New Delhi, May 17 -- Defending the title is one of the hardest things in the Indian Premier League. Chennai Super Kings (2010, 2011) and Mumbai Indians (2019, 2020) were the only two sides to win back-to-back titles. Since 2021, teams have been abysmal with their title defense. Mumbai Indians (2020 winner) and Chennai Super Kings (2021 and 2023 winner) failed to reach the playoffs in the following years. Gujarat Titans was the only team to reach the final in 2023 after winning the title in 2022.

Kolkata Knight Riders, the winner of IPL 2024, are in a similar boat. Ajinkya Rahane's side are languishing at 6th in the points table, taking just 11 points from 12 matches. Defeating Royal Challengers Bengaluru tonight and Sunrisers Hyderabad o...