All-Time Top Scorer For Every Franchise In The IPL: We, the Indian cricket fans are aware of the fact that how Indian Premier League is of immense cricketing value to the youngest cricketing talents, as it helps BCCI to discern monikers across the hidden nook and crannies and bring them to the limelight.
From a chubby Virat Kohli to a skinny Jasprit Bumrah, they all rose to prominence after they hogged the nation’s limelight with some stellar performances in the domestic extravaganza. Similarly, this year’s IPL can play a major springboard for the likes of youngsters including Shubman Gil, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Shivam Mavi, Mahipal Lomror, Riyan Prayag, Rishabh Pant and several other names who are eyeing a national call-up, keeping in mind the approaching World T-20 in the forthcoming year.
In this piece, we will be looking at the most successful batsmen from every franchise until date.
1. Virender Sehwag – Delhi Daredevils
The man who sang his way to the stands, Virender Sehwag, one of India’s most dominant openers used to leave the bowlers rattled with some incredible displays.
In IPL, he played for five seasons with Delhi, from 2008 to 2013 and in the process managed to rack up 2174 runs at a decent average of 29. He took 79 innings to achieve the aforementioned feat.
The above-mentioned figures were a mark of decency from a monster in the batting echelons. The true side of him revealed when we narrowed down the calibrating factors to the just strike rate. He scored those runs at a rate of a tornado, chronicling a strike rate of 160.32.
He managed to smash a century and fifteen half-centuries in his bid to surpass his counterparts. His blazing century against Deccan Chargers was just a glimpse of the punishing torment that he was capable of inflicting upon the bowlers. Post his heroics for the Daredevils, he moved to Punjab and played two seasons before he finally hung his boot.
2. Shaun Marsh – Kings XI Punjab
The man who disrupted all the calculations after appearing in the mid-season of the IPL opener, Shaun Marsh walked away with the maiden Orange Cap. He was a beast of a batsman in the initial years of T-20 cricket and his otherworldly aggression made him one of Punjab’s very best.
The Australian southpaw played 69 innings for Punjab from which he scored 2477 runs at an incredible average of 39.95. He also blasted a century and 20 half-centuries for Punjab.
In his bid for the Orange Cap in 2008, he smashed 616 runs at an average of 68. He was a Punjab loyal who devoted his entire IPL career to the Kings.
Ajinkya Rahane – Rajasthan Royals
Though this name doesn’t really sound like a T20 expert as he is more of a genius of the shorter format of the game, Rahane still managed to lead Rajasthan Royal’s batting brigade. He is not someone who is smashing the balls continuously out of the park, but his sustained brilliance in the form of drives, flicks, pulls and hooks that were adorned with perfect timing and placement made him an apt middle-order batsman in the IPL.
He played 93 innings for the Royals where he managed to garner 2810 runs at a steady average of 34.26. He went on to score two blistering centuries which came on the back of 17 half-centuries.
In the preceding edition f the tournament, Rahane managed to smash an unbeaten 105 against Delhi Capitals that rekindled memories of his brilliance in the Indian colours.
Gautam Gambhir – Kolkata Knightriders
Gambhir led from the front as the Delhi-based opener hammered 3035 runs from 108 innings at a decent average of 31.61. He led the franchise to two IPL titles, post which the team is still to come close to the trophy.
The former Indian opener managed to rack up 27 half-centuries for the Knights, out of which several of them were match-defining knocks. His best knock in the colours of KKR was in 2012 when he smashed a sublime 92 from 51 balls, tumbling Royal Challengers Bangalore in a lopsided encounter.
After a decent showdown, Gambhir moved to the ranks of Delhi and failing to live up to the expected billing, he bade adieu to Indian Premier League.
David Warner – Sunrisers Hyderabad
Needless to say, no other batsmen in the colours of the Sunrisers can come close to Warner. Owner of three Orange Caps in the tournament, he has been leading the charge of the Sunrisers batting attack.
From 71 innings for the Orange Army, Warner has managed to garner 3271 runs from 71 games. To capt it all off, the Australian opener has managed to score all of these runs at a staggering average of 55.44 and a strike rate of 150. He has also managed to smash 2 centuries and 34 half-centuries.
His best performance of the fray came in 2017 when he managed to hammer his way to a vicious 126 runs off just 59 deliveries. He also holds the highest opening partnership in IPL with Jonny Bairstow.
Rohit Sharma – Mumbai Indians
The world hasn’t seen a better puller of the ball than Rohit Sharma. Given the fact that short balls constitute to the fall of several great batsmen in the game, the same can’t be said for the Indian hitman, as he smoked them over for the maximums.
His captaincy saw a tectonic shift in the performances of Mumbai Indians as after his arrival at the helm of affairs, the men in Blue claimed the title a whopping four times from seven seasons. He is also their best batsmen as he leads the chart of the highest run-scorer for Mumbai Indians.
From 139 innings, Rohit has managed to smash 3728 runs at a brilliant average of 31.86 and a breezy strike rate of 130.62. He has also chronicled one century and 28 half-centuries for the Indians.
Rohit’s best knock of the IPL came way back in 2012 as he clobbered the KKR bowlers on his way to a stunning unbeaten 109.
Suresh Raina – Chennai Super Kings
As he will be missing the likes of India’s most glamorous domestic fray for the first time in thirteen years, he still holds the perch for scoring the highest number of runs in the colours of Chennai. More importantly in 9 of the 12 seasons, he has managed to get past the hallowed mark of 400 plus runs, which is a highlight of his glittering IPL career.
Featuring in a staggering 164 games, he has managed to score 4527 runs at an average of 33.28 and a massive strike rate of 137.34. He has amassed the highest number of half-centuries for Chennai as he scored 32 in all, laced with a blistering century.
His solitary century came in 2013 when he clubbed the Punjab bowlers mercilessly to pave his way to an unbeaten hundred, comprising 7 fours and 6 sixes.
Virat Kohli – Royal Challengers Bangalore
One of the most efficient batsmen of all time, currently the best in the nation and in the world, the run-machine and most importantly, the captain of India, King Kohli is the highest run-getter in the history of the tournament with 5412 runs.
All of these came for the only franchise that he has been a part of, Royal Challengers Bangalore. Smashing 36 half-centuries and 5 centuries, he has managed to pen the record of scoring the highest runs by an individual in a single season as in 2016, he shattered every single benchmark to garner 973 runs.
His career-best in Indian Premier League came against Kings XI Punjab as he smoked the bowlers for a blazing 115 in a truncated game that saw Bangalore making quick work of their opponents.
