The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen 16 seasons, and in those 16 finals, two teams have dominated single-handedly – Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI). Unsurprisingly, the most appearances in the IPL finals chart have players from those two franchises.
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Players With Most IPL Final Appearances
MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Dwayne Bravo have played in at least seven IPL finals. Ashwin has a unique achievement as the off-spinner has reached an IPL final with three franchises. Meanwhile, Jadeja and Rayudu have won the IPL with two franchises.
Here’s a brief look at the six players with the most IPL final appearances
MS Dhoni (12 IPL Finals):
Dhoni’s CSK teammate, Jadeja, played in eight IPL finals. It includes one final appearance for the Rajasthan Royals in the first-ever IPL season. Jadeja’s second final appearance came for CSK in 2012, as the team lost to KKR. His third final appearance came against MI for CSK in 2013, where the result was no different from 2012.
In 2015, his fourth final appearance saw another loss, again to MI. From 2018 onwards, he played in four finals for CSK, losing one and winning three. The lone loss was in 2019 when they lost to MI; in 2018, 2021, and 2023, he went on to win the trophy after victory over SRH, KKR, and Gujarat Titans, respectively.
In 2017, he appeared in his seventh final appearance, this time for Rising Pune Supergiants, where the franchise lost again to MI. The following season, Dhoni tasted success after a long time after victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final. However, he lost to MI in his tenth final appearance.
In 2021 and 2023, he made his 11th and 12th IPL final appearances, respectively, winning on both occasions. Both title triumphs would have delighted cricket fans who backed CSK to win the title on an online cricket betting platform.
Ravindra Jadeja (8 IPL Finals):
Dhoni’s CSK teammate, Jadeja, played in eight IPL finals. It includes one final appearance for the Rajasthan Royals in the first-ever IPL season. Jadeja’s second final appearance came for CSK in 2012, as the team lost to KKR. His third final appearance came against MI for CSK in 2013, where the result was no different from 2012.
In 2015, his fourth final appearance saw another loss, again to MI. From 2018 onwards, he played in four finals for CSK, losing one and winning three. The lone loss was in 2019 when they lost to MI; in 2018, 2021, and 2023, CSK went on to win the trophy after victory over SRH, KKR, and Gujarat Titans, respectively.
Suresh Raina (8 IPL Finals):
Raina, the Mr. IPL, appeared in eight IPL finals and lifted the trophy thrice. His first four IPL final appearances came in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2012, where CSK won successive IPL titles in the 2010 and 2011 editions, while they finished runner-up in the 2008 and 2012 seasons.
In 2013 and 2015, he was on the losing side as MI defeated CSK on both occasions. Raina featured for CSK in the 2018 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad. CSK won the match, and it was their first silverware after a long time. In 2019, his last IPL final appearance, Raina and his team finished runner-up after defeat against MI in the final.
Ambati Rayudu (8 IPL Finals):
Ambati Rayudu had a successful IPL career. He played four finals for CSK and an equal number of finals for MI. In 2010, 2013, 2015, and 2017, Rayudu made his first four IPL final appearances for the Mumbai outfit. Meanwhile, in the 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023 editions, he played for CSK in the final.
The reliable batter won titles with MI in the 2013, 2015, and 2017 seasons. He also won three IPL trophies with CSK – 2018, 2021, and 2023 seasons. Along with Rohit Sharma, Rayudu has won a record six IPL trophies in his long IPL career.
Ravichandran Ashwin (7 IPL Finals):
One of the wily spinners in modern-day cricket, Ashwin became one of the rising stars for CSK, where he played five IPL finals. The other two IPL final appearances came for Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.
He played his first IPL final for CSK in 2010 and the second in 2011, winning it on both occasions. However, he had to settle for a runners-up medal in the 2012, 2013, and 2015 seasons. In the 2020 edition, he was part of the Delhi Capitals side that finished runner-up. Two years later, he played in the final for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans. However, the Royals lost to the HardiK Pandya-led side.
Dwayne Bravo (7 IPL Finals):
Bravo, the top wicket-taker for CSK and winner of Purple Cap twice, has played in seven IPL finals. The legendary T20 cricketer played his first and second IPL finals in 2011 and 2012 for CSK, winning the first against RCB and losing his second against KKR.
From 2013 to 2015, he made his third and fourth IPL final appearances. On both occasions, CSK finished runner-up. But he and his franchise found success in the IPL 2018, where CSK defeated SRH in the final. In 2019, CSK finished runner-up, while Bravo grabbed the winners’ medal two seasons later as the Chennai outfit overcame KKR for their fourth IPL title.