2018, whereas last year, they reached the final under Eoin Morgan's leadership.
#2 Mumbai Indians - 9 times
Like the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Mumbai Indians (MI) could not impress much in their initial seasons. MI finished in the bottom four of the points table during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, but they turned things around in 2010 to top the standings.
MI reached the playoffs in 2011 and 2012 as well. They ended their championship drought in 2013, winning their maiden trophy under Rohit Sharma. MI became unstoppable after that as they won the 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The Mumbai-based franchise also made a playoff appearance in 2014, taking their overall tally to nine.
#1 Defending champions of IPL Chennai Super Kings - 11 times
Despite missing the 2016 and 2017 seasons due to suspension, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) own the record for the most IPL playoff appearances by a franchise.
They participated in the other 12 seasons and only missed out on the playoffs in 2020. MS Dhoni's team will enter IPL 2022 as the defending champions.
It will be interesting to see if they can finish in the top four for the 12th time this season.
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