The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) is all set to start in the last week of March. The much-awaited announcement has been made, and the BCCI has announced the schedule of the IPL 2024. However, it is not a complete schedule, and the schedule is announced for the first 21 matches.
The opening game will be played on March 22 (Friday) between the Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. This is the ninth time that CSK has featured in the first match of an IPL season. Here we will talk about the top three teams that have featured in most of the tournament’s openers in the IPL.
3. Kolkata Knight Riders – 7 Times
The two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders are among a few teams that have won the championship multiple times. They are third on the list and have played seven opening games of the IPL season. KKR played the tournament’s opener in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2022, respectively. Kolkata won the 2012 and 2014 editions under the captaincy of Gautam Gambhir.
2. Mumbai Indians – 8 Times
The Mumbai Indians are the joint-most successful team in the Indian Premier League. They have won five titles out of the 16 they have played. MI has been part of the tournament’s opener in the IPL eight times in total. They played the first games of 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2021, respectively. Mumbai has won the championship in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, and all wins have come under Rohit Sharma.
1. Chennai Super Kings – 9 Times
The Chennai Super Kings are the defending champions and won their last season in 2023. They have won the championship five times, which is the joint-most overall. Chennai is probably the most successful team in the tournament because of their consistency. That is why they are followed among the fans, and the IPL governing committee places them in the first game of the season. CSK has played the tournament’s opener nine times in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, respectively, and will also play in 2024.
