5 greatest IPL batsmen of all time

We've seen some great batsmen grace the 13 editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL), but a few have stood a cut above the rest.

T20 batting records have been shattered in the IPL, while performances in the tournament have become a yardstick for international selection not only for Indians but for overseas players as well.

In this article, we attempt to rank the 5 greatest IPL batsmen of all time.

Honourable Mention: AB de Villiers

It is next to impossible to leave one of the greatest batsman the game has ever seen and the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL history out. It must be said that he has revolutionised the way T20 cricket is played, especially in the death overs. But it's simply not possible to ignore any of the 5 batsmen on this list.

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#5 Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle holds a plethora of IPL batting records

Highest individual score. Most sixes. Most sixes in an innings. Fastest century.

Chris Gayle holds a plethora of batting records in the IPL, and has a claim to be the most influential player the league has ever seen. Placed seventh on the list of highest run-getters in IPL history, he has scored 4,772 runs at an average of 41.13 and a strike rate of 150.11.

The Universe Boss has left an indelible mark on the history of T20 cricket and the IPL. However, slight dips in form (Gayle has scored less than 300 runs in 6 of his 12 IPL seasons) have relegated him to #5 on this list.

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#4 Virat Kohli

Kohli is the leading run-scorer in IPL history

It might come as a surprise to many that the leading run-scorer in IPL history is placed at #4 on this list, but the numbers paint a clear picture.

Virat Kohli may have 5,878 runs at an average of 38.16 and a strike rate of 130.73, but nearly 1,000 of those (973) came in a single season back in 2016. Moreover, the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper's poor record in knockout games (231 runs in 11 innings) and his team's general misery in the IPL are points that work against him.

Kohli has often had to shoulder the bulk of the RCB batting responsibility due to poor retention decisions and auction purchases. He could easily move to #1 on this list in a year or two as he is firmly in his prime, but again, that is dependent on his team's success almost as much as his own.

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#3 David Warner

Warner has been in a class of his own as far as consistency goes

Undoubtedly the greatest overseas batsman to have ever played in the IPL, David Warner is at #3 on our list. The Australian has a whopping 5,254 runs in 142 innings at an average of 42.71 and a strike rate of 141.54.

Apart from having the highest average among all players who have featured in more than IPL games, Warner helped the Sunrisers Hyderabad punch above their weight and lift the title in 2016. Often part of a top-heavy batting lineup, his unparalleled consistency and ability to shift gears at will have amazed audiences all over the world.

Warner is still going strong, and we could see him move higher on this list with time.

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#2 Rohit Sharma

MI captain Rohit Sharma has led the team to title after title

Easily the most successful IPL captain of all time, Rohit Sharma has been a consistent presence in the league, first with the Deccan Chargers and then with the Mumbai Indians.

The 33-year-old has amassed 5,230 runs in 200 IPL games at an average of 31.31 and a strike rate of 130.61 to be placed at #2 on the list of highest run-scorers. More tellingly, he has led MI to the IPL title on 5 occasions and played a match-winning knock in last year's final.

Rohit may not have reproduced his international performances in the IPL, but he has clearly stood a cut above the rest of the Indian batsmen in the league. All except one.....

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#1 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina missed an IPL season for the first time in his storied career

Suresh Raina missed IPL 2020 and his form has certainly dipped over the last 2-3 years. But his sheer overall consistency and dependability have ensured that he earns his "Mr. IPL" moniker by being placed #1 on this list.

Raina was almost level with Kohli on the all-time run-scorers list before this season began - he boasts of 5,368 runs at an average of 33.34 and a strike rate of 137.14. The Chennai Super Kings No. 3 missed his first IPL game only in 2018, after making his debut for the side back in the inaugural edition.

Raina also led the Gujarat Lions to the top of the points table in 2016, and has been MS Dhoni's ever-present right-hand man with CSK. He was awarded the Man of the Final in the Men in Yellow's first title triumph in 2010, and has always risen to the occasion under pressure situations.

With 3 IPL titles and over 350 runs in every IPL season he has taken part in, Suresh Raina is undoubtedly the greatest batsman the league has ever seen.