Most Successful Indian Sports Teams of All Time

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India has had its fair share of sporting success, both domestically and on the international scene, with world-class athletes also making their presence felt in other parts of the world.

If you want to find out more about the competitive credentials of this vast, beautiful nation, read on for a rundown of the most successful Indian sports teams of all time.

World-cup winning cricket teams

When it comes to a national sport, India’s love of cricket is well known, and it has consistently fielded impressive international sides over the decades, winning tests against every other major force in this sport and cementing its place in the upper echelons in terms of skill and determination.

However, it has only managed to win the world cup twice; for the first time in 1983 when it triumphed over the West Indies in a final that had fans on the edge of their seats throughout, and again in 2011 when the Indian team managed to take home the trophy on its home turf.

The 1983 team, captained by Kapil Dev, managed to coax his side to victory in spite of the fact that they had a poor opening session, defending poorly against the onslaught of West Indies fast bowlers but pulling things back to succeed by a margin of just 43 runs. This is where greatness is made, as few were betting on an Indian victory at first, but preconceptions were shattered by this historic turnaround.

Many might argue that the 2011 team was stronger and more deserving of its win, but the drama of 1983 final gives this team a more iconic aspect to their success.

Medal-winning football team

Today, India is not exactly known for its soccer prowess, with the current FIFA rankings placing the national side at 109^th place worldwide, sitting just above the Central African Republic and just below Estonia. Given that the Faroe Islands, a country with a population of just under 50,000, is ranked higher than India, it is clear there is little enthusiasm for the sport in the 21^st century.

This was not always the case; in the 1950s and early 1960s the Indian national football team were considered to be amongst the five best sides globally, a fact that was demonstrated by their medal wins at two Asian Games during this period.

This legendary side might have managed to leave even more of a mark if it had managed to play during the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Unfortunately, this was impossible as there was not enough funding to get the team over there, in spite of the fact that their prior performances had been so strong that they had automatically qualified for the event. Six years later the team would just miss out on a medal in the Olympic Games, finishing fourth overall.

T20 league champions

The most recent additions to the list of the most successful Indian sports teams of all time is the Mumbai Indians, a side that has managed to snag 4 championship victories in the Indian Premier League for T20 cricket in the past decade.

The Mumbai Indians are closely followed by the Chennai Super Kings, who have won 3 titles, along with the Kolkata Knight Riders who have 2 titles under their belts to date.

Given that the Indian Premier League has only been around since 2008, this might not seem like much of an achievement. However, given just how competitive cricket is as a sport in India, it is no small thing to say that the Mumbai Indians continue to attract the top stars and have proven themselves to be the best of the best several times over.