Ranking the top 10 greatest IPL players of all time ft. Virat Kohli & David Warner
As the ten IPL teams look toward the mega-auction after finalizing their retentions, let us head down memory lane with a tournament that has gone from strength to strength over its 17-year history. Starting as an experiment that relied on wishful thinking over actual reality, the IPL has eclipsed the expectations of even the biggest optimist.
The league is now the most looked-forward-to event on the annual cricket calendar and also among the biggest in the entire sporting world. The evolution in skill level - be it strokeplay, bowling variations, or tactics - from 2008 to the present has been off the charts.
Yet, a select few players from India and overseas kept pace with the evolving times and flourished year in and year out for their respective franchises.
On that note, we rank the top 10 greatest players in IPL history, considering various factors like raw numbers, accolades, and impact on the game. Before jumping into the actual ranking, it is only fair to pay tribute to stars who barely missed the cut in our honorable mentions.
Honorable mentions
Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jos Buttler, Rashid Khan, KL Rahul, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, Andre Russell.
#10 Shane Watson
Australia's Shane Watson was arguably the most dominant player in the first half of IPL's 17-year history. The champion all-rounder played his first eight seasons for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) and won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) twice in 2008 and 2013.
Watson's heroics in the inaugural season in 2008 helped RR become the first champions of the IPL. He scored an incredible 472 runs and picked up 17 wickets that season.
Watson also played for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2016 and 2017, helping the franchise finish runners-up in 2016. The big-hitting all-rounder then moved to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in 2018 and scored a breathtaking 117* off 57 deliveries in the final that year to help the side win their then-third IPL title.
Shane Watson's overall IPL numbers
145 matches, 3,874 runs, 30.99 average, 137.91 strike rate, 4 centuries, 21 half-centuries, 92 wickets
#9 Jasprit Bumrah
There is little to no doubt that ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah will likely be in the top 5 of this list in a few years.
Despite starting in 2013, Bumrah has already won five IPL titles, all with the Mumbai Indians (MI). Renowned for his ability to bowl efficiently at all stages of an innings, the 30-year-old has been MI's go-to bowler in the last few seasons.
Bumrah has picked up 20 or more wickets in four of his last eight IPL seasons with an economy of below 7.50 on each occasion. He is already ninth all-time in IPL wickets with 165 at a stunning average of 22.51 and an economy of 7.30 and is fast climbing towards the top.
Jasprit Bumrah's overall IPL numbers
133 matches, 165 wickets, 22.51 average, 7.30 economy
#8 MS Dhoni
The IPL's greatest captain and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni comes in at No. 8 on this esteemed list. One of the few players to participate from the first edition to now, Dhoni has arguably been the most impactful cricketer in league history.
Despite predominantly batting in the lower middle order, the 43-year-old has pulled off several miraculous finishes at crucial times for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Dhoni is the sixth all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history with 5,243 runs at an incredible average of over 39.
The five-time champion is also the leader in wicket-keeping dismissals in the IPL with 190. Dhoni is also fifth all-time in Player of the Match awards with 17 - further evidence of his incredible winning impact.
MS Dhoni's overall IPL numbers
264 matches, 5,243 runs, 39.12 average, 137.53 strike rate, 24 half-centuries
#7 Chris Gayle
The 'Universe Boss' Chris Gayle lit up stadiums in the IPL like very few have and potentially will. Hitting massive sixes for fun, Gayle scored centuries like clockwork at a time when batting success in T20s was measured in 30+ scores.
Despite playing fewer games than several star batters, the West Indian legend holds the IPL record for most maximums with a remarkable 357. Gayle also boasts the third-most centuries in the IPL with six.
He won the Player of the Tournament for 2011, scoring 608 runs at an average of over 67 and a strike rate of 183.13 to help RCB finish runners-up.
Gayle also won the Orange Cap in back-to-back seasons in 2011 and 2012, scoring 608 and 733 runs, respectively. The West Indian is also No. 2 on the list of most Player of the Match awards in IPL history with 22.
Gayle also holds the record for the fastest IPL century in 30 balls and the highest score with his 66-ball 175* in 2013.
Chris Gayle's overall IPL numbers
142 matches, 4,965 runs, 39.72 average, 148.96 strike Rate, 6 centuries, 31 half-centuries
#6 Virat Kohli
The IPL's all-time leading run-scorer Virat Kohli has been part of the league from the beginning to now, much like MS Dhoni.
The 36-year-old also boasts the most number of centuries in IPL history with eight and is a two-time Orange Cap winner in 2016 and 2024. Kohli's 973 runs in IPL 2016 remains the record for most runs in a single season.
The veteran batter has helped RCB finish runners-up thrice in 2009, 2011 and 2016. Furthermore, Kohli has scored 600+ in four separate IPL seasons - 2013, 2016, 2023 and 2024. He is joint-fourth all-time in the IPL for Player of the Match awards with 18.
Virat Kohli's overall IPL numbers
252 matches, 8,004 runs, 38.66 average, 131.97 strike rate, 8 centuries, 55 half-centuries
#5 David Warner
Australia's David Warner was an IPL run-scoring machine in the second half of the 2010s. After a fairly impressive run from 2009 to 2013 for the Delhi Capitals (DC), Warner was at his best for SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) from 2014.
The 38-year-old is the only batter to win the Orange Cap thrice - 2015, 2017, and 2019. Warner is the fourth leading run-scorer in IPL history and has the most runs by an overseas player with 6,565 runs.
The Aussie helped SRH win their lone IPL title in 2016, scoring an incredible 848 runs and manfully captaining the side. Warner holds the record for most half-centuries with 62 and is joint-fourth on the most Player of the Match awards with 18.
David Warner's overall IPL numbers
184 matches, 6,565 runs, 40.52 average, 139.77 strike rate, 4 centuries, 62 half-centuries
#4 AB de Villiers
Arguably the most versatile and exciting batter in IPL history, South Africa's AB de Villiers comes in at No. 4.
The 40-year-old holds the record for the most number of Player of the Match awards with 25 - a mark on his inimitable impact on wins. De Villiers is also the only batter in IPL history with over 5,000 runs at a 150+ strike rate.
His average of 39.70 is also the second-best among the top ten IPL run-getters, behind only Warner. Yet, beyond the numbers, De Villiers' consistency while dominating at incredible strike rates despite batting at different positions based on the team's needs made him undoubtedly the greatest match-winner with the bat.
The former RCB batter enjoyed five separate seasons of 400+ runs at a strike rate of over 150 during his illustrious IPL career.
AB de Villiers' overall IPL numbers
184 matches, 5,162 runs, 39.70 average, 151.68 strike Rate, 3 centuries, 40 half-centuries
#3 Lasith Malinga
The greatest death bowler and arguably the best overall bowling match-winner in IPL history, Lasith Malinga comes in at No. 3. The former Sri Lankan pacer often made opposition captains plan their batting innings into 16 overs - a mark of surrender to Malinga's four unhittable overs.
The now-41-year-old is the only bowler on the top ten IPL wicket-taking charts with an average of under 20. Malinga won the Purple Cap in 2011 for picking up 28 wickets and helped Mumbai Indians (MI) win five titles between 2013 and 2020.
Much like De Villiers, Malinga's impact goes beyond the numbers with his bowling often strategized meticulously by the opposition for any possible escape.
Lasith Malinga's overall IPL numbers
122 matches, 170 wickets, 19.79 average, 7.14 economy
#2 Dwayne Bravo
West Indian players impacted IPL games like none other with their all-round abilities and Dwayne Bravo has been the flag bearer for that. After starting his career with MI, Bravo played ten incredible seasons for CSK and helped them win three of their five titles.
The 41-year-old is the third leading wicket-taker in IPL history and is atop the list among pacers and overseas bowlers. Bravo was CSK's designated death bowler in the decade of the 2010s, helping the side pull off several close matches. He won the Purple Cap twice in 2013 and 2015, picking up 32 and 26 wickets, respectively.
His bowling expertise aside, Bravo was also a more than capable lower-order batter, scoring over 1,500 runs in his IPL career.
Dwayne Bravo's overall IPL numbers
161 matches, 183 wickets, 23.82 average, 8.38 economy, 1,560 runs, 5 half-centuries
#1 Sunil Narine
If there was any doubt regarding the most valuable IPL player of all time, Sunil Narine's exploits in the 2024 season answered all of that and some. The West Indian spin-bowling all-rounder has been the biggest reason behind Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) winning the IPL thrice in 2012, 2014, and 2024.
The 36-year-old is the fifth leading wicket-taker in league history with 180 scalps and second among overseas bowlers. Narine is also the only cricketer to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award thrice in 2012, 2018 and 2024. The off-spinner is also the only one in the top ten wicket-takers chart with an economy of under seven.
His recent surge in batting has also made him a match-winner with the willow at the top of the order, taking him past the 1,500-run mark in the IPL.
Sunil Narine's overall IPL numbers
177 matches, 180 wickets, 25.39 average, 6.73 economy