Ranking the Top 10 Players in IPL History So Far
The Indian Premier League has played host to some of the truly great players in cricket since it first began in 2008.
With the glitz and glamour that accompanies it, every year the IPL plays host to destructive batting, nerveless bowling and acrobatic fielding to the delight of millions around the world.
Of all the players to have featured in the league, who rank among the best? Which superstars have stood out from the rest with their exploits on the cricket field?
Read on for a list of the top 10 players in the history so far of the IPL.
All stats courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo.
Honorable Mentions
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Virat Kohli: An honorable mention goes to Virat Kohli, who plies his trade with the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Kohli has so far scored 2,273 runs in the IPL, having made his debut in the first year of the competition, and has the potential to continue to dominate in years to come.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Captain of the Chennai Super Kings, Mahendra Singh Dhoni earns an honorable mention as one of the greatest IPL players so far.
With 2,243 runs in 96 matches in the competition, Dhoni has been the embodiment of consistency and regularly changes the course of matches with his destructive hitting.
Vinay Kumar: A man who has played for Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Kochi Tuskers, Vinay Kumar has enjoyed a great deal of success with the ball.
His 84 wickets have come at an average of 25.67, a healthy average for the seam bowler on the notoriously flat wickets of India.
Piyush Chawla: A legspinner who plies his trade for Kings XI Punjab, Piyush Chawla first made his IPL debut as a 19-year-old in 2008.
He has gone on to become one of the premier spinners in the tournament and has taken 84 wickets so far, an impressive haul for the 24-year-old.
10. Pragyan Ojha
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Teams: Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians
85 wickets; 22.69 average; 7.18 economy rate; 3-11 BBI
In at No. 10 comes Pragyan Ojha, a man who has been remarkably consistent in the IPL.
He showed great promise as a youngster, and given his performances at domestic and international level, as well as in the IPL, he is fulfilling his potential.
9. Jacques Kallis
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Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore
2,276 runs; 28.81 average; 108.74 strike rate; 89* highest score
61 wickets; 34.54 average; 7.85 economy rate; 3-13 BBI
South Africa’s dominant all-rounder Jacques Kallis has managed to convert his form to the IPL, where he remains a key performer.
A powerful batsman and niggling bowler, Kallis has been one of the finest all-rounders in the history of the league and rightly sits at No. 9.
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8. Sachin Tendulkar
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Team: Mumbai Indians
2,334 runs; 34.83 average; 119.81 strike rate; 100* highest score
The recently retired Sachin Tendulkar earns his place on this list in reward for a superb career and a dominance of the IPL.
Despite playing just one Twenty20 International, Tendulkar took to this format well and scored a century for Mumbai against Kochi in 2011.
7. Gautam Gambhir
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Teams: Delhi Daredevils, Kolkata Knight Riders
2,471 runs; 31.67 average; 127.04 strike rate; 93 highest score
Another who has maintained tremendous consistency with the bat in the IPL is Gautam Gambhir, who is at No. 7 on this list.
Gambhir is one of the most prized wickets for any IPL team, despite his poor form on the international stage, and will surely look to use the league as a springboard back into the Indian national team.
6. RP Singh
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Teams: Deccan Chargers, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore
87 wickets; 25.59 average; 7.84 economy rate; 4-22 BBI
Left-armer RP Singh is another who has lived up to his early promise and is one of the most fearsome seamers in the IPL.
His accuracy and swing has gained him 87 wickets, and the fact that he has been owned by four teams shows how in demand he has been.
5. Chris Gayle
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Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore
2,512 runs; 52.33 average; 160.20 strike rate; 175* highest score
West Indian Chris Gayle is one of the most powerful batsmen in the world and has been enormously successful in the IPL.
His powerful and destructive hitting saw him hit 175* in 2013 against Pune, the highest score in IPL history, and Gayle will surely dominate for a few more years.
4. Rohit Sharma
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Teams: Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians
2,513 runs; 32.63 average; 129.66 strike rate; 109* highest score
Ahead of Gayle in the run-scoring charts is Rohit Sharma, an enormously talented batsman who has impressed in IPL since its first season.
Another to have scored an IPL century, Sharma is a key wicket in the middle order and has already shown his form on the international stage with India.
3. Amit Mishra
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Teams: Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Sunrisers Hyderabad
95 wickets; 20.25 average; 6.93 economy rate; 5-17 BBI
The top spinner in the history of the IPL, Amit Mishra has caused problems for numerous batsmen in the league.
His bowling average is the second-lowest in the league, and he will surely reach the milestone of 100 wickets in next year’s installment.
2. Lasith Malinga
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Team: Mumbai Indians
103 wickets; 17.95 average; 6.54 economy rate; 5-13 BBI
The only man to have taken more than 100 wickets in the IPL, it is easy to forget that Lasith Malinga did not actually play in the first season in 2008.
However, he has since made up for lost time and holds the best bowling average and economy rate in the history of the league as well as being the leading wicket-taker.
Despite his brittle body, Malinga is the premier bowler in the IPL.
1. Suresh Raina
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Team: Chennai Super Kings
2,802 runs; 35.02 average; 141.37 strike rate; 100* highest score
Top of our list is Suresh Raina, the leading run-scorer in the history of the IPL.
The left-hander is a dominant performer in the league, and while his weaknesses have perhaps been exposed in Test matches, he remains a prized wicket for IPL bowlers.
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