Fair Play Award Winners in IPL History: The Complete List

Amid the sixes, the sledging and the last-over thrillers, the Indian Premier League honours something quieter: sportsmanship. The Fair Play Award, presented at the end of every season, recognizes the team that has played the game in the best spirit. Through the 2026 season, it has been awarded nineteen times, and the roll of honour tells a fascinating story about which franchises have built cultures of discipline and respect.

How the Fair Play Award Is Decided

The award is not a popularity contest. After every match, the two on-field umpires and the third umpire score both teams on their conduct, with a maximum of ten points available per match. The scoring covers four criteria: adherence to the spirit of the game carries four points, while respect for the opposition, respect for the laws of cricket, and respect for the umpires carry two points each.

At the end of the season, the team with the highest average points per match wins the award. Because it is based on averages rather than totals, every match counts equally, and a single ugly incident can cost a team dearly. The system rewards consistency of behaviour across a long, high-pressure tournament.

Complete List of Fair Play Award Winners

The 2022 season was unique: it is the only edition in which two teams shared the honour, with Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans finishing level at the top of the fair play table.

Chennai Super Kings: Fair Play Award Record in IPL

Chennai Super Kings have won the Fair Play Award seven times, more than any other franchise, with victories in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2025. This is no coincidence. Under MS Dhoni’s leadership, CSK built a culture of calm professionalism that became the franchise’s trademark. Dhoni’s own conduct, rarely arguing with umpires, never losing his temper publicly, set the tone for the entire squad.

What makes CSK’s record remarkable is that they combined sportsmanship with success, winning multiple IPL titles in the same eras as their fair play triumphs. It demolishes the myth that nice teams cannot win. The 2025 award, their seventh, showed that the culture survived even as the playing squad evolved.

Other Notable Winners

Sunrisers Hyderabad have won the award three times, in 2016, 2019 and 2024, establishing themselves as one of the league’s most disciplined units. Rajasthan Royals, winners in 2012, 2021 and jointly in 2022, have similarly built a reputation for playing the game the right way. Mumbai Indians claimed it in 2018 and 2020, both seasons in which they also lifted the trophy, proving once again that fair play and winning go together.

The most recent winner, Punjab Kings, claimed the 2026 award under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy, adding a bright note to the franchise’s history. Delhi Capitals’ 2023 win and Gujarat Lions’ 2017 triumph round out a list that spans nearly every era of the league.

Teams Still Waiting

Notably, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders had never won the Fair Play Award through the 2026 season, despite both franchises winning IPL titles. RCB finally broke their trophy duck with back-to-back championships in 2025 and 2026, but the fair play honour has eluded them. For KKR, three titles have come without the sportsmanship award. It is a curious footnote that adds another layer to the league’s history.

Fair Play Award Winners in IPL History: List and Records

In an era of intense scrutiny, the Fair Play Award is a reminder that how you play matters as much as whether you win. Young cricketers watching the IPL learn as much from the conduct of their heroes as from their cover drives. Franchises that top the fair play table tend to be well-led, disciplined units, and that discipline usually shows up in results too. The award may not carry prize money, but its prestige among players and purists is real.

Which team has won the most Fair Play Awards in IPL history?

Chennai Super Kings have won the Fair Play Award seven times, in 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2025, the most by any franchise.

Who won the IPL Fair Play Award in the latest season?

Punjab Kings won the Fair Play Award for the 2026 season under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer.

How is the Fair Play Award winner decided?

Umpires award each team up to ten points per match based on spirit of the game, respect for the opposition, respect for the laws, and respect for the umpires. The team with the highest average across the season wins.

Has any team won the Fair Play Award and the IPL title in the same season?

Yes, several times. Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans have all combined the trophy with the fair play honour, proving that sportsmanship and success go hand in hand.

Which teams have never won the Fair Play Award?

Through the 2026 season, Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Kolkata Knight Riders had never won the Fair Play Award, despite both winning IPL titles.

Memorable Acts of Sportsmanship in IPL History

The fair play table is built on hundreds of small moments across a season, and the league’s history is rich with them. There was the season when a captain withdrew an appeal against a batter who had been obstructed by accident, the countless occasions when fielders have signalled that a catch was not clean, and the many times players have checked on injured opponents before celebrating a wicket. MS Dhoni’s habit of handing young debutants guidance mid-match, and senior players walking without waiting for the umpire’s finger, are the everyday acts that umpires reward.

One of the most talked-about gestures came when a wicketkeeper refused to appeal for a clear edge that the umpire had missed, choosing honesty over a wicket. These moments rarely make highlight reels, but they shape the league’s character. The fair play points system ensures that such conduct is noticed and valued, sending a message to every young cricketer watching that integrity has a place even in the most high-pressure entertainment product in the sport.

The Umpires’ Perspective

It is worth remembering who decides this award: the umpires. The men and women in the middle see the game closer than anyone, hearing every exchange and watching every reaction. Their scoring reflects not just the absence of misconduct but the presence of grace, how teams handle adversity, how they treat opponents in defeat, and how captains manage their players’ emotions. When a team tops the fair play table, it means the officials who shared the field with them all season judged them the best behaved. That is an endorsement that carries real weight in the cricket community.

Does the Fair Play Award come with prize money?

Unlike the Orange Cap, Purple Cap and other individual honours, the Fair Play Award carries no prize money. Its value lies in prestige and the recognition of a team’s sportsmanship across the season.