KolkataKnight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) will play in thefinals of the 17th edition of IPL at Chennai on Sunday.Even though the stadium will be filled to capacity, neither of theseteams tops the popularity chart in terms of fan followers on socialmedia. Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Mumbai Indians (MI) and RoyalChallengers Bengaluru (RCB) lead the pack of fan following on majorsocial media sites – Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
ChennaiSuper Kings (CSK)
ChennaiSuper Kings, with 40.5 million followers across major social mediaplatforms like Instagram, Facebook and Twitter is undoubtedly theundisputed leader in terms of social media presence and fan followingin the Indian Premier League. Chennai’s consistent performance atIPL wherein they have won five IPL titles and have reached theplayoffs 12 times besides the presence of the legendary MahendraSingh Dhoni who enjoys a massive fan following in India has played asignificant role in attracting fans to CSK. Chennai also boasts ofloyal fan base, popularly known as "Chennai Super Kings Fans."Their unwavering support, both online and offline, has alsocontributed significantly to the team's popularity.
MumbaiIndians (MI)
Witha combined fan following of 36.1 million across social mediaplatforms, the star-studded Mumbai Indians franchise is the secondmost popular IPL team on social media. With five IPL titles, MumbaiIndians is one of the most successful sides in the tournament'shistory. Besides, the team boasts a strong squad featuring starsplayers like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jasprit Bumrah,attracting fans from across the globe. Location of the franchise hasalso added a touch of glamour and has attracted fans that follow thecinema and entertainment industry.
RoyalChallengers Bengaluru (RCB)
RoyalChallengers Bengaluru, with a combined fan following of 31.8 millionacross the three major social media platforms, is one of the mostpopular IPL franchise. The presence of former India captain, ViratKohli, a global cricketing superstar, who has immense fan followingbesides other explosive batters like Faf Du Plessis and Glenn Maxwellin its ranks who are known for their aggressive batting approach hasattracted fans who enjoy high-scoring matches. Also, the people ofBengaluru are very passionate about cricket and their home team. Theyalways gather in big numbers at the ground to cheer their team andits players for every match.
KolkataKnight Riders (KKR)
Witha combined fan following of 28.5 million, Kolkata Knight Riders isthe fourth most popular IPL franchise after CSK, MI and RCB. KKR’ssuccess with two IPL titles, Shah Rukh Khan's ownership, associationwith the iconic Eden Gardens and Kolkata’s love for cricket hasattracted fans. Players like Shreyas Iyer, Andre Russell and SunilNarine have also added to the fan following.
DelhiCapitals (DC)
DelhiCapitals may not as successful as the other big IPL teams, but israpidly gaining popularity and has attracted a fan base of 15.6million followers. The team's association with the national capitaland presence of star players like Rishabh Pant, Ishant Sharma andDavid Warner have contributed to its fan following.
