Every season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) delivers thrills, unforgettable finishes, and rising stars. But amidst the celebrations and playoff qualification races, one team’s campaign always ends earlier than the rest — the first franchise to be eliminated from the tournament. From legendary sides like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to one-season wonders like Pune Warriors India, even big names have faced the agony of early exits. Here’s season-by-season list of the first teams to be knocked out in every IPL edition — and what it says about the cutthroat nature of the league.
IPL 2025: CSK’s early exit from the cash-rich league
The five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings, became the first team to be knocked out in IPL 2025 — a shocking twist in a season where they were considered a strong contender. The defining moment came in Match 50 against Punjab Kings at Chepauk. After being asked to bat first, CSK posted 190 in 19.2 overs before getting all out. Sam Curran was the star of the night, playing a splendid knock of 88 runs. In response, PBKS chased down the target in 19.4 overs with 4 wickets in hand. Their captain Shreyas Iyer played a match-winning knock of 72 runs.
Notably, a string of underwhelming performances, lack of match-winners in the middle overs, and a fragile top-order left CSK struggling in the IPL 2025. Shivam Dube with 248 runs in 10 games is their leading run-getter while Noor Ahmad with 15 wickets is their highest wicket-taker. Further, the absence of their regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, who was ruled out in the middle phase due to injury, also hurt CSK a lot this season.
Also READ: Fans react as Punjab Kings knocks out five-time champion CSK from the IPL 2025
First team to get eliminated in each IPL season (2008-2025)
| Season | First Team Eliminated |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2009 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2010 | Punjab Kings |
| 2011 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2012 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2013 | Pune Warriors India |
| 2014 | Delhi Capitals |
| 2015 | Punjab Kings |
| 2016 | Rising Pune Supergiant |
| 2017 | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2018 | Delhi Capitals |
| 2019 | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2020 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2021 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2022 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2023 | Delhi Capitals |
| 2024 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2025 | Chennai Super Kings |
The IPL is unforgiving, while fans cheer playoff heroes and fairytale comebacks, one team always becomes the first casualty — packing bags whereas others fight on. Whether due to misfiring stars, injuries, or poor auction calls, these first eliminations offer lessons in resilience and reinvention.
Also READ: From Yuvraj Singh to Yuzvendra Chahal: Complete list of hat-tricks in IPL history
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