Every season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) delivers thrills, unforgettable finishes, and rising stars. But amidst the celebrations and playoff qualification races, one team’s campaign always ends earlier than the rest — the first franchise to be eliminated from the tournament. From legendary sides like Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings to one-season wonders like Pune Warriors Indiaeven big names have faced the agony of early exits. Here’s season-by-season list of the first teams to be knocked out in every IPL edition — and what it says about the cutthroat nature of the league.

IPL 2025: CSK’s early exit from the cash-rich league

The five-time champions, Chennai Super Kings, became the first team to be knocked out in IPL 2025 — a shocking twist in a season where they were considered a strong contender. The defining moment came in Match 50 against Punjab Kings at Chepauk. After being asked to bat first, CSK posted 190 in 19.2 overs before getting all out. Sam Curran was the star of the night, playing a splendid knock of 88 runs. In response, PBKS chased down the target in 19.4 overs with 4 wickets in hand. Their captain Shreyas Iyer played a match-winning knock of 72 runs.

Notably, a string of underwhelming performances, lack of match-winners in the middle overs, and a fragile top-order left CSK struggling in the IPL 2025. Shivam Dube with 248 runs in 10 games is their leading run-getter while Noor Ahmad with 15 wickets is their highest wicket-taker. Further, the absence of their regular skipper Travel Giikwadwho was ruled out in the middle phase due to injury, also hurt CSK a lot this season.

First team to get eliminated in each IPL season (2008-2025)

The IPL is unforgiving, while fans cheer playoff heroes and fairytale comebacks, one team always becomes the first casualty — packing bags whereas others fight on. Whether due to misfiring stars, injuries, or poor auction calls, these first eliminations offer lessons in resilience and reinvention.