Consider the following statements about IPL cricket tournament: 1. Two teams won the tournament five times each. 2. Chennai Super Kings remained runner-up in five editions of the tournament. 3. On three occasions, the final was played abroad. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q: What is the answer to CAPF 2023 Paper I Q116?

A. Correct — A, 1, 2 and 3. All three statements were true when this paper was set in August 2023. Chennai Super Kings had just won the 2023 final, which took their tally to five and levelled them with Mumbai Indians, so two teams stood on five titles each and statement 1 holds. Chennai had also finished as runners-up on five separate occasions across the league's history, which is statement 2. And the final had been played outside India three times — once when the entire season was shifted to South Africa in 2009, and twice more when it went to the United Arab Emirates, in 2020 and again for the second half of the 2021 season. So statement 3 holds as well and nothing can be struck out.

(a)1, 2 and 3
(b)2 and 3 only
(c)1 and 2 only
(d)3 only

Answer

Why

Correct — A, 1, 2 and 3. All three statements were true when this paper was set in August 2023. Chennai Super Kings had just won the 2023 final, which took their tally to five and levelled them with Mumbai Indians, so two teams stood on five titles each and statement 1 holds. Chennai had also finished as runners-up on five separate occasions across the league's history, which is statement 2. And the final had been played outside India three times — once when the entire season was shifted to South Africa in 2009, and twice more when it went to the United Arab Emirates, in 2020 and again for the second half of the 2021 season. So statement 3 holds as well and nothing can be struck out.

Why the others are wrong

(b)2 and 3 only — Drops statement 1, although the 2023 result is precisely what made it true — Chennai's fifth title brought them level with Mumbai's five.
(c)1 and 2 only — Drops statement 3, but the finals of 2009, 2020 and 2021 were all played outside India.
(d)3 only — Keeps only statement 3 and rejects two statements that are both accurate.

Concept

Sports current affairs in these papers is almost always about counting — how many titles, how many editions, how many times something happened. The safest way to prepare is to hold the tournament's honours list rather than its narrative, because the questions are built from the list.

One point of timing is essential here. This item was set immediately after the 2023 season, and statement 1 became true only in May of that year; before that final Mumbai were ahead on five to Chennai's four. As of now the position is unchanged, because neither side has added a sixth title since, so the tie at the top of the honours list still stands. Statement 3 needs a second look as well: the whole of the 2009 season was moved to South Africa because it clashed with the general election, the whole of the 2020 season was played in the Emirates because of the pandemic, and the 2021 season began in India and was suspended and completed in the Emirates. The 2014 season was split between the Emirates and India, but its final was played at home, so it does not add a fourth.

Key facts

By the end of the 2023 season Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings each held five titles.
Chennai Super Kings had finished as runners-up on five occasions.
The 2009 season was played entirely in South Africa; the 2020 season entirely in the United Arab Emirates; the 2021 season was suspended in India and completed in the Emirates.
The 2014 season was split between the Emirates and India but the final was played in India.
The league began in 2008 and is run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.

The three statements checked against the record as at the 2023 exam

1. Two teams on five titles each→True from May 2023, when Chennai's fifth title drew them level with Mumbai.

2. Chennai runners-up in five editions→True — five losing finals across the league's history.

3. Final played abroad three times→True — South Africa in 2009, and the United Arab Emirates in 2020 and 2021.

The near miss→2014 was partly played in the Emirates, but its final was held in India, so it is not a fourth.

Every statement holds, which is why the answer takes all three.

Study next

Major domestic and international cricket tournaments and their winnersThe structure of Indian sports administration and the role of the national federationsKhelo India and the Target Olympic Podium SchemeRecent Olympic, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games results for IndiaSports awards — the Khel Ratna, the Arjuna and the Dronacharya

Common traps

Answering from a memory formed before the season immediately preceding the exam; statement 1 changed in May 2023.
Counting 2014 as a final played abroad; only the early part of that season was.
Confusing the count of titles with the count of appearances in the final.

As a counting item anchored to the season just before the examination, which is why sports current affairs must be revised right up to the exam date.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
The Indian Premier League season played entirely in South Africa was
- (a)2008
- (b)2009
- (c)2014
- (d)2020
Answer(b) 2009 — the season was moved abroad because it clashed with the general election.
practice — not a real PYQ
The Indian Premier League is organised by
- (a)the International Cricket Council
- (b)the Board of Control for Cricket in India
- (c)the Sports Authority of India
- (d)the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Answer(b) the Board of Control for Cricket in India.