Six different teams, of which one is now defunct, have won the Indian Premier League over the past 14 seasons. However, when it comes to picking the most dangerous team in IPL history, parameters like consistency, win percentage and number of titles are often not enough.
While MS Dhoni’s consistent Chennai Super Kings have reached 11 playoffs and nine IPL finals so far, they are still not the most successful team in the Indian Premier League. Royal Challengers Bangalore, on the other hand, have had some of the mightiest cricketing stars in the world but has remained trophyless.
To be counted amongst the most dangerous teams in the Indian Premier League, a squad must have a great captain, the perfect combinations as well as the winning mentality. Interestingly, all these combinations have been exhibited by different teams in different IPL seasons, based on which we have ranked the IPL dangerous team in the Indian Premier League.
Most dangerous team in IPL: Top 3 most lethal teams
| Rank | Team | IPL Season |
| 1 | Mumbai Indians | 2020 |
| 2 | Chennai Super Kings | 2011 |
| 3 | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2014 |
Mumbai Indians – IPL 2020 team
Having won the IPL trophy as many as five times in the past, there is nothing new to be added to Mumbai Indians‘ credentials. As a franchise, MI understands the championship inside out with their think tank proving their expertise in the tournament season after season. However, if we had to pick one Mumbai Indians squad that had looked invincible throughout an entire season, it has to be the 2020 IPL Mumbai Indians team.
After winning the IPL 2019 by beating Chennai Super Kings by the skin of their teeth, Mumbai Indians management’s biggest challenge was not to let the motivation go down. They had retained 15 players thereafter, which included all the fixed playing XI from the title-winning season with the only big imports being Trent Boult from Delhi Capitals and Chris Lynn from Kolkata Knight Riders among others.
Mumbai Indians IPL 2020 squad: Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Krunal Pandya, Ishan Kishan, Surya Kumar Yadav, Rahul Chahar, Anmolpreet Singh, Jayant Yadav, Aditya Tare, Anukul Roy, Quinton de Kock, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan, Sherfane Rutherford, Trent Boult, Dhawal Kulkarni.
MI didn’t have the best of starts though, as Rohit Sharma and Co. lost two of their first three matches against Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the impeccable balance of youth and experience in the squad remained unmoved and soon found their form. Mumbai went on to win their next five matches before a dramatic super over clash with Punjab Kings brought their winning streak to a halt. However, the momentum was set by then and MI won three of the next five matches to ease into the playoffs. They faced a star-studded Delhi Capitals twice – in the first qualifier as well as the season finale – and won comprehensively on both occasions.
The Mumbai Indians IPL 2020 team is the most dangerous team in IPL history because of the holistic contribution from every player in the starting XI. The four top-order batsmen – Ishan Kishan (516), Suryakumar Yadav (480), Quinton de Kock (503) and Rohit Sharma (332) – had tallied a massive 1831 runs. The middle-order duo of Kieron Pollard and Hardik Pandya accounted for 377 runs in the crucial middle and death overs, whereas the bowling Jasprit Bumrah, Rahul Chahar, James Pattinson and Trent Boult tallied for unbelievable 78 wickets.
Chennai Super Kings – IPL 2011 team
Chennai Super Kings have evidently been among the most successful IPL teams for numerous reasons, but they looked the most dangerous in 2011. It is difficult to follow the act of success and Chennai Super Kings and won both the IPL tournament as well as the Champions League Twenty20 competition in 2010 to become everyone’s favourite team. If that wasn’t enough, MS Dhoni followed it up by winning the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup as well.
Emotional fatigue was a significant factor for the MS Dhoni-led side coming to IPL 2011 and it was further compounded by the mega-auction. Every team could retain a maximum of four players before going into the mega-auction and CSK decided to hold on to Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay and Albie Morkel.
However, where others found adversity, the CSK management saw the opportunity to assemble one of the most dangerous teams in IPL. Among the major buys were Ravichandran Ashwin, Dwayne Bravo, Francis du Plessis and Michael Hussey, who would all go to become IPL legends later.
Chennai Super Kings IPL 2011 squad: MS Dhoni, Wriddhiman Saha, Srikkanth Anirudha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Subramaniam Badrinath, George Bailey, Doug Bollinger, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Ben Hilfenhaus, Shadab Jakati, Joginder Sharma, Michael Hussey, Suraj Randiv, Nuwan Kulasekara, Yo Mahesh, Albie Morkel, Abhinav Mukund, Suresh Raina, Tim Southee, Scott Styris, Sudeep Tyagi, Kuthethurshri Vasudevadas, Ganapathi Vignesh, Murali Vijay.
Like MI, CSK didn’t have the best of starts to the IPL 2011 campaign. They lost three of their first five games to sit at the bottom of the table before gaining some momentum. Riding on Michael Hussey’s superior form, which saw him win two Man of the Match awards, CSK won seven of their next eight matches, which included a five-match winning streak, to finish second in the points table.
CSK faced Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first qualifier, where Suresh Raina’s unbeaten knock of 73 ensured that they went to the final for the second consecutive season. RCB won their eliminator to meet CSK in the final yet again and this time it was Murali Vijay, who rose to the occasion. The opener scored an unbeaten 95 to help CSK win their third IPL title by 58 runs.
CSK’s major three top-order batsmen were Raina, Hussey and Vijay who tallied a whopping 1364 runs that season. The new import Ravichandran Ashwin was the highest wicket-taker with 20 scalps to his name in 16 IPL matches. What made this team lethal was the tremendous form of each player. From veterans Raina and Hussey to newbies like Doug Bollinger and Anirudha Srikkanth, everyone performed this season. CSK is definitely one of IPL dangerous teams if there ever was.
Kolkata Knight Riders – IPL 2014 team
Having failed to reach the playoffs in IPL 2013, one season after they had become the champions in 2012, Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir was determined to change the perception that their solitary title win was more than a fluke. The franchise had decided to retain just Gambhir and Sunil Narine and go into the auction with a fresh slate.
And it turned out to be a game-changer as the team ended up getting numerous match-winners in the form of Jacques Kallis, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla and more. With Kallis and Gambhir at the helm, the team now had the perfect balance of young vigour and experience.
Kolkata Knight Riders 2014 IPL squad: Gautam Gambhir, Manvinder Bisla, Piyush Chawla, Pat Cummins, Debabrata Das, Jacques Kallis, Kuldeep Yadav, Chris Lynn, Sayan Mondal, Morne Morkel, Sunil Narine, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Veer Pratap Singh, Andre Russell, Shakib Al Hasan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Robin Uthappa, Vinay Kumar, Suryakumar Yadav.
However, after starting with a win in the first match against Mumbai, KKR slumped and could win just a game in the next six matches as it seemed like Gambhir’s era was over even before it had started. Prior to IPL 2011, KKR were also the only one team to have not reached the playoffs and after taking giant strides over the last three years, the IPL team was in no way giving up now.
The team needed a miracle to get anything out of that season and they created a miracle for themselves by winning all the remaining games to lift the title. KKR defeated Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad twice to reach the playoffs. Openers Uthappa and Gambhir played significant roles on this journey.
KKR had to face Punjab twice in the knockouts and while they managed to do it easily the first time, the final saw Punjab putting up a mammoth 200-run target. Things had looked dim as well after their star openers Gambhir and Uthappa could add just 28 runs to the board, but KKR had found an unlikely hero in Manish Pandey that evening whose 50-balls-94 had brought the side on the brink of victory before Piyush Chawla sealed it with a six.
KKR couldn’t win the title since and this season was a testament to the greatest side the franchise ever had. This team had match-winners in Narine, Kallis and Uthappa, but what made them quite dangerous was the never-say-die attitude of Gambhir who kept believing in himself and in the team until the very end.
FAQs
Which is the most dangerous team in IPL 2021?
Having won the IPL 2020 as their fifth championship title, Mumbai Indians came to IPL 2021 as the most dangerous team. They had retained all the players from the starting XI and looked like a major threat to any opponent.
Which is the most dangerous team in IPL 2022?
It is difficult to say which team would end up being the favourites to win IPL 2022, but given how every team has assembled their squads in IPL mega auction 2022, Mumbai Indians remain the most dangerous team in IPL 2022 with Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Jasprit Bumrah and Co. looking to lift the title for the sixth time.
Which is the most dangerous team in IPL 2020?
Having won the IPL 2019, Mumbai Indians were the most dangerous team in IPL 2020 and they eventually ended up defending their title.
