IPL 2025: Top 10 Batters To Watch Out

The Indian Premier League (IPL) will be entering its 18th edition in a week. The teams have already started gearing up for the toughest T20 league in the world. It has been the longest-running league in world cricket. The rich cash league saw some massive hitting in the previous edition of the competition with teams breaking records in nearly every match of the tournament.

The first game is scheduled to begin on the 22nd of March with the first fixture between the defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. The match will start at 7:30 P.M. IST. IPL 2025 is going to be more fascinating this year due to the major auctions held in Jeddah in November 2024.

The batters had the best time in the previous edition, with the most number of sixes hit in a single season. This year also some batters will try to make their mark in the league once again and some new faces will also try to make an impact in the competition. We take a look at the top batters to watch out in the IPL 2025. In the article, we will be ranking them according to the ranking factors.

Ranking Factors

We are ranking the top batters in consistency, recent form, and ability to influence matches for their franchise. We have batters with sustained excellence and the impact they created for the last few years for the franchise cricket and in the game as well. We dive into these factors and look at the top 10 batters to watch out for in the IPL.

Recent Performances

The batters have consistently performed in the IPL and their recent forms in the white-ball format especially in the T20 format have been unmatched in recent years. They have been the matchwinners for their respective sides in franchise leagues and the country as well. Their ability to play in different positions and against varied bowling attacks has made them a matchwinner.

Consistency

Being consistent at the international level or in franchise leagues is crucial for batters. A lack of consistency can lead to exclusion from the team, with limited opportunities for a comeback. This is why batters who consistently deliver strong performances become key match-winners for their teams. Whether it’s anchoring an innings, accelerating the scoring rate, or chasing down targets under pressure, their reliability with the bat often determines their team’s success.

Ability To Influence Matches

Performances in high-stakes games are significantly weighted in ratings. Maintaining high-performance levels over time is critical to ranking prominence. Over the years, they have played some crucial knocks in crunch situations of the match from where their team has gone on to win the game. They have changed the course of the match with their power-hitting ability and influenced the matches in their team’s favours.

Here are the top 10 batters to watch out for in IPL 2025

10. Nicholas Pooran (LSG)

Nicholas Pooran has been one of the hardest hitters of the ball in limited-overs cricket. The West Indies wicket-keeper batter was retained by Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for a whopping 21 crore INR. He was LSG’s best batter in IPL 2024, amassing 499 runs at an amazing strike rate of 178.21, including three match-winning half-centuries.

This was the reason he was retained by the franchise. He can strike the ball out of the ground in any situation in the game and accelerate in the death overs, take out both pacers and spinners, and retain his composure under pressure making him one of the best middle-order batters in the IPL in recent times. He will look to continue his form in the forthcoming season and lead his team to the silverware.

9. Ryan Rickelton (MI)

Ryan Rickelton has been one of the finest batters for South Africa in limited-overs cricket. He has been brought by Mumbai Indians and he might turn out to be the franchise’s dark horse. The wicket-keeper batter has been in fine form and scored 336 runs in the SA20 2025 for the MI Cape Town. He will look to add his firepower in the upcoming season for the five-time champions.

Rickelton was superb in the ICC Champions Trophy as well. He made a cracking double century and a ton in Tests to go with an incredible 103-run knock in South Africa’s Champions Trophy 2025 opener versus Afghanistan. This is the reason the franchises will be watchful about the top-order batter, as he is completely new to this league.

8. Shreyas Iyer (PBKS)

Shreyas Iyer has been the best middle-order batter for India in the 50-over format. He was bought for 26.75 crore INR in IPL 2025 by Punjab Kings. In the previous edition, he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title. He was brilliant with his leadership, this is the reason he got a whopping price in the mega auction.

Iyer scored 351 runs in 2024 though yet to win an Orange Cap, his ability to anchor and accelerate makes him one of the finest batters of IPL. He will be a batter to watch out for in the IPL 2025. He will be leading PBKS and will look to make the wait for their first trophy end this season as he reunites with Ricky Ponting once again when they led Delhi Capitals to the final back in 2020.

7. KL Rahul (DC)

KL Rahul has been one of the finest wicket-keeper batters for India. He has been the most experimented batter in the squad with no fixed position to bat on. But he has succeeded in every position and got fit in the squad across formats. But in T20 he is an out-and-out opener in the franchise league. He was not retained by LSG after a controversy with RPSG owner Sajiv Goenka during IPL 2024.

Rahul has been brought by Delhi Capitals and he will be using all his experience and talent to open the innings and play some fiery knocks. He was the Orange Cap winner in 2020 and is a standout batter throughout seasons due to his consistency and ability to play extended innings. He ill look to regain his lost confidence since the last edition and win matches for his new franchise.

6. Sanju Samson (RR)

Sanju Samson has been the franchise’s best batter for RR in recent years. He has been consistent for India as well in the T20 format of the game. He made his Premier League debut in 2013 for Rajasthan Royals and won the Emerging Player of the Year for the same year. But he is not been used to his full potential. He scored 436 runs for the Men in Blue in 13 innings and had 3 centuries.

Samson will once again lead the Royals. He brings 11 years of IPL experience to the table. The flamboyant is known for his consistency at the top of the order, and his leadership is one of his key strengths for the first-edition winners of the league. His composure and ability to anchor and play big hits make him a player to watch out for in the IPL 2025.

5. Venkatesh Iyer (KKR)

Venkatesh Iyer is the newly appointed vice-captain for KKR. He was released by the franchise but they brought him back for a 23.75 INR crore. It is expected to fulfill his responsibilities rather than letting the weight of price affect him. He was one of the backbones for the side last edition and played valuable match-winning knocks in the knockout games for the side.

Venky Iyer scored 370 runs with an average of 46.25 in the previous edition and had a blistering strike rate of 158.79. This was one of the reasons KKR was successful in the middle overs as the runs kept flowing from his bat. He will look to continue with the same form and help his side defend the trophy in the upcoming season of the IPL.

4. Jos Buttler (GT)

Jos Buttler has been one of the finest white-ball cricketers for England. He has been their consistent performer in limited-overs cricket. But since 2023 his form has gone down a bit. He has also stepped down from England’s white-ball captain role after a disappointing end to the ICC Champions Trophy campaign. He has been one of the most dangerous batters in white ball cricket.

Buttler will be looking to regain his form in the forthcoming IPL campaign with his new franchise, Gujarat Titans he will love to bat on a track like Narendra Modi Stadium, which offers the batters some brilliant assistance throughout the day. He will look to score runs like the previous edition of the IPL win games for the side and help them clinch their second IPL title.

3. Ruturaj Gaikwad (CSK)

Ruturaj Gaikwad has been CSK’s best batter in recent years. He has also added the captaincy role in his batting. His consistency has made him a cornerstone of CSK’s batting lineup. Gaikwad can construct innings, and coupled with his elegant stroke play, he is a threat to any bowling attack. He also can destroy the bowlers with his flamboyant batting technique once he is set.

Gaikwad scored 583 runs in IPL 2024 at an average of 53.00 and had a strike rate of 141.16. He won the Orange Cap in 2021 and helped the Chennai Super Kings win their fifth title. But Despite his batting solidarity, his leadership was called into question in the very first season. This season his captaincy will be under scrutiny, however, he is one of the batters to watch out for in the IPL 2025.

2. Abhishek Sharma (SRH)

Abhishek Sharma is one of SRH’s most promising prospects. After making a stunning IPL debut in 2018, he rapidly established himself as a formidable opponent. His explosive batting is in the top order, as showcased by a blazing IPL 2024 performance in which he achieved the fastest fifty in SRH history, making him a valuable asset in T20 cricket.

This earned him a call in the Indian team where he continued with the same form. He has scored two centuries in just 16 innings for the national side. His consistency in domestic and IPL cricket will be critical in IPL 2025, as he seeks to maintain his upward trajectory. Abhishek will be one of the most dangerous batters in the forthcoming IPL with more experience.

1. Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virat Kohli has been the batter with the most runs in the IPL and international cricket as well. The former India captain has more than 8000 runs. He also won the orange cap in IPL 2024. He helped RCB to finish in the Top 4 of the group stage. Kohli had improved his strike rate last edition where was striking at 154. This was also seen in the T20 World Cup 2024 where he played a brilliant innings in the final.

Kohli looked in great touch in the recently concluded ICC Champions Trophy. He has been carrying the RCB team single-handedly for many years with his amazing display of batting. This is one of the reasons he tops the chart for the batters to watch out for in the IPL 2025. The 36-year-old batter will once again take the field and help his side to win the championship this time.

Top 10 Batters to Watch Out in IPL 2025