The Indian Premier League: a quick guide for fans

The Indian Premier League is the most-watched franchise competition in cricket, a season-long T20 tournament in which city-based teams, stacked with international and homegrown talent, play for one of the sport's biggest prizes. For new and returning fans alike, knowing how the season is structured makes every match easier to follow — and every points-table swing more meaningful.

How a season is structured

The league stage is a round-robin in which each franchise plays the others home and away, earning two points for a win. The top four sides at the end of the group stage advance to the playoffs, where a twist rewards finishing high: the top two get a second chance. In Qualifier 1 the first- and second-placed teams meet, with the winner going straight to the final; the loser drops into Qualifier 2 to face the winner of the Eliminator (third versus fourth). It is a format built to keep the regular season meaningful right to the last over.

The Orange Cap and Purple Cap

Two individual races run alongside the team competition. The Orange Cap goes to the season's leading run-scorer and the Purple Cap to its leading wicket-taker. Both change hands through the season as form ebbs and flows, and they are among the most-tracked stats in the tournament — a quick shorthand for who is in red-hot touch with bat and ball.

What to watch on the table

Because so many league games finish closely, net run rate often decides who makes the top four. A single heavy win — or a narrow loss — late in the season can flip the qualification picture, which is why teams chase even lost causes aggressively. Following the points table through the run-in is half the fun of an IPL season.