Everyone who watches sports loves a great turnaround story. But that is what sports allow. It allows someone to come back after a bad performance, try to defeat their opponents. With all this competitiveness, fans get really engaged when something like this happens.

There is a reason why underdog stories or comeback stories hit home. It makes us believe that there is always hope to turn around, work on our mistakes and perform better in the future. In the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> we have witnessed several such drastic turnarounds. We have seen teams coming back from very bad losses and showing their true skills.

The fact that the IPL is played over a space of 14 matches, allows teams to fix their problems, figure out their strengths, and gel properly. This large number of matches also adds a lot of context to a team’s journey to win a championship title.

Let us look back at the top 5 times teams made outstanding comebacks to qualify for the IPL playoffs:

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-464245" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-2.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464245" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

2013 was a special year for Mumbai Indians. They found a new responsible captain in Rohit Sharma, who helped them win their maiden title. The fact that Rohit came in the middle of the tournament and replaced <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hope-axar-patel-and-ravi-ashwin-have-some-wickets-left-ricky-ponting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ricky Ponting</a> as the captain, just tells you how much he had matured as a player. They also won the Champions League T20 later that year.

But, the 2014 season started quite badly for Mumbai. The teams were shuffled and a big auction meant Mumbai found it a little difficult initially to get their combinations right. The first leg of the tournament was played in the UAE, due to general elections. Rohit and co. lost all the five matches which they played in the middle east.

Even after the 10th match, the team had won only three matches. But, they turned around their fortunes by winning the last four league matches and qualified for the playoff after a dramatic finish against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede. They chased 190 in 14.4 overs to go through to the playoffs. But, they lost their Eliminator against Chennai to eventually get knocked out.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-146898" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2017.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-146898" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo: Dhananjay TK/IANS)</figcaption>

Kolkata Knight Riders came into the 2014 IPL with a fresh bunch of players, but some of the members from their core squad were still around. They had won the title in 2012, but also suffered a slump in 2013. But, the start to their 2014 campaign was not as they would have liked. After winning two of the first three matches, they slipped quickly behind on the points table by losing four matches on the trot.

With only two wins in the first seven matches, it seemed unlikely that they would make it to the top four. But, with a win against Delhi away from home, they started a streak of wins that would eventually end after the season ended. They won all their seven matches in the second half of the league stage.

Their last league match win, which they achieved by chasing 161 in 14.2 overs, ensured they finished at the second position, edging past Chennai on net run rate. After this, they beat <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-punjab-kings-pbks-rope-in-damien-wright-as-the-bowling-coach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings</a> (then Kings XI Punjab), the first ranked side in the league stages, twice to win the title. They won Qualifier 1 in Kolkata and then won a tight final in Bangalore.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-453107" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-453107" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption>

After finishing as fourth in the IPL 2015, Mumbai Indians were expecting to go the distance once again. But, their season went to a horrible start after they lost four matches in the beginning. After the first six matches, they only had one win and staring at a very bad finish to the season as they were not able to find any momentum at all.

But, after this, they turned around their entire season starting with a win against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-sunrisers-hyderabad-srh-full-schedule-with-venue-date-match-timings-and-pdf-download/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a>. They won five matches on the trot. In the last eight matches of the league stages, they won seven to qualify as the second best-ranked team in the points table. Rohit Sharma and his team had done it again, managing to qualify for the playoffs after so many losses at the beginning.

But, they played their best cricket when they came up against Chennai Super Kings in the playoffs. They first beat the 2011 champions in the first qualifier in Mumbai by a margin of 25 runs. And bettered their performance with a win by 41 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the final. With this, they won their second title.

4. Deccan Chargers, 2010

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-410555" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Adam-Gilchrist-Deccan-Chargers.jpg" alt="Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410555" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Deccan Chargers had come into the IPL 2010 with the tag of defending champions, after winning the 2009 edition in South Africa. Under the leadership of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/youre-a-true-match-winner-adam-gilchrist-lauds-rishabh-pant-for-scoring-his-maiden-test-ton-in-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Gilchrist</a>, the star-studded line-up didn’t have a good start to the season. They struggled to replicate their success in South African conditions on Indian soil.

The fact that all their home matches were being played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, might have added to their misery. After the ninth match, they had only three wins with them. In order to ensure a place in the semi-finals, they had to win at least four out of the next five matches.

They managed to beat Bangalore twice and Delhi, Punjab, and Chennai once to go through, winning all the last five matches. They, unfortunately, lost their semi-final against Mumbai to find themselves in the third-place match. Deccan Chargers lost against Bangalore in that match and ended being the fourth team in the tournament.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-158290" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Dravid-and-Anil-Kumble.jpg" alt="Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158290" class="wp-caption-text">Anil Kumble with Rahul Dravid. (Photo by Ritam Banerjee-IPL 2010/IPL via Getty Images)</figcaption>

Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have a great start to their IPL journey. They were seventh in the 2008 inaugural season in India. When the IPL traveled to South Africa, RCB decided to make Kevin Pietersen their new captain, replacing Rahul Dravid. But, their season started horribly once again.

They lost four of their first five matches. Pietersen left the squad after the sixth match and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4346066365424051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anil Kumble</a>, former Indian Test captain was tasked to lead the team. Their fortunes turned immediately but still, they didn’t secure their semifinal spot. They had won only four out of their first 10 matches. They had to win all the last four matches to qualify.

And they did win all those matches. In one of those matches, Manish Pandey became the first Indian centurion in the IPL. With four consecutive victories, they ran into the 2008 runners-up Chennai Super Kings. They defeated Chennai but went down to a spirited Deccan Chargers in the final in Johannesburg.

Everyone who watches sports loves a great turnaround story. But that is what sports allow. It allows someone to come back after a bad performance, try to defeat their opponents. With all this competitiveness, fans get really engaged when something like this happens.&nbsp;
There is a reason why underdog stories or comeback stories hit home. It makes us believe that there is always hope to turn around, work on our mistakes and perform better in the future. In the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> we have witnessed several such drastic turnarounds. We have seen teams coming back from very bad losses and showing their true skills.&nbsp;
The fact that the IPL is played over a space of 14 matches, allows teams to fix their problems, figure out their strengths, and gel properly. This large number of matches also adds a lot of context to a team’s journey to win a championship title.
<h3>Let us look back at the top 5 times teams made outstanding comebacks to qualify for the IPL playoffs:</h3>
<h3>1. Mumbai Indians, 2014</h3>
<figure id="attachment_464245" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-464245" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-464245" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-2.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464245" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
2013 was a special year for Mumbai Indians. They found a new responsible captain in Rohit Sharma, who helped them win their maiden title. The fact that Rohit came in the middle of the tournament and replaced <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hope-axar-patel-and-ravi-ashwin-have-some-wickets-left-ricky-ponting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ricky Ponting</a> as the captain, just tells you how much he had matured as a player. They also won the Champions League T20 later that year.&nbsp;
But, the 2014 season started quite badly for Mumbai. The teams were shuffled and a big auction meant Mumbai found it a little difficult initially to get their combinations right. The first leg of the tournament was played in the UAE, due to general elections. Rohit and co. lost all the five matches which they played in the middle east.
Even after the 10th match, the team had won only three matches. But, they turned around their fortunes by winning the last four league matches and qualified for the playoff after a dramatic finish against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede. They chased 190 in 14.4 overs to go through to the playoffs. But, they lost their Eliminator against Chennai to eventually get knocked out.

<h3>2. Kolkata Knight Riders, 2014</h3>
<figure id="attachment_146898" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-146898" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-146898" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2017.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-146898" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo: Dhananjay TK/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Kolkata Knight Riders came into the 2014 IPL with a fresh bunch of players, but some of the members from their core squad were still around. They had won the title in 2012, but also suffered a slump in 2013. But, the start to their 2014 campaign was not as they would have liked. After winning two of the first three matches, they slipped quickly behind on the points table by losing four matches on the trot.&nbsp;
With only two wins in the first seven matches, it seemed unlikely that they would make it to the top four. But, with a win against Delhi away from home, they started a streak of wins that would eventually end after the season ended. They won all their seven matches in the second half of the league stage.&nbsp;
Their last league match win, which they achieved by chasing 161 in 14.2 overs, ensured they finished at the second position, edging past Chennai on net run rate. After this, they beat <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-punjab-kings-pbks-rope-in-damien-wright-as-the-bowling-coach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings</a> (then Kings XI Punjab), the first ranked side in the league stages, twice to win the title. They won Qualifier 1 in Kolkata and then won a tight final in Bangalore.&nbsp;

<h3>3. Mumbai Indians, 2015</h3>
<figure id="attachment_453107" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-453107" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-453107" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-453107" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
After finishing as fourth in the IPL 2015, Mumbai Indians were expecting to go the distance once again. But, their season went to a horrible start after they lost four matches in the beginning. After the first six matches, they only had one win and staring at a very bad finish to the season as they were not able to find any momentum at all.&nbsp;
But, after this, they turned around their entire season starting with a win against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-sunrisers-hyderabad-srh-full-schedule-with-venue-date-match-timings-and-pdf-download/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a>. They won five matches on the trot. In the last eight matches of the league stages, they won seven to qualify as the second best-ranked team in the points table. Rohit Sharma and his team had done it again, managing to qualify for the playoffs after so many losses at the beginning.&nbsp;
But, they played their best cricket when they came up against Chennai Super Kings in the playoffs. They first beat the 2011 champions in the first qualifier in Mumbai by a margin of 25 runs. And bettered their performance with a win by 41 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the final. With this, they won their second title.&nbsp;

<h3>4. Deccan Chargers, 2010</h3>
<figure id="attachment_410555" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410555" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-410555" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Adam-Gilchrist-Deccan-Chargers.jpg" alt="Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410555" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Deccan Chargers had come into the IPL 2010 with the tag of defending champions, after winning the 2009 edition in South Africa. Under the leadership of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/youre-a-true-match-winner-adam-gilchrist-lauds-rishabh-pant-for-scoring-his-maiden-test-ton-in-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Gilchrist</a>, the star-studded line-up didn’t have a good start to the season. They struggled to replicate their success in South African conditions on Indian soil.&nbsp;
The fact that all their home matches were being played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, might have added to their misery. After the ninth match, they had only three wins with them. In order to ensure a place in the semi-finals, they had to win at least four out of the next five matches.&nbsp;
They managed to beat Bangalore twice and Delhi, Punjab, and Chennai once to go through, winning all the last five matches. They, unfortunately, lost their semi-final against Mumbai to find themselves in the third-place match. Deccan Chargers lost against Bangalore in that match and ended being the fourth team in the tournament.

<h3>5. Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2009</h3>
<figure id="attachment_158290" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158290" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-158290" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Dravid-and-Anil-Kumble.jpg" alt="Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158290" class="wp-caption-text">Anil Kumble with Rahul Dravid. (Photo by Ritam Banerjee-IPL 2010/IPL via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have a great start to their IPL journey. They were seventh in the 2008 inaugural season in India. When the IPL traveled to South Africa, RCB decided to make Kevin Pietersen their new captain, replacing Rahul Dravid. But, their season started horribly once again.&nbsp;
They lost four of their first five matches. Pietersen left the squad after the sixth match and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4346066365424051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anil Kumble</a>, former Indian Test captain was tasked to lead the team. Their fortunes turned immediately but still, they didn’t secure their semifinal spot. They had won only four out of their first 10 matches. They had to win all the last four matches to qualify.&nbsp;
And they did win all those matches. In one of those matches, Manish Pandey became the first Indian centurion in the IPL. With four consecutive victories, they ran into the 2008 runners-up Chennai Super Kings. They defeated Chennai but went down to a spirited Deccan Chargers in the final in Johannesburg.&nbsp;

Everyone who watches sports loves a great turnaround story. But that is what sports allow. It allows someone to come back after a bad performance, try to defeat their opponents. With all this competitiveness, fans get really engaged when something like this happens. 
There is a reason why underdog stories or comeback stories hit home. It makes us believe that there is always hope to turn around, work on our mistakes and perform better in the future. In the <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IPL</a> we have witnessed several such drastic turnarounds. We have seen teams coming back from very bad losses and showing their true skills. 
The fact that the IPL is played over a space of 14 matches, allows teams to fix their problems, figure out their strengths, and gel properly. This large number of matches also adds a lot of context to a team’s journey to win a championship title.
<h3>Let us look back at the top 5 times teams made outstanding comebacks to qualify for the IPL playoffs:</h3>
<h3>1. Mumbai Indians, 2014</h3>
<figure id="attachment_464245" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-464245" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-464245" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rohit-Sharma-2.jpg" alt="Rohit Sharma" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-464245" class="wp-caption-text">Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
2013 was a special year for Mumbai Indians. They found a new responsible captain in Rohit Sharma, who helped them win their maiden title. The fact that Rohit came in the middle of the tournament and replaced <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/hope-axar-patel-and-ravi-ashwin-have-some-wickets-left-ricky-ponting/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ricky Ponting</a> as the captain, just tells you how much he had matured as a player. They also won the Champions League T20 later that year. 
But, the 2014 season started quite badly for Mumbai. The teams were shuffled and a big auction meant Mumbai found it a little difficult initially to get their combinations right. The first leg of the tournament was played in the UAE, due to general elections. Rohit and co. lost all the five matches which they played in the middle east.
Even after the 10th match, the team had won only three matches. But, they turned around their fortunes by winning the last four league matches and qualified for the playoff after a dramatic finish against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede. They chased 190 in 14.4 overs to go through to the playoffs. But, they lost their Eliminator against Chennai to eventually get knocked out.

<h3>2. Kolkata Knight Riders, 2014</h3>
<figure id="attachment_146898" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-146898" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-146898" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Gautam-Gambhir-2017.jpg" alt="Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-146898" class="wp-caption-text">Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo: Dhananjay TK/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Kolkata Knight Riders came into the 2014 IPL with a fresh bunch of players, but some of the members from their core squad were still around. They had won the title in 2012, but also suffered a slump in 2013. But, the start to their 2014 campaign was not as they would have liked. After winning two of the first three matches, they slipped quickly behind on the points table by losing four matches on the trot. 
With only two wins in the first seven matches, it seemed unlikely that they would make it to the top four. But, with a win against Delhi away from home, they started a streak of wins that would eventually end after the season ended. They won all their seven matches in the second half of the league stage. 
Their last league match win, which they achieved by chasing 161 in 14.2 overs, ensured they finished at the second position, edging past Chennai on net run rate. After this, they beat <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-punjab-kings-pbks-rope-in-damien-wright-as-the-bowling-coach/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Punjab Kings</a> (then Kings XI Punjab), the first ranked side in the league stages, twice to win the title. They won Qualifier 1 in Kolkata and then won a tight final in Bangalore. 

<h3>3. Mumbai Indians, 2015</h3>
<figure id="attachment_453107" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-453107" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-453107" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Mumbai-Indians-1.jpg" alt="Mumbai Indians" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-453107" class="wp-caption-text">Mumbai Indians. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
After finishing as fourth in the IPL 2015, Mumbai Indians were expecting to go the distance once again. But, their season went to a horrible start after they lost four matches in the beginning. After the first six matches, they only had one win and staring at a very bad finish to the season as they were not able to find any momentum at all. 
But, after this, they turned around their entire season starting with a win against <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2021-sunrisers-hyderabad-srh-full-schedule-with-venue-date-match-timings-and-pdf-download/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunrisers Hyderabad</a>. They won five matches on the trot. In the last eight matches of the league stages, they won seven to qualify as the second best-ranked team in the points table. Rohit Sharma and his team had done it again, managing to qualify for the playoffs after so many losses at the beginning. 
But, they played their best cricket when they came up against Chennai Super Kings in the playoffs. They first beat the 2011 champions in the first qualifier in Mumbai by a margin of 25 runs. And bettered their performance with a win by 41 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in the final. With this, they won their second title. 

<h3>4. Deccan Chargers, 2010</h3>
<figure id="attachment_410555" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-410555" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-410555" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Adam-Gilchrist-Deccan-Chargers.jpg" alt="Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-410555" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers. (Photo by Kunal Patil/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Deccan Chargers had come into the IPL 2010 with the tag of defending champions, after winning the 2009 edition in South Africa. Under the leadership of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/youre-a-true-match-winner-adam-gilchrist-lauds-rishabh-pant-for-scoring-his-maiden-test-ton-in-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Gilchrist</a>, the star-studded line-up didn’t have a good start to the season. They struggled to replicate their success in South African conditions on Indian soil. 
The fact that all their home matches were being played at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai, might have added to their misery. After the ninth match, they had only three wins with them. In order to ensure a place in the semi-finals, they had to win at least four out of the next five matches. 
They managed to beat Bangalore twice and Delhi, Punjab, and Chennai once to go through, winning all the last five matches. They, unfortunately, lost their semi-final against Mumbai to find themselves in the third-place match. Deccan Chargers lost against Bangalore in that match and ended being the fourth team in the tournament.

<h3>5. Royal Challengers Bangalore, 2009</h3>
<figure id="attachment_158290" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-158290" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-158290" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rahul-Dravid-and-Anil-Kumble.jpg" alt="Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-158290" class="wp-caption-text">Anil Kumble with Rahul Dravid. (Photo by Ritam Banerjee-IPL 2010/IPL via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
Royal Challengers Bangalore didn’t have a great start to their IPL journey. They were seventh in the 2008 inaugural season in India. When the IPL traveled to South Africa, RCB decided to make Kevin Pietersen their new captain, replacing Rahul Dravid. But, their season started horribly once again. 
They lost four of their first five matches. Pietersen left the squad after the sixth match and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/posts/4346066365424051" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anil Kumble</a>, former Indian Test captain was tasked to lead the team. Their fortunes turned immediately but still, they didn’t secure their semifinal spot. They had won only four out of their first 10 matches. They had to win all the last four matches to qualify. 
And they did win all those matches. In one of those matches, Manish Pandey became the first Indian centurion in the IPL. With four consecutive victories, they ran into the 2008 runners-up Chennai Super Kings. They defeated Chennai but went down to a spirited Deccan Chargers in the final in Johannesburg.

These teams rose like a phoenix from the ashes and climbed the ladder.

IPL 2021: Top 5 best comebacks in the history of the tournament

The fact that the IPL is played over a space of 14 matches, allows teams to fix their problems, figure out their strengths, and gel properly.