So, we have all heard of the IPL Fair Play Award, right? The random points table shown throughout an IPL season that usually has nothing to do with the actual points table. We all know that the award is given to a team that behaves the best during games, and it has nothing to do with a team’s performance in the game.ca kahzm
The surprising thing about it is that some of the most successful teams, like three-time champions KKR and defending champs RCB, have never won this award.
So, what is the IPL fair play award, how is it decided, and how does the scoring behind it work? We will discuss it all, plus a little history about this often-ignored part of the IPL mythos.
What Is the Fair Play Award and Why Does It Exist in IPL?
For those unaware, the IPL Fair Play Award is given to the team that best upholds the “spirit of the game” at the end of the season. All teams are scored at the end of each game, and the team with the highest points average for all their games in a season is given this accolade.
Cricket’s “spirit of the game” is an entire topic in itself. However, the general rule of thumb is that acting orderly and honestly while following IPL sportsmanship rules is the way to score points.
BCCI introduced this award in the inaugural 2008 season to counterbalance the intensity of T20 cricket and the competitive aggression that might come with it. The winning team gets a prize of Rs. 10 lakh. This is one of many IPL award categories.
While the award that has the least to do with a team’s performance throughout a season, the IPL Fair Play Award is still a crucial part of what the Indian Premier League stands for.
How the Fair Play Award Is Different from Every Other IPL Trophy
The Fair Play Award stands apart from the list of IPL awards list. Unlike the Orange Cap and the Purple Cap, this one rewards a team’s character, and not specifically their skill.
The four major IPL awards handed out at the end of the season are –
- IPL trophy – given to the league champions, the team that wins the league
- Orange Cap – given to the league’s highest scorer throughout a season
- Purple Cap – given to the league’s highest wicket taker throughout a season
- Fair Play Award – given to the team that upholds the “spirit of the game” and IPL sportsmanship rules
🏆 Explore IPL Teams With the Best Fair Play Records
Discover which IPL franchises have maintained the highest standards of sportsmanship, discipline, and on-field conduct throughout the tournament history. Track Fair Play Award winners, team rankings, captain records, and season-by-season insights.
📊 View IPL Fair Play RankingsThe 4 Criteria Behind the IPL Fair Play Scoring System Explained
The IPL fair play points calculation, while not being completely transparent and easily understood, is fairly simple to grasp the essence of. For every game a team plays, it can earn a maximum of 10 points. There are four criteria of this scoring system.
First is the spirit of the game, which is also the most important one. Based upon how well a team respects the spirit of the gentlemen’s sport, they can score a maximum of four points.
The next three criteria each carry two points: respect for the opposition, respect for the umpires, and respect for the laws of the game.
Out of a maximum of 10 points divided into four criteria, teams are scored by the two on-field umpires and the third umpire. All three of them collectively score each team at the end of each game.
Why “Spirit of the Game” Carries Double the Points of Every Other Criterion
Out of the four scoring criteria, the spirit of cricket is given the most weightage and double the points in the scoring system. It covers things like cheating attempts, fake appeals, deliberately wasting time, and showing dissent.
Doing any of the above-mentioned things by definition is going against the spirit of cricket, and doing so impacts a team’s fair play points. One can observe that, during any game, if there is even a slight controversy regarding a team’s on-field conduct, they are docked points and tumble down the IPL Fair Play Award ranking. One too many such incidents can prove fatal for a team’s chance to win that award.
| Criterion | Points Available | What It Covers |
| Spirit of the Game | 4 | Honesty, no fake appeals, no deliberate time-wasting |
| Respect for Opposition | 2 | No sledging, celebrating within limits |
| Respect for Laws of Cricket | 2 | No ball tampering, DRS abuse, no illegal fielding |
| Respect for Umpires | 2 | No dissent, accepting decisions gracefully |
| Total Per Match | 10 | Per team, per game |
How Umpires Actually Score Teams After Every Single IPL Match
After the conclusion of an IPL match, the two on-field umpires and the third umpire score the teams on the aforementioned criteria. All three umpires, including the one observing the game from the review screen, play equal roles in this process.
All three umpires evaluate both teams from the match independently. This review is devoid of the team’s match performance. They then report their scores to the match referee, who averages their scores and adds them to a team’s season tally.
A team’s fair play points are accumulated throughout a season. At the end of the tournament, the final winner is decided by the average points per game, that is, a team’s total score divided by the number of games they played.
The average scores of a team are considered, not their total points, to offset the advantage of teams that play more games in a season.
The Complete IPL Fair Play Award Winners List from 2008 to 2025
Here is a full list of IPL Fair Play award-winning teams. Note: a few observations can be made from the list below. First is how CSK have won this award the most.
Secondly, see how the team that wins the fair play award differs from the league champions in most seasons. For example, despite finishing 10th in 2025, the Super Kings won the award again while RCB won the IPL title.
| Season | Fair Play Award Winner | IPL Champion |
| 2008 | Chennai Super Kings | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2009 | Punjab Kings | Deccan Chargers |
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2012 | Rajasthan Royals | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2013 | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians |
| 2014 | Chennai Super Kings | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2015 | Chennai Super Kings | Mumbai Indians |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2017 | Gujarat Lions | Mumbai Indians |
| 2018 | Mumbai Indians | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2019 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Mumbai Indians |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians | Mumbai Indians |
| 2021 | Rajasthan Royals | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2022 | Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals | Gujarat Titans |
| 2023 | Delhi Capitals | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2025 | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
Why Chennai Super Kings Have Won the IPL Fair Play Award a Record Seven Times
The Chennai Super Kings are not only the joint-most successful team in IPL history, but they have also won the IPL Fair Play award a record seven times. They even won the award three times in a row from 2013 to 2015.
But why had CSK been the team to win this accolade the most? There are a few reasons. First is the cool and calm captaincy philosophy of MS Dhoni, who has been the franchise captain for the majority of their existence.
This team’s calm acceptance of umpire’s calls, their zero tolerance for fake appeals, and dignified behaviour in wins and losses make them the ideal team to win this award on multiple occasions.
In contrast, teams known for their on-field aggression and fiery demeanour, like RCB and KKR, have never won the fair play award.
The Teams That Have Never Won the Fair Play Award and What That Reveals
Two of the most popular IPL franchises – the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Kolkata Knight Riders, have four IPL titles between them, but have zero fair play titles.
These two teams are known for their fiery attitude and win-at-all-costs mentality. But a focus on winning games and titles can, on occasion, bring out a side that the fair play officials don’t rate a lot.
SWOT Analysis of the IPL Fair Play Award System Itself
There are certain strengths and weaknesses of the IPL Fair Play Award. While this award promotes things like proper on-field behaviour, spirit of the game, and a camaraderie among athletes, some believe that this measure is not enough.
The fact that the BCCI gives only Rs. 10 lakh to the winner, coupled with it having no effect on the league and the results, makes it understandable why some of the most successful teams in the league have never won this one.
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Promotes the spirit of cricket across 18 seasons | Subjective umpire scoring is open to inconsistency |
| Covers all 4 key behavioural pillars | Prize money of ₹10 lakh is negligible for franchises |
| Applies equally to every team, every match | Low public visibility and media coverage |
| Opportunities | Threats |
| Live fair play tracking on BCCI/IPL apps in 2026 | Commercial pressure is pushing for aggressive on-field behaviour |
| Educational campaigns to raise fan awareness | High-profile controversies can undermine credibility |
Which IPL Team Is Most Likely to Win the Fair Play Award in IPL 2026
The list of IPL fair play contenders is frankly, much of the league. Following a mega auction, a team’s behavioural consistency is disturbed. However, this is a mini-auction season, and teams have not made too many personnel changes.
And so, defending fair play winners CSK are again the favourites to pick that award. Teams like the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals have won the award on several occasions as well, making them contenders as well.
While the fair play standings are referenced regularly on the live league broadcast, fans can visit IPLT20.com to keep an eye on the fair play standings.
Conclusion
The IPL Fair Play Award is the most underrated award given out in the IPL and holds significant importance for the decorum of the competition.
The criteria used to judge and note teams on fair play are: following the spirit of cricket, respect for the umpires, respect for the opposition, and respect for the laws of the game.
CSK has won this award a record seven times, while popular teams like KLR and RCB have never won it.
So, do you think that team will win the IPL 2026 Fair Play Award, and will that team have a successful season on-field?
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