As IPL 2025 moves into its third week, a new report shows fan passion is still rooted more in individual stars than team loyalty. According to fresh data from the eDART-IPL25 study by CrispInsight and Kadence International, while 98% of viewers identify a favourite cricketer, only 37% report a strong allegiance to any particular team.
The findings suggest that player-driven narratives continue to dominate audience engagement, with fans emotionally connected to familiar faces rather than franchise identities. Legacy icons Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni remain the most admired figures in the tournament, while Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant also feature among the top 10 admired players for the week.
On the team front, historic franchises still command regional loyalty. Royal Challengers Bangalore leads the pack in its home region, with 91% of fans from its catchment area naming it among their top two teams. Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings follow closely in both reach and recall.
“Fan sentiment doesn’t swing match to match—it’s more anchored in legacy. That kind of emotional stickiness is exactly what brands seek when investing in long-term IPL campaigns,” Ritesh Ghosal, Partner at CrispInsight, said.
The report also shines a light on brand visibility within the tournament. Despite a surge in advertisers this season, just one in four of the 200 tracked brands crossed the 4% recall threshold. Brands in categories like digital payments and electronics saw stronger performance, but many others struggled to cut through the clutter. According to Kadence International’s Aman Makkar, the brands that stand out are those integrated directly into the viewing experience—via team sponsorships, on-ground presence, or player associations—rather than relying solely on conventional ad spots.
Player endorsements, in particular, were found to significantly boost recall and emotional engagement, especially among the IPL’s most dedicated viewer segment: superfans. Though they make up just 15% of the total audience, these superfans are far more likely to remember brands, players, and teams, making them a high-value target for marketers.
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Only 37% of IPL fans care about teams, the rest just follow their icons: Report – financialexpress.com
