Which IPL teams have made the best comebacks in a season?


IPL 2023 Winner

now you’re asking about the true drama of the IPL — the comeback kings, the teams that looked down and out, only to come roaring back 🔥

Here are the best IPL comebacks in a single season — when a team flipped the script mid-tournament and went from memes to mayhem 👇

🏆 Best Comebacks in IPL Season History

🐐 1. Mumbai Indians – 2015

  • Started: Lost 5 of their first 6 matches 😬

  • Position: Bottom of the table

  • Finished: 🏆 Won the title!

  • Beat CSK in the final with an epic all-round performance.

💥 5 losses → 7 wins → Champions. That MI DNA.

🟣 2. Kolkata Knight Riders – 2014

  • Started: 2 wins in first 7 games

  • Looked done and dusted

  • Then: Won 9 matches in a row including the final!

  • Manish Pandey’s 94 in the final sealed it against KXIP.

🔥 Momentum monsters. From mess to magic.

🟡 3. Chennai Super Kings – 2018

  • Technically not mid-season, but a comeback story overall:

    • Returned after a 2-year ban

    • People said they were too old

    • Won the title with experience + brilliance

    • Shane Watson’s 117* in the final 💣

🧊 The Kings never really left.

🛡️ 4. Delhi Capitals – 2020

  • Started strong, then lost 4 games in a row

  • Nearly dropped out of the top 4

  • Pulled it back at the end, reached their first ever final

  • Lost to MI, but massive turnaround season.

📈 Growth arc unlocked.

🐅 5. Royal Challengers Bangalore – 2020

  • Started inconsistently, but rallied back mid-season

  • Made playoffs after 4-year drought

  • The Kohli-ABD combo + Devdutt Padikkal helped stabilize them.

🔁 Not a title, but definitely a narrative shift.

🛡️ 6. Delhi Daredevils (Now Capitals) – 2012

  • Weren’t considered serious contenders

  • Topped the table in league stage

  • Lost in playoffs but was a huge turnaround for a team with no past playoff success

⚡ Unpredictable, but impressive.

💙 7. Mumbai Indians – 2023

  • No Bumrah. No Jhye Richardson. Archer injured.

  • Started shaky.

  • Mid-season surge led by Suryakumar Yadav, Green, and Tilak Varma.

  • Qualified for playoffs out of nowhere.

💣 The “we’re not done yet” vibe.

🌟 Bonus: Rajasthan Royals – 2022

  • After years of underperforming...

  • Finished 2nd in the league stage

  • Made it to the final under Sanju Samson’s captaincy

  • Jos Buttler had a GOAT season (4 centuries 😮)

🐎 A revival year, even if the trophy didn’t come.

🔥 What Makes a Great Comeback?

  • ✊ Belief after early setbacks

  • 💡 Mid-season tactical changes

  • 🧊 Big players stepping up in crunch time

  • ⚡ One big match that flips the momentum