The IPL Fair Play Award Winners List from 2008 to 2026 puts Chennai Super Kings at the top with seven wins, more than any other franchise in the tournament’s history.
The award has run since the first IPL season in 2008 and is given to the team that shows the best on-field conduct throughout the year. After every match, the two on-field umpires and the third umpire score each team out of 10 points across four categories. The team with the highest average per match at the end of the season takes the award.
This article covers every winner, the full points breakdown, and which teams are yet to win.
IPL Fair Play Award Winners From 2008 To 2026
The complete season-by-season record, including the IPL champion from each year.
| 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 | Rajasthan Royals & Gujarat Titans (shared) | Gujarat Titans |
| 2023 | Delhi Capitals | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2024 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| 2025 | Chennai Super Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
| 2026 | Punjab Kings | Royal Challengers Bengaluru |
The third column shows how rarely these two awards land with the same team. Most seasons, the IPL champion and the Fair Play winner are entirely different franchises.
The 2022 edition is also notable. That is the only time in IPL history that the award was shared between two teams.
How the Points System Works
Umpires score each team after every match, and averages count more than totals.
Each team can earn a maximum of 10 points per game, split across four categories.
| Category | Maximum Points |
|---|---|
| Spirit of the Game | 4 |
| Respect for the Opposition | 2 |
| Respect for the Laws of Cricket | 2 |
| Respect for Umpires | 2 |
| Total Per Match | 10 |
The two on-field umpires and the third umpire carry out this scoring after each match. At the end of the season, the winner is not the team with the highest cumulative total. It is the team with the best average per match.
That rule exists because playoff teams play more games than sides who exit in the group stage. Averaging keeps the competition fair across franchises with different match counts.
Punjab Kings won the 2026 Fair Play award with a perfect 10.00 average, beating out the competition across their 14 group-stage matches.
Team-Wise Fair Play Award Wins
Eight franchises have won this award across 19 seasons.
| Team | Wins | Winning Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 7 | 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2025 |
| Rajasthan Royals | 3 | 2012, 2021, 2022 (shared) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 3 | 2016, 2019, 2024 |
| Mumbai Indians | 2 | 2018, 2020 |
| Punjab Kings | 2 | 2009, 2026 |
| Gujarat Lions | 1 | 2017 |
| Gujarat Titans | 1 | 2022 (shared) |
| Delhi Capitals | 1 | 2023 |
CSK’s lead over the rest is clear. One point worth adding to their record: they were banned from the IPL in 2016 and 2017. Those seven wins came from 17 seasons of actual participation. That puts their win rate at close to 41%.
Teams Yet to Win the Fair Play Award
Three current franchises are still without a single Fair Play Award win.
- Kolkata Knight Riders have three IPL titles from 2012, 2014, and 2024. None of those seasons brought a Fair Play Award alongside the trophy.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru won their first IPL title in 2025 but finished seventh in that season’s Fair Play standings with an average of 9.38.
- Lucknow Super Giants have been part of the IPL since 2022. Four seasons in, the award has not come their way yet.
Four Times One Team Claimed Both Trophies
Winning the IPL title and the Fair Play Award in the same season is genuinely rare.
Most years, the most aggressive teams chase the title. The Fair Play Award tends to go somewhere else. Only four times in 19 seasons have both landed with the same franchise.
| Season | Team | IPL Title | Fair Play Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Chennai Super Kings | Yes | Yes |
| 2011 | Chennai Super Kings | Yes | Yes |
| 2016 | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Yes | Yes |
| 2020 | Mumbai Indians | Yes | Yes |
CSK are the only side to do it in back-to-back seasons. SRH achieved it once in 2016 under David Warner. Mumbai Indians matched that in the 2020 season, which was played entirely in the UAE.
Why CSK Keep Winning This Award
Seven wins from 17 played seasons does not happen by accident.
MS Dhoni captained CSK through their first six Fair Play wins between 2008 and 2015. He rarely argued with umpiring decisions, even on close calls. That behavior set a clear example for everyone in the squad.
The 2025 win added another layer to the record. Dhoni was no longer in the same captaincy role, the squad had changed, and CSK still finished at the top of the Fair Play table. That result points to something built into the franchise rather than being dependent on one person.
Their squad selection has consistently prioritized experienced players with steady temperaments. That approach tends to produce sides that stay level-headed when matches get tight.
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Conclusion: CSK’s Seven Fair Play Awards Remain a Record No Team Has Matched
Chennai Super Kings hold the Fair Play Award record with seven wins from 19 IPL seasons. No other current franchise is close. Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad have three wins each, while KKR, RCB, and LSG are still looking for their first.
With the conclusion of the 2026 season, Punjab Kings officially claimed the Fair Play Award for the second time in their history, stopping CSK from widening their lead.
FAQ
Chennai Super Kings with seven wins. No other franchise has more than three.
Umpires score teams out of 10 points after every match across four conduct categories. The team with the highest average per match across the full season takes the award, not the team with the highest points total.
Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, and Lucknow Super Giants have not won it as of IPL 2026.
Four times. CSK in 2010 and 2011, Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016, and Mumbai Indians in 2020.
Punjab Kings won the IPL 2026 Fair Play Award with a final average of 10.00 points per match.
