IPL 2015: Top 10 Batsmen from Indian Premier League
The 2015 edition of the Indian Premier League proved to be another extravaganza of attacking batting.
Overseas superstars such as Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Brendon McCullum produced spectacular centuries.
West Indians Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell lived up to their big-hitting reputations, and David Warner, Lendl Simmons and Ajinkya Rahane were models of consistency.
India found a new batting star too in the form of Shreyas Iyer.
Mumbai Indians took the team plaudits after a convincing win in the final over Chennai Super Kings, but who were the competition's best batsmen? Read on to find out.
Ranking Criteria
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Scoring heavily and quickly is the perfect combination for a Twenty20 batsman. The rankings are based primarily on weight of runs and strike rate.
A good knock in a win was rated more highly than a similar effort in a losing cause. A quick-fire 40 in a pressure situation with the match on the line was worth more than a steady 70 against mediocre opposition.
T20 cricket is all about entertainment, so big hitters were rewarded more highly than nudgers.
Honourable Mentions
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The biggest absentee on our list is Indian cricket's golden boy, Virat Kohli. He impressed during the competition, but his strike rate was much lower than colleagues Gayle and De Villiers.
Other notables to just miss out on the final 10 included JP Duminy, Shane Watson and MS Dhoni.
10. Shreyas Iyer (Delhi Daredevils)
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Runs: 439
Average: 33.76
Strike Rate: 128.36
Youngster Iyer proved to be one of the surprise hits of the 2015 IPL. The 20-year-old outshined his more celebrated (and expensive) team-mate Yuvraj Singh, totalling 439 runs in 14 visits to the middle.
That effort was enough to win him the Emerging Player of the Year award.
Speaking at the awards presentation after the IPL final, Iyer credited his more experienced colleagues with helping him succeed. "It's a good feeling that seniors look at me as an emerging player," he said, per ESPNcricinfo. "I didn't have to change my game much after the Ranji season. I just backed my instinct."
That instinct served him well.
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9. Brendon McCullum (Chennai Super Kings)
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Runs: 436
Average: 33.53
Strike Rate: 155.71
Instead of trying to smash Lasith Malinga and Harbhajan Singh around Eden Gardens in the IPL final, McCullum was trying to stop Ben Stokes from doing the same at the Lord's Test.
The New Zealander's absence at the top of the Super Kings order in the final proved a huge loss.
When he was there, McCullum was his usual ebullient self. He scored plenty of runs and did so at a rapid rate.
One of only four batsmen to score a century in the 2015 IPL, the 33-year-old confirmed his position as one of the premier players in the T20 game.
8. Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
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Runs: 491
Average: 40.91
Strike Rate: 147.44
There is no greater sight in world cricket than watching Gayle in full flow. The crowd in Bangalore was treated to a Gayle special against Kings XI.
His 117 came off just 57 deliveries and contained 12 sixes and seven fours. That spectacular knock is arguably justification enough for a place in our top 10.
The Jamaican passed 50 twice more while compiling a total of 491 runs. That total put him among the leading run-scorers in this year's competition.
7. AB De Villiers (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
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Runs: 513
Average: 46.63
Strike Rate: 175.08
Many of the observations about Gayle's campaign are equally applicable to his team-mate De Villiers.
When the South African superstar got going, he was a joy to watch. Witness the sublime innings of 133 against Mumbai Indians and his Man of the Match effort in the eliminator against Rajasthan.
There were a few disappointments along the way, though, most notably in the qualifier against Chennai Super Kings.
He remains the most dangerous batsman in all forms of the game.
6. Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)
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Runs: 326
Average: 36.22
Strike Rate: 192.89
Fast runs are the name of the game in T20 cricket, and nobody in this season's IPL scored them more quickly than Russell.
The West Indian's strike rate of 192.89 was comfortably the highest of any batsman with more than 100 runs to his name.
Russell provided quantity as well as speed, scoring a total of 326 runs throughout the competition.
Throw in his 14 wickets, and Russell was a deserving winner of the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament award.
5. Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)
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Runs: 482
Average: 34.42
Strike Rate: 144.74
There was a nice symmetry to Rohit Sharma's 2015 IPL. Mumbai's skipper produced his best performances in the first and last matches of this year's competition.
An unbeaten 98 wasn't enough to beat Kolkata in the series opener.
A half-century in the final against Chennai was, though. That crucial knock proved good enough to earn him the Player of the Match award.
In between, he produced a series of quality innings and played a huge role in steering the Indians to their second IPL title.
4. Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians)
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Runs: 419
Average: 38.09
Strike Rate: 163.67
Almost all of the West Indian players in this year's IPL performed superbly, and Pollard was no exception.
The burly all-rounder saved his best efforts for when it really mattered. He smashed 41 from just 17 balls in Qualifier One against Chennai and then delivered an encore performance in the final itself.
His 36 from just 18 deliveries helped the Indians produce what proved to be an unassailable total.
These latest performances make the fact that Pollard didn't make the West Indian World Cup squad all the more mystifyin.
3. Ajinkya Rahane (Rajasthan Royals)
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Runs: 540
Average: 49.09
Strike Rate: 130.75
The pick of the Indian batsmen on show in this year's IPL was Ajinkya Rahane. The 26-year-old carried the Rajasthan batting for much of the competition.
Rahane racked up 540 runs in his 13 visits to the crease at an average of 49.09. The next-highest-scoring batsman for the Royals was Shane Watson, who managed 343.
It's not just big hitters who can prosper in the shortest form of the game.
2. David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
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Runs: 562
Average: 43.23
Strike Rate: 156.54
Donning the armband can sometimes cause a dip in form with the bat for a newly appointed skipper. There were no such worries for David Warner.
The Australian was one of the most consistent performers in this year's IPL, passing 50 on seven occasions.
A total of 562 runs at an average of 43.23 and a strike rate of 156.54 made Warner a deserving winner of the 2015 Orange Cap.
1. Lendl Simmons (Mumbai Indians)
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Runs: 540
Average: 45.00
Strike Rate: 122.44
When Aaron Finch limped out of the 2015 IPL with a hamstring injury, it looked like a huge blow to Mumbai's chances. One man's misfortune is another man's opportunity, though, and Lendl Simmons grabbed his with both hands and didn't let go.
The West Indian produced a string of superb innings for the Indians, culminating in a quality effort in the final, where he top-scored against Chennai.
His aggregate of 540 runs was second only to Warner in the race for the Orange Cap. Few would have picked it at the start of the competition, but Simmons proved to be the best performer in this year's IPL.
Stats courtesy of ESPNcricinfo and IPLT20.
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