Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The Indian Premier League's 2021 season got underway this week, and the sprint to the championship is officially on.
Why it matters: The size of the IPL's fanbase is staggering. For reference, more than twice as many people watched the 2020 season opener (200 million) as this year's Super Bowl (96 million).
- Viewership reached a record high last season, with a 23% increase to 400 billion minutes watched. And that's just TV.
- Roughly 30% of Disney+'s 100 million subscribers are from Disney+ Hotstar, which is India's exclusive IPL streaming option.
Consider this: LeBron James has 82.2 million Instagram followers. Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian national team and the IPL's all-time leading scorer, has 108 million.
How it works: While traditional test cricket matches can last up to five days, the IPL plays Twenty20 cricket, which limits matches to roughly three hours.
- The regular season comprises 56 total matches, with each team playing every other team twice (home and away). The top four teams make the playoffs.
- Of note: India is experiencing its worst COVID-19 surge since September, so matches will be played without fans for the second straight season.
Teams:
- Mumbai Indians (five titles, including 2020)
- Chennai Super Kings (three)
- Kolkata Knight Riders (two)
- Rajasthan Royals (one)
- Sunrisers Hyderabad (one)
- Delhi Capitals
- Royal Challengers Bangalore
- Punjab Kings
Go deeper: IPL season preview (Sky Sports)