The Indian Premier League (IPL) is considered the best franchise league globally due to the presence of top players from around the world. While IPL is set to commence in April-June 2023, the franchises already announced their squad after the IPL 2023 auction.
Batters consider the league as a major sport to exhibit their talents with the bat. Because the flat wickets in the IPL have made batting easier compared to other cricket leagues. Many cricketers have participated in the IPL, but looking at the IPL highlights, only a few have left a lasting impression.
The following is a list of the top five players with the highest number of runs in the IPL
- Virat Kohli
Indian batsman Virat Kohli, known for his aggressive and daring style, tops the list of most runs scored in IPL with 6411 runs in 216 matches (208 innings). He made his IPL debut with Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2008 and has played for the same team throughout the league. While checking what is the highest score in IPL, we will never forget the 2016 IPL match of Virat Kohli. Kohli averages 36.43 in the IPL and holds the record for the highest number of runs in a single season, having scored 973 runs in 16 matches in 2016. Despite being one of the best batsmen, Kohli is still searching for his first IPL trophy. Virat Kohli’s IPL 2023 victory is being looked forward to by fans.
- Shikhar Dhawan
Team India’s explosive opener Shikhar Dhawan takes 2nd place on the list of most runs in IPL history, with 6086 runs and an average of 35.18. Dhawan boasts a strike rate of 126.92, with 46 half-centuries and 2 centuries to his name. In the 2021 IPL, he scored 587 runs in 16 games and made history in the 2020 IPL as the first player to hit consecutive centuries against CSK and Punjab Kings. He is affectionately known as “Gabbar”.
- Rohit Sharma
Indian national cricket team captain Rohit Sharma takes 3rd place on the list of most runs in the IPL history. Rohit Sharma has had a successful 13-year career in the Indian Premier League, with 5764 runs in 221 games. Known for his ability to score big if not dismissed early, he has been a valuable asset to the Mumbai Indians. He had led Mumbai Indians to win the IPL title five times, the highest by any team in IPL history.
- David Warner
Australian opener David warner is the only overseas player to make it to the list of the top 5 players to score runs in IPL history. With an average of 41.99, Warner has gathered 5568 runs from 155 innings. He started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils in 2009 and later played for Sunrisers Hyderabad to their maiden IPL title in 2016 to become the best overseas player in the tournament. Also, he is the only player to win the Orange Cap thrice (2015, 2017 & 2019) in IPL.
- Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina, a former Indian all-rounder, ranks 5th among players with the most runs in the IPL, with 5528 runs in 205 matches (200 innings). He has a batting average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.76 in the league. Raina was part of the Chennai Super Kings team that won the IPL three times (2010, 2011 & 2018). He holds the record for being the first player to score 2000 and 5000 runs in IPL history.