IPL betting hub
The Indian Premier League is the world's biggest T20 league: 10 franchises and 74 matches each spring. Our IPL betting tips start with the ground, not the big names, because a total that is par in Chennai is a long way short in Bengaluru.
This hub has our venue guide, the angles we bet on, the key markets and every IPL champion.
Updated By Rohan Mehta, Head of Cricket
Between seasons
IPL 2027 starts in spring
The IPL usually runs from late March to late May. Previews go up 24 to 48 hours before each game once IPL 2027 begins. Until then, the venue guide and reading list below are the best preparation.
Not online for real money. The Online Gaming Act 2025 bans online money games, which covers IPL betting and paid fantasy contests. Free prediction games are allowed, and so is following our picks for fun. Our guide to betting law in India explains the Act.
Predictions
The same venue-first approach applies to international T20s. These are the next T20Is on our calendar.
West Indies tour of India, 2026 · 1st T20I
· 19:30 ISTBharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow
India should outscore their opponents by roughly 18 runs on our numbers, a solid buffer over a T20I.
Our pick
India to win
Fair odds
1.54
West Indies tour of India, 2026 · 2nd T20I
· 19:30 ISTJSCA International Stadium Complex, Ranchi
India should outscore their opponents by roughly 22 runs on our numbers, a solid buffer over a T20I.
Our pick
India to win
Fair odds
1.43
West Indies tour of India, 2026 · 3rd T20I
· 19:30 ISTHolkar Stadium, Indore
With 2 matches left after this one, India can put real pressure on with a win here.
Our pick
India to win
Fair odds
1.54
The season
Ten teams play 14 league matches each. The top four reach the playoffs, where the first and second-placed sides get two chances to reach the final. That is why league position matters so much for outright bets late in the season.
01
Each of the 10 teams plays 14 matches. The top four on points go through to the playoffs.
02
First plays second. The winner goes straight to the final, and the loser gets a second chance.
03
Third plays fourth. The loser is out, and the winner moves on to Qualifier 2.
04
The Qualifier 1 loser meets the Eliminator winner for the last place in the final.
Venue guide
More than team news, in most matches. Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad produce big totals, while Chennai and Lucknow tend to play slow and suit spin. Check the ground before you look at a total, a top batter or a sixes line.
| Team | Home ground | Leans | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk)Chennai | Spin | Slow and dry, with grip for spinners. Totals tend to sit below the IPL average. |
| Mumbai Indians | Wankhede StadiumMumbai | Batting | True bounce, a quick outfield and evening dew. Chasing sides often have the edge at night. |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | M. Chinnaswamy StadiumBengaluru | Batting | Short boundaries and thin air. One of the highest-scoring grounds in the league. |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | Eden GardensKolkata | Balanced | A good batting surface with a fast outfield, though spinners still get some help. |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | Rajiv Gandhi International StadiumHyderabad | Batting | Flat in recent seasons, and SRH's attacking batting has made it a venue for huge totals. |
| Delhi Capitals | Arun Jaitley StadiumDelhi | Batting | A small ground where mistimed shots still clear the rope. Big totals are common. |
| Gujarat Titans | Narendra Modi StadiumAhmedabad | Balanced | The largest cricket stadium in the world. Long boundaries, but a good surface for batting. |
| Rajasthan Royals | Sawai Mansingh StadiumJaipur | Balanced | Bigger square boundaries than most IPL grounds, which keeps the six count down. |
| Lucknow Super Giants | Ekana Cricket StadiumLucknow | Spin | Has often played slow and low, which suits spinners and keeps totals in check. |
| Punjab Kings | Maharaja Yadavindra Singh StadiumMullanpur | New ground | First used in the IPL in 2024, so there is less history to go on than elsewhere. |
Our angles
The ground first, then dew and the toss, then how deep each side bats with its impact player. Reputation comes last, because big names are already in the price.
Chinnaswamy and Wankhede play very differently from Chepauk or Eden Gardens. We start every preview with the average first-innings score and chasing record at that ground.
In evening games dew makes the ball hard to grip in the second innings. At dew-heavy venues the side batting second is often undervalued before the toss.
The impact-player rule lets teams bat deeper, which has pushed totals up. Over lines that were fair a few seasons ago can now be too low.
Markets
Match winner is the biggest by far. Team totals, top team batter, most sixes and powerplay runs come next, and the Orange Cap and Purple Cap lead the season-long outright markets.
The main market. Prices can swing after the toss at dew-heavy grounds, so wait for it when you can.
A coin flip priced close to evens. Treat it as entertainment, not an edge.
Lines move with the venue. Since the impact-player rule arrived, old totals can be set too low.
Openers face the most balls, so they are the first names to check.
Small grounds like Chinnaswamy and Delhi favour it. Long boundaries in Ahmedabad and Jaipur cut against it.
Overs 1 to 6 with only two fielders outside the circle. Check who opens the bowling.
Every market is explained in full in our cricket betting markets guide.
History
Up to 2025, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians had five titles each. Kolkata Knight Riders had three, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first in 2025 after 17 seasons without one.
Rohan Mehta leads our IPL and WPL coverage and signs off every IPL prediction on the site. Read his profile to see how he builds a pick. His author page lists his experience and every article he has written.
| Season | Champion |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| 2024 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2023 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans |
| 2021 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2019 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2018 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2017 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2015 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2014 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2013 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2012 | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2009 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2008 | Rajasthan Royals |
Prepare for the season
Longer reads from the cricket desk on odds, markets, live betting and the habits that keep a two-month season under control.
What readers ask most about the IPL season, venues, markets and the law in India.
The IPL usually runs from late March to late May, with the final at the end of May or early June. Exact dates are set each season by the BCCI.
Ten. Each team plays 14 league matches, and the top four go through to the playoffs: Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the final. That makes 74 matches in a season.
Up to 2025, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians had won five titles each. Kolkata Knight Riders were next with three, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first title in 2025.
Since 2023 each team can bring in one substitute during a match who can bat or bowl. Sides now bat deeper, which has pushed totals up and made some older over/under lines too low.
At grounds with heavy evening dew it can. A wet ball is hard to grip, so the side bowling second struggles and the chasing side gains an edge. Wait for the toss before backing a side at those venues.
The Orange Cap goes to the season's top run scorer and the Purple Cap to the leading wicket-taker. Both are popular outright markets, usually led by top-order batters and frontline bowlers who play every match.
The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, thanks to short boundaries and thin air. Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad also produce big totals, while Chennai and Lucknow tend to play slower.
Not online for real money. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 bans online money games across India, which covers IPL betting and paid fantasy contests. Free prediction games are allowed.
Still unsure? Ask our team
18+ only. Betting involves financial risk.
An IPL season has a match almost every night for two months, which makes it easy to bet out of habit. Set a budget for the whole season before it starts, and use the tools in our responsible gambling guide to stay in control.
Tips, odds and season guides for the Indian Premier League and WPL.
