Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni top Fan Charts; RCB and MI command regional loyalty, Fantasy Sports Brands lead recall.
Mumbai: As IPL 2025 enters its third week, a new report by CrispInsight and Kadence International reveals that fan loyalty continues to center around iconic players and legacy teams, with newer franchises and categories still vying for attention. According to Week 2 findings from the ongoing eDART-IPL25 study, 98% of viewers have a favourite player, yet only 37% express a clear preference for any team highlighting the stronger emotional connect audiences have with individual cricketers.
Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni remain the most admired, with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Rishabh Pant climbing into the top 10 rankings for the week. On the team front, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Mumbai Indians (MI) continue to lead fan allegiance within their home territories 91% of fans from RCB’s catchment area name it as their first or second favourite team, followed closely by MI and CSK.
“Fan sentiment doesn’t shift as easily as match scores,” said Ritesh Ghosal, Partner at CrispInsight. “The consistency of legacy players and franchises keeps them at the top of mind—and that’s gold for brands looking to build lasting connections with IPL audiences.”
Beyond player and team loyalty, the report also delves into brand visibility across categories. Payment service brands and electronics saw relatively strong recall, particularly among viewers with a pre-existing interest in those segments. However, despite the surge in advertisers this season, only a quarter of the 200 brands tracked managed to cross the 4% recall mark. This indicates that while the IPL offers massive reach, cutting through the clutter remains a challenge for most brands, especially those relying solely on traditional ad placements without strategic in-game or contextual integration.
“Brands that integrate themselves meaningfully within the IPL experience—through team sponsorships, stadium branding, or player endorsements—stand out far more than those relying solely on ad volume,” added Aman Makkar, of Kadence International. “Player-driven brand storytelling is clearly outperforming traditional formats in terms of both recall and emotional engagement.”
The report also highlights the importance of the IPL superfan segment, which, though just 15% of the total audience, contributes disproportionately to viewership and brand engagement. These superfans are more likely to recall associated players, teams, and advertisers—making them a crucial audience for high-impact brand campaigns.
With insights refreshed every week during the tournament, the eDART-IPL25 study offers brands and franchises a real-time pulse on what’s resonating with audiences—empowering sharper, data-led engagement strategies through the remainder of the season.