The five-time defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have faced a poor season in IPL 2024. Despite, the Mumbai Indians concluding at the last position in the 17th edition of the tournament, they still rank as the most valued IPL (Indian Premier League) franchise based on the report provided by D&P Advisory. Although, Hardik Pandya as the new MI captain replaced Rohit Sharma, he received severe backlash for his failure in leadership skills and his declined form.
Shockingly, the MI has overtaken CSK’s valuation. It was in 2020 when Mumbai won its last IPL title under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy. The team has struggled to deliver consistent performance over the past few seasons.
Currently, Chennai Super Kings are the second most valuable franchise, with the former legendary Indian cricketer MS Dhoni playing an important role for the Yellow Army even after stepping down from the captaincy role before the commencement of IPL 2024. Mainly, MSD has remained a prominent name in the rich-cash league following his retirement from Indian cricket in the last 5 years. A massive fan base for CSK proves his long-lasting popularity among the other existing international cricketers.
In comparison, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), who became the IPL 2024 title winner under Gautam Gambhir’s mentorship and Shreyas Iyer’s leadership, ranks in third place. The team’s co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan’s influence is one of the major reasons for KKR’s ranking in third place.
On the other hand, Virat Kohli’s influence and presence in the squad has managed to keep Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the fourth position, despite not winning a single IPL trophy.
Reasons Why Mumbai Indians are the Most Valued Franchise?
As of 2024, Mumbai Indians is the only franchise to win both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Women’s Premier League (WPL) trophy, which is one of their biggest strengths to be ranked as the Most Valued Franchise.
Considering the franchise’s branding ranks, MI continues to hold the top spot despite its on-field controversies and lackluster performances in IPL in recent times. However, the latest reports suggest that one of the biggest strengths of Mumbai Indians is to discover and nurture young talents to become the future of Indian cricket. The best examples include Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan, and Tilak Varma.
Most importantly, the MI franchise has solidified in presence at the global level with various franchise T20 leagues such as:
- SA 20 League: MI Cape Town.
- ILT20 League: MI Emirates
- Major Cricket League (MLC): MI New York
Additionally, MI has won a trophy in MLC in 2023 and the ILT20 League in 2024 and is yet to win its first title in the SA20 League. Having its presence in four countries namely India, South Africa, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States (US), Mumbai Indians has strengthened its brand at the global level.
Moreover, Mumbai Indians were the first team to win five IPL trophies under Rohit Sharma’s leadership and became the most successful franchise in the history of the rich-cash league.
MI vs CSK: A Comparison to determine the most valued franchise
Comparing the important results and stats from all 17 IPL seasons with CSK helps you understand why MI was ranked as the most valued franchise:
RESULTS:
| Team | Total Matches Played | Matches Won | Matches Lost | Tied | No Result Games |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | 261 | 142 | 115 | 4 | 0 |
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | 239 | 138 | 98 | 1 | 2 |
STATS:
| Team | Most Runs Scoring Batsman | Most wicket-taking bowler | Highest Individual Score | Impressive Bowling Figures |
| Mumbai Indians (MI) | Rohit Sharma: 5,731 runs in 221 matches | Lasith Malinga:195 wickets in 137 matches | Sanath Jayasuriya: 114 runs vs Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Alzarri Joseph: 6-12 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) |
| Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Suresh Raina: 5,529 runs in 200 matches | Dwayne Bravo: 154 wickets in 127 matches | Murali Vijay: 127 runs vs Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Ravindra Jadeja: 5-16 vs Deccan Chargers (DCH) |
IPL vs WPL Overall Valuation: Shocking Facts to be Known
Meanwhile, the overall valuation of IPL declined by 8% from 2023-24, whereas the WPL witnessed an increased growth rate of 8% during the same period. You will be shocked to know that the rich-cash league’s value dropped to INR 82,700 in 2024 from INR 92,500 in 2023. In contrast, the WPL in its inaugural season had a value of INR 1,250 crores in 2023 and improved to INR 1,350 crores in 2024.
Conclusion:
Franchises such as Delhi Capitals (DC), Gujarat Titans (GT), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rajasthan Royals (RR), and Punjab Kings (PBKS) rank in the sequential order below RCB in the list. Earlier, Rohit Sharma’s led Mumbai Indians, and MS Dhoni’s led Chennai Super Kings won the IPL trophy five times. It is expected that Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings will get back to their winning ways in the next season to lift their 6th IPL trophy under a new captain. It remains to be seen if MI could retain its title as the Most Valued Franchise or if CSK or any other franchise manages to overtake the leading spot after the next IPL edition