20 May,2026 10:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Kaushal Kumar V
Kolkata Knight Riders’s players. Pic/PTI
While Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings have won the IPL five times each, it's Kolkata Knight Riders, who have been ranked the most valuable franchise in India, in the inaugural Fanatic X Hurun India's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2026 report released on Tuesday.
The report, according to Hurun India founder and chief researcher Anas Rahman Junaid, reflects how Indian sport has become "a serious asset class, not just a cultural footnote."As per the report, KKR's valuation ranges between Rs 19,200 crore to Rs 22,500 crore, placing it ahead of the Mumbai Indians (between Rs 18,400 crore and Rs 21,700 crore) and Chennai Super Kings (valued between Rs 18,400 and Rs 20,700 crore), placing them second and third respectively.
The 10 IPL franchises together are reportedly worth approximately Rs 1.63 lakh crore.
"The valuation is based on four main factors: Performance and Title Pedigree, Brand Value and Fan Engagement, Global Cricket, Portfolio Breadth and City Economic Dynamics," Junaid told mid-day. The report also argues that a franchise's worth is no longer defined solely by trophies. "Ten years ago the value of an IPL team wasn't even equal to the value of third division American league or the UK second division. But the numbers today indicate where Indian sport is heading in terms of value" said Raghav Gupta, Founder and CEO, Fanatic Sports Pvt Ltd.
