Top 5 highest run-scorers in IPL history
The first edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the most-watched cricket league in the world, was played in 2008. Since then, several star batsmen have emerged from the tournament.
The event is renowned as a farming ground for young players. Quite a few precocious Indian batsmen, such as Ajinkya Rahane, Yusuf Pathan and Ravindra Jadeja, earned national call-ups after their IPL exploits.
Thanks to the flat pitches, we saw huge individual scores from 2008-2019 (of which Chris Gayle’s 175 against Pune Warriors India is the highest). The IPL has seen 10 batsmen breach the 4000-run mark.
But which five players have scored the most runs from that select group? Here's the list:
#5 Shikhar Dhawan (4579 runs)
Shikhar Dhawan, one of India’s regular limited-overs batsmen, is a well-known figure in cricketing circles.
He rose to eminence through his positive approach at the top of the order. Early on in his innings, Dhawan tends to dispatch any over-pitched delivery to the boundary; he almost invariably provides a fast start for his team.
The left-hander is a prolific run-scorer in the IPL. He has scored 4579 runs at a handy average of 33.42 and a strike-rate of 124.
Dhawan, who hails from Delhi, has represented as many as five teams (in chronological order: Delhi Daredevils, Mumbai Indians, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals) since the first edition in 2008.
Dhawan smashed 340 runs in his debut season for DD. He was then traded to the Mumbai Indians in 2009 in exchange for Ashish Nehra.
But true to his roots, Dhawan returned to his home town in 2019 and slotted back in seamlessly. He amassed 521 runs in what was a hugely successful return for the Indian opener.
Dhawan's best innings was against Kolkata Knight Riders when he smashed 97 off 63 balls. It was a classic example of his modus operandi: he was aggressive from the start, and once set, played a few lovely cover drives.
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