The Indian Premier League (IPL) has developed into one of the most popular and thrilling cricket tournaments worldwide. As IPL 2027 is set to celebrate its 20th edition, the tournament has progressed enormously since it began in 2008, delivering unforgettable matches, iconic rivalries and outstanding individual performances that have thrilled millions of fans.
Apart from the well-known records and memorable moments, the IPL also holds several lesser-known stories. Here are five intriguing facts that every cricket fan ought to know.
Here are the 5 lesser-known facts about IPL you should know:
5. The IPL trophy carries a message in Sanskrit
The initial Indian Premier League trophy for the first two seasons was in the shape of the Indian map. Rajasthan Royals, Deccan Chargers, and Chennai Super Kings received this trophy when they won the IPL in 2008, 2009, and 2010. However, Chennai Super Kings, who won the IPL 2011, were given a completely different trophy, which was of a normal round shape with space at the bottom to put names of all the winners.
If fans have seen the recent IPL trophy, the structure carries a Sanskrit inscription. The inscription reads “Yatra Pratibha Avsara Prapnotihi,” which, translated into English, means “Where talent meets opportunity.” This tagline has been true given the amount of Indian talent that has come to the fore thanks to getting opportunities due to the IPL, from Ravindra Jadeja to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
4. Shane Warne was the first-ever player sold in the IPL auction
The inaugural IPL auction had taken place in 2007 before the IPL 2008 season. While the recent few IPL auctions happened in Indian rupees, the first few IPL auctions happened in US dollars.
The first-ever name that was picked for bidding was that of Australian legend Shane Warne, and he was priced at USD 450,000, and the Rajasthan Royals became the first-ever buyers, as Warne was picked for his base price by RR. RR made Shane Warne captain and coach of the team for IPL 2008-2010, and Warne led the team to a title win in IPL 2008.
3. Piyush Chawla didn’t bowl a no-ball until his 388th over in the IPL
Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla had a very decorated career in Indian Premier League (IPL). He made his debut in IPL 2008 for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and then won the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2014. He was a mainstay for four franchises during his career in MI, KKR, PBKS, and CSK.
One of the most impressive stats was that Piyush Chawla had an impressive record of not bowling any no-balls for more than 350 overs in the IPL. From making his debut in 2008, Chawla bowled 2327 legal deliveries (387.5 overs) till he bowled his first no-ball in IPL 2016. Now the record for not bowling a no-ball is held by Axar Patel, who has bowled 3,099 consecutive deliveries (516.3 overs) without conceding a single no-ball in IPL history.
2. MS Dhoni remains the only player on whom all franchises bid on in the IPL auction
Legendary Indian captain and keeper-batter MS Dhoni had entered the inaugural IPL auction in 2008 as the most sought-after player. Dhoni had just led India to the T20 World Cup win in South Africa in 2007, and this led to all the franchises being interested in him. Dhoni had revealed that he was even offered to become a marquee player for one of the eight franchises, but he decided to enter the IPL 2008 auction.
And all eight franchises bid on MS Dhoni when his name was called out for bidding. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) eventually won the bidding war by paying US$1.5 million (approximately ₹6 crore at the time), making Dhoni the most expensive player of the inaugural auction. He was made captain of the CSK team, who reached the final that year, losing to Rajasthan Royals. MS Dhoni ended up winning five IPLs as captain in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
1. Virat Kohli has never entered the IPL auction
Virat Kohli remains the only Indian player never to enter any IPL auction. Notably, Kohli was an U19 player in 2008 and had won the Youth World Cup that year, captaining the Indian U19 team. Before the IPL 2008 auction happened, a player draft for U19 players happened, and all eight franchises were asked to pick one player each.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru picked Virat Kohli after he was passed on by Delhi Capitals. And since then, Kohli has been a single franchise player. He took over as RCB captain in IPL 2013 from Daniel Vettori and led the team to the final in IPL 2016 before stepping down after IPL 2021. Virat Kohli realized his dream of winning the IPL trophy when RCB ended their drought in IPL 2025 and then repeated the title win in IPL 2026.
