Winning an IPL title is hard enough. Doing it in back-to-back years is something only a handful of players have ever managed – and doing it three years running, switching franchises along the way, is a feat that puts you in truly rare company.
In the 17-year history of the tournament before 2024, only one player had ever managed three consecutive IPL titles – leg-spinner Karn Sharma, who did it with SRH (2016), MI (2017), and CSK (2018). Now, in the space of just two seasons, two more players have joined that list: young leg-spinner Suyash Sharma and England wicketkeeper-batter Phil Salt, both of whom won titles with KKR in 2024 and with RCB in both 2025 and 2026.
The titles, the teams, and the numbers
Karn Sharma is the original and still the only player to win three titles consecutively with three different teams. He won with SRH in 2016, MI in 2017, and CSK in 2018. Across 90 IPL appearances, he has taken 83 wickets for four different franchises, making him one of the tournament’s most quietly decorated performers. His international career never matched his franchise dominance as he played only one T20I for India in 2014 – before his triple-IPL feat.
Suyash Sharma is the newest entrant to this club. He made his IPL debut with KKR in 2023, taking 10 wickets in 11 matches, and was part of the squad that won the 2024 title. Released ahead of the mega auction, RCB snapped him up for ₹2.60 crore and the gamble paid off immediately, as he was part of RCB’s title-winning campaigns in both 2025 and 2026. In 39 IPL appearances overall, the 23-year-old has taken 27 wickets at an economy of 8.90, with his deceptive googly making him a consistent threat in the middle overs.
Phil Salt is the most expensive of the three and the only foreign player to achieve the feat. After making his IPL debut with Delhi Capitals in 2023, he joined KKR in 2024 and played a central role in their title win, scoring 435 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 182.01. He then won the title again with RCB in 2025, before repeating the feat in 2026. Across 40 IPL appearances, Salt has amassed 1,258 runs at an average of 34.00 and a strike rate that hovers above 174, making him one of the most destructive openers the tournament has seen.
What about India? The Suyash Sharma question
For Karn Sharma, the cruelest part of his IPL story was always the international footnote. Despite three consecutive IPL titles, he never played another T20I after September 2014, his only appearance, where he took 1/28 against England. His last game for India in any format came in a Test against Australia in Adelaide.in December 2014.
Suyash Sharma now faces a strikingly similar narrative. Despite three IPL titles, a growing wicket tally, and performances that have drawn praise from Anil Kumble, he is yet to earn a senior India cap. With India’s spin department crowded and selectors showing a preference for players who have come through the white-ball pipeline, the question is whether three titles as a franchise asset will ever translate into a national call-up or whether Suyash, like Karn before him, will be remembered as the IPL’s most decorated uncapped spinner.