Rohit Sharma is the king of IPL. Be it his batting prowess or leadership qualities, Rohit has emerged as the undisputed king of IPL. Read on to find out why…
Indian Premier League has been the most popular league in the world since its emergence in 2008. There are other prominent T20 leagues but none came close to IPL yet.
It is advertised as “India ka Tyohaar” which means “Festival of India”. It started with a bang when Brendon McCullum hit 158(73) runs in the first match entailing 13 skyrocketed sixes which were very rare those days.
This assured that IPL is going to reach heights in the future. It is so satisfying to see the success of India’s very own league over the years. There have been numerous joyous instances and myriads of crazy moments.
Cricketers from all over the world have participated in the IPL and continue to do so up to this day. The fan power and brand value of the IPL keep on increasing with time.
Over the years, there have been many cricketers who stood apart and performed like a king in the IPL. In this blog, we discuss which cricketer deserves the title of the ‘King of IPL’. Read on…
Which Cricketer Deserves the Title of King of IPL?
Le’ts see which cricketers deserve to be called the King of IPL:
1. Chris Gayle
There hasn’t been a better love story than Chris Gayle and T20 cricket. A giant boxer-like body and intimidating eyes upon a furious face are enough to freak out any bowler!
The aura of Chris Gayle is deeper than the ocean. Even a thick outside edge against the ball that races towards the boundary is enough for the audience to go crazy. And God help the bowler when he’s on-song and he decides to middle the ball with the bat.
His impersonation of the Hulk when he steps out to slap the ball is monstrous and equally disastrous.
The beginning of Gayle in the IPL was not a fairy tale. It was a nightmare as he was ruled out of season 1 without playing a single delivery for Kolkata Knight Riders after failing to recover from a groin injury. In season 2, he played a couple of decent forties but was unable to make any impact.
| Matches | 140 |
| Runs | 4950 |
| Strike Rate | 149.46 |
| Average | 40.24 |
| 100s | 6 |
| 50s | 31 |
| 6s | 357 |
| Best | 175 |
| IPL Titles as a player | 0 |
After a bad show in the next season, he was released by KKR and entered Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011.
That was a game-changing fortune for both RCB and Gayle as he hit 2 monstrous centuries and 3 impactful fifties that led the team to enter their first IPL final. In further seasons, he continued to dominate the league.
In 2013, he hit a dreamy 175 not out off just 66 balls against Pune Warriors India. He made a record of highest individual score in T20 and most sixes (17) in a single knock.
After a couple of bad seasons, RCB released him. But Gayle again took a dream ride for Kings11Punjab. He hit 104* against Hyderabad in 2018 to bag most tons (6) in IPL.
Gayle has aged above 40 but his batting prowess is still capable of outshining most of the T20 specialist batters. He might not get to play all of the matches due to fitness but he makes sure to amaze every one of us whenever he steps out to bat.
2. Ab de Villiers
Abraham Benjamin Devilliers is the most complete and versatile batsman of the 21st century. He wears a humble and calm look over his persona but his accomplishment in the game makes him no less than a superman of cricket.
He is famously referred to as Mr. 360 for his ability to play all around the ground. It is hard to take the eyes out of him when he bats on his potential.
AB is a match-winner who can lift his side through the deepest troubles. No run chase is too far-fetched when ABD is batting.
ABD has been the life of the IPL throughout the seasons. He started with Delhi Daredevils with a below-par first season. But he made his comeback in the second edition and made 465 runs in 13 matches with 3 fifties including a breathtaking knock of 105* in 54 balls. But he was released by DD after a nightmarish third season.
| Matches | 176 |
| Runs | 5056 |
| Strike Rate | 152.38 |
| Average | 40.77 |
| 100s | 3 |
| 50s | 40 |
| 6s | 245 |
| Best | 133 |
| IPL Titles as a player | 0 |
RCB persisted with him over the years. He too played crucial knocks. In 2015, he hit a flabbergasting 133 runs against the likes of Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah. And no one can forget his 41 off just 11 deliveries against Mumbai Indians in a losing effort.
In the 2016 IPL qualifier 1, he single-handedly rallied RCB from 68 for 6 wickets into the finals with his 79 not out off 47 balls in the chase of 159. After retiring from international cricket in 2018, he became even more committed to IPL.
He has made 16 half-centuries in 3 seasons after 2018 with a scintillating average of around 50. Now he relies more upon straight bat drives which are even more lustrous. He has hit 245 sixes to date in the tournament.
However, the dream of an IPL trophy remains incomplete for both De Villiers and RCB. It is a little bit disheartening to see a player of such calibre without the glory.
After the 2021 edition of the IPL, ABD announced that he is retiring from all forms of cricket, inlcuding the IPL. While this was a heartbreaking news for cricket fans around the globe, AB’s class will forever remain in the hearts of fans, especially Indians.
3. Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma wouldn’t have made this list without his captaincy prowess. But that doesn’t make him any less of a class player.
With a spacious walk through the field and a composed character in the act, Rohit has already made the long way to the hearts of cricket fans. His elegant drives and a pitch-perfect pull shot can make anyone drop their jaws.
He has been one of the best Indian cricketers in the IPL over the years. He played the initial 3 seasons with Deccan Chargers, two of which saw over 400 runs from Rohit’s bat. In 2009, he proved his utility as a bowler too. He took a hat-trick against Mumbai Indians.
| Matches | 207 |
| Runs | 5480 |
| Strike Rate | 130.51 |
| Average | 31.49 |
| 100s | 1 |
| 50s | 40 |
| 6s | 224 |
| Best | 109 |
| IPL Titles as a player | 6 |
In 2011, Mumbai Indians bagged him in the auctions. Two years later, he replaced Ricky Ponting as MI captain. In his inaugural leadership year, he led the team to its first-ever IPL glory.
Read More: Rohit Sharma Net Worth 2021, House, Endorsements, Match Fees.
After that, he never looked back. He went on to lead Mumbai Indians to record 5 IPL trophies. He made the team invincible with his on-point decisions on and off the field.
After all, it isn’t easy to beat MS Dhoni’s team in three finals, two of which were very close encounters that needed nerves of steel. His captaincy for MI would surely be the highlight of his career.
With the bat, he has done pretty well for the team at the top order. He stands tall with 40 half-centuries and a ton at an average of 31.49. He has over 5000 runs.
He sits at 3 in the list of most sixes. Whatever be the situation, he seems tireless. We hope Rohit continues to entertain us with his glorious pull shots and his infectious smile!
4. Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga was one of the greatest bowlers in white-ball cricket. He used to come with an awkward flat low side-horizontal action but his effective execution is no less than magic. He had been known for his pinpoint yorkers with immaculate accuracy throughout his career.
If we talk about T20 cricket, he was the best in the business as a fast bowler. Malinga has stepped up for his national side Sri Lanka in international cricket and continued doing so for his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.
He started his IPL career with Mumbai Indians in 2009 by picking 18 decent wickets at an average of 17.33.
Malinga’s best came in the 2011 season where he took a paltry 28 wickets at a dreamy average of 13.39. He won the purple cap in that season. He delivered multiple amazing spells over the years.
| Matches | 122 |
| Wickets | 170 |
| Strike Rate | 16.63 |
| Average | 19.79 |
| Economy | 7.14 |
| Best | 5/13 |
| 4-wicket haul | 6 |
| IPL Titles as a player | 5 |
Malinga was no less than a king in death overs. He gave a heart-stopping performance when he defended 9 runs in the final over of the final match in IPL 2019 against CSK.
Mumbai won the nail-bitting match, outshining the splendid effort by Shane Watson who kept batting even after the knee injury. It was his last match in IPL and he got a grand finish to his career.
We might not see him in further seasons of the IPL but Lasith Malinga will be the foremost highlight of this prestigious league. His sheer dominance will echo in our hearts for years. Hope he showers his skills and experience on the youngsters in his second term as a coach.
5. MS Dhoni
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been a superstar ever since the commencement of T20 cricket in India. He was at the forefront when he led the Indian team to their maiden T20 World Cup victory back in 2007.
One year later, Chennai Super Kings initiated their IPL campaign with MS Dhoni as captain. Who else would have been a better choice than the Helicopter himself? CSK has been proved to be the helipad for him.
Dhoni led the CSK to the finals of the inaugural IPL edition but failed to clinch the title. In the next season too, CSK lost the semifinals. But they won the next two consecutive IPL titles in 2010 by beating Mumbai Indians and 2011 by thrashing RCB.
| Matches | 211 |
| Runs | 4669 |
| Strike Rate | 136.64 |
| Average | 40.25 |
| 100s | 0 |
| 50s | 23 |
| 6s | 217 |
| Best | 84 |
| IPL Titles as a player | 3 |
A year later, he played a crazy 20 balls 51* knock in the eliminator of the 2012 season which helped the team to get into qualifier and then into semifinals.
But they lost to KKR in the final. Dhoni-led CSK constantly made it to the knockouts till 2015. CSK suffered a 2-year ban for 2016-17 IPL due to fixing allegations.
Dhoni played for Rising Pune Supergiants during the period but was sacked as captain. In 2016, he hit 2 sixes off the last 2 balls requiring 12 runs against Punjab.
In 2018, when CSK returned, Dhoni not only retained the captaincy but led the team to a historic IPL victory. In 2019, CSK again fought till the final but lost.
The year 2020 was a bad one for MS Dhoni as CSK failed to make it to the IPL qualifiers for the first time in IPL history. He has now retired from the international arena but we are glad that he has some more IPL years.
Read More: Who is called Mr.IPL and Why?
Who is the King of IPL?
If we consider overall skill and performance, Rohit Sharma would surely be the king of IPL. He has been the most consistent batter and captain among all.
In 13 seasons of IPL, he crossed the 300 run mark in 12 of them. He made over 400 runs in 6 IPL seasons. Rohit has hit 224 sixes which brings him in the top 3 players to hit most sixes in IPL. As a captain, he won MI 5 IPL trophies, which is a record in itself.
Rohit Sharma is the ultimate king of IPL for sure. He has left a lot of years in him and that makes MI fans joyous.
Read More: Who is the New God of T20: Rohit Sharma vs Chris Gayle
Who is the King of IPL Teams?
According to win percentage, Mumbai Indians is the Kings of IPL teams.
Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural season followed by Deccan Chargers in 2009. But Chennai Super Kings dominated the league by winning the next two seasons. CSK has played 8 finals in 11 IPL editions, won 3 of them, and all under the captaincy of MS Dhoni.
Super Kings would surely be termed as King of IPL teams only if Mumbai Indians wouldn’t exist. MI was trophyless until the 6th season when Rohit Sharma led them to their first IPL victory in 2013.
From then on, MI has stood apart from other teams. It has won 5 titles. Over the years, this team has become unconquerable. All 11 players are no less than combatants. Even their bench strength is indomitable.
From their management to the on-field strategics, every one of them has done their job amazingly. MI is probably the most professional T20 team in the World. Mumbai Indians is surely the Kings of IPL teams.
Who is King of all IPL Captain?
The king of all IPL captains has to be Ms Dhoni. Dhoni has been the most successful captain in IPL history.
Here are some records that prove why Dhoni is the king of all IPL captains:
- His win percentage of 59.60% is the second-best in IPL, just 0.08% points behind Rohit Sharma.
- Under the leadership of Dhoni, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has reached the finals of IPL nine times which is the highest for any captain as well as a team. Since CSK was banned two years from the IPL in 2016 and 2017, out of 14 IPL finals, CSK played nine.
- Out of 14 IPL appearances, CSK has appeared in eleven playoffs, the most by any franchise in the competition.
- CSK won the IPL title four times (2010, 2011, 2018, and 2021), and has the highest win percentage of matches among all teams in the IPL (64.83%)
- Dhoni is the first cricketer to captain a franchise 200 times in T20 cricket. He has captained the side for 204 games and won 121 out of them.
- When CSK was banned, he captained the Rising Pune Supergiants IPL team for two years, taking them into the finals in 2017.
- IN 225 IPL games, Dhoni has scored 4838 runs at an average of 39.6 and a strike rate of 135.4.
Who is the King Of Batsman In IPL
Virat Kohl is the king of batsman in IPL. He is the leading run-scorer in the history of IPL with 6390 runs in 212 matches. Kohli has an impressive IPL average of 37.15 and a strike rate of almost 130.
Here are some records that prove why Kohli is the king of batsman in IPL:
- Kohli has scored 5 centuries in the IPL, second only to Chris Gayle who has 6 centuries. He has also scored 42 half-centuries in the IPL.
- Kohli has the record of scoring the most runs in a single edition of the IPL. He scored an unbelievable 973 runs in 16 matches at an average of 81.06, back in 2016. He is the only batter with 900-plus runs in an IPL season.
- Virat has the most 50-plus scores in a single edition of the IPL. In the 2016 edition of the IPL, he scored 11 half-centuries in a single edition of the IPL.
- In the same edition, he also became the only batsman to score 4 centuries in an IPL season.
- In 2019, Virat became the fastest cricketer in the history of IPL to cross 5000 runs in the tournament. He took 165 innings to get past 5000 runs.
- He is the only player to have three 200+ partnerships in the IPL. He has these partnerships twice with AB de Villiers (229 and 215*) and once with Chris Gayle (204*).
- Kohli has the 2nd highest number of half-centuries in the IPL(42). Only Warner (50) and Dhawan (44) are ranked above him on this list.
Who is the God Of IPL
Chris Gayle is the god of IPL. The Universe Boss has bossed around in the IPL for a very long time, hitting every bowler out of the park.
The big West Indian has been featured in 142 IPL games, amassing 4965 runs at an average of 39.7 and a strike rate of 149!
Here’s why Chris Gayle is the God of IPL:
- Gayle holds the record of scoring the highest individual score (175*) in an IPL match. Playing for RCB, Gayle hit 13 fours and 17 sixes against the Pune Warriors in 2013. He finished at 175* off just 66 deliveries, taking RCB to 263/5 in 20 overs — the highest team total in IPL history.
- In the same innings, Gayle also secured the record for scoring the most sixes in an IPL inning. He hit 17 sixes, scoring 102 runs from (out of 175) in sixes alone.
- The Universe Boss also holds the record for scoring the fastest century in IPL. He scored his 100 in just 30 deliveries, a feat unlikely to ever be broken. Gayle did this in the same match he scored 175* against Pune in 2013.
- He is the only player to win back to back Orange Cap (an award given to the highest run-scorer of an IPL season) in 2011 and 2012. What’s even more amazing is the fact that Gayle went unsold in the 2011 IPL auctions and came into the RCB side as an injury replacement.
- Chris Gayle is also the only player to hit 300+ sixes in an IPL career. He has hit 355 sixes in his career, far more than 2nd on the list AB Devilliers with 244 sixes.
Who is Mr IPL?
Suresh Raina is called Mr IPL. He is often counted amongst the greats of the IPL, having scored more than 400 runs in almost all the seasons he has played for CSK. Fondly known as Mr Dependable, Raina has been instrumental in Chennai’s success in the IPL and winning 4 titles.
Here’s why Suresh Raina is called Mr IPL:
- Raina is the first batsman to score 5000 runs in the IPL.
- With a career spanning 205 matches, Raina has scored 5528 runs in his IPL career, at an average of 32.52 and a strike rate of 136.76.
- He is currently the fourth-highest run-getter in the IPL after Kohli, Rohit, and Dhawan.
- Raina holds the record for having the most catches in the IPL. In 205 matches, he has managed to pick 109 catches.
- Raina has been terrific for CSK, having scored the most fifties for the franchise (33). He is also CSK’s highest run-getter.
- He has also hit 425 fours for Chennai Super Kings in IPL, the most by a CSK batsman.
- Raina became the fourth player in IPL history to play 200 matches, behind MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik.
- He also holds the record of scoring the most runs by an individual in the powerplay. Raina scored 87 of just 25 balls against Punjab Kings in IPL 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is a real king of IPL?
Rohit Sharma is the real king of IPL. In 13 seasons of IPL, he crossed the 300 run mark in 12 of them. He has also lead the Mumbai Indians franchise to 5 IPL title wins.
Who is the 2nd king of IPL?
MS Dhoni is the 2nd king of IPL. He has scored 4838 runs at an average of 39.6 in the IPL and has also led CSK to 9 IPL finals and 4 trophies.
Who is IPL No.1 player?
Virat Kohl is the IPL No. 1 player. He is the leading run-scorer in the history of IPL with 6390 runs in 212 matches. Kohli has an impressive IPL average of 37.15 and a strike rate of almost 130.
Who is God and King of IPL?
Chris Gayle is the God and King of IPL. The big West Indian has been featured in 142 IPL games, scoring 4965 runs at an average of 39.7 and a strike rate of 149! He also holds the record for the highest individual score (175*) in the IPL.
Who is the King of IPL: Conclusion
So, these were our top 5 contendors for the king of IPL title. Some more players could have easily made it to the list but they have been left for another day. Honorable mentions: Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and David Warner.
Which player you think deserved to be a King of IPL contender? Let us know by tweeting us at @weknowcricket !
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