Top 10 Greatest IPL Players

The Indian Premier League (IPL) will be entering its 18th edition of the competition. This tournament has the most number of franchises for any T20 league in the world. Over the years, it has gained recognition from fans and spectators from across the world. Various cricketers from across countries draft their names to participate in this rich cash league. The previous edition of the competition saw some massive hitting and amazing run chases.

IPL has been the stage for many young players to create a name for themselves and later on go on to feature for the national team. Some have vanished from the cricketing circle as well. But some cricketers have created an unmatched legacy in the competition by playing match-winning innings for their side. Among a huge pool of players, we will decide who is the best player in IPL history.

Ranking Factor

A no. of factors define who is the best player in IPL history. While it is incredibly hard to decide, here are some of the factors that decide who is the best player in IPL.

• Number of Matches: To become the greatest player in any league or tournament, players need to play most of the matches from the beginning of the tournament for a very long period.
• Impact: There are many players who have been playing the IPL for a very long time still the main difference between an ordinary player and a great player is the impact of his performance in the context of the match.

In the article, we dive into the top 10 best IPL players of all time.

10. Jasprit Bumrah (MI)

Jasprit Bumrah is one of the greatest bowlers and best IPL players of this era. The Indian pace bowler is known for his unorthodox action, pinpoint accuracy, and ability to bowl deadly yorkers. He has been the go-to bowler for any captain during crunch situations. Especially for India, he has been their best fast bowler across formats of this generation. He continues to impress in the IPL as well, where he received recognition.

Bumrah made his first appearance in the cash-rich league back in 2013 and has helped Mumbai Indians win 5 IPL titles in a decade. He is currently the 9th highest wicket-taker in IPL history and already has more than 160 wickets to his name. He has been an X-factor for Mumbai over the last few seasons and is likely to play an important role in the future as well.

Bowling

9. Chris Gayle (KKR/RCB/KXIP)

Chris Gayle has been one of the most destructive batters of all time. The big man from Jamaica was known for his aggressive batting style and was a nightmare for the bowlers. He has the record for smashing the most hundreds in the T20 format of the game. He has 22 hundred in his career, no batter is close to this record. This showcases his brutal hitting against the bowlers.

Gayle has played 142 matches in the IPL, but his ability to strike the ball hard and entertain the fans has made him one of the highest run-scorers in the IPL. He has scored 4,965 runs at a strike rate of 148.96. The Windies batter has six hundred and thirty-one half-centuries, including a record-breaking 175 not out. He is surely one of the best IPL players of all time. He holds the record for the fastest hundred in IPL, which he achieved in just 30 balls.

Batting & Fielding

8. Dwayne Bravo (MI/CSK/GL)

Dwayne Bravo is another West Indian who has been successful in IPL history. Bravo started his IPL career with MI and went on to play 10 seasons for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), contributing to three of their five trophies. He was their best death bowler. The 41-year-old is the third most wicket-taker in IPL history, topping the list of pacers and overseas bowlers.

Bravo was also a fantastic lower-order batter. He scored 1,500 runs in the IPL history. His signature ‘Champion’ dance became a joy for the fans across the world. However, he is currently the mentor of defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders and will help them to defend the title.

Batting

Bowling

7. David Warner (SRH/DC)

David Warner has been one of the best overseas batters in IPL history. His consistency level has been unmatched in the toughest T20 league in the world. He has scored more than 500 runs in seven IPL seasons. It is the most for any batter. The Southpaw was the fastest to 5,000 runs in IPL and the most prolific overseas batter of all time.

He led SRH to their maiden title in 2016. The former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain has scored 6565 runs in the IPL and has scored 4 centuries. He also has 62 half-centuries, which is the most by any batter in IPL history. This showcases his talent and batting prowess in the rich cash league of the world, and it is also the reason for him to be listed among the greatest IPL players.

Batting

6. MS Dhoni (CSK/RPS)

MS Dhoni is the greatest Indian captain in the limited-overs format. Known as ‘Captain Cool’ for his calm and composed nature on the field. Dhoni has won 5 IPL trophies for CSK in his captaincy career with the side. The 43-year-old continues to entertain his fans with big-hitting skills and finishes the innings in style just like the old days.

Dhoni is known for his finishing ability and was one of the best finishers in world cricket. This makes him different from others, and the way he has worked on his fitness is much to be talked about. It is the reason why he is counted among the best IPL players. The former CSK captain has scored more than 5000 runs despite batting at No. 6 and No. 7, and is also seen as one of the best wicketkeepers to have ever played the game.

Batting & Wicketkeeping

5. AB de Villiers (DD/RCB)

The list for the best IPL players cannot be complete without AB de Villiers. Known as ‘Mr. 360’ for his unique and unorthodox style of playing cricket, he was one of the most innovative and explosive batters in the history of cricket. The former Proteas captain was a key player in RCB‘s middle order over the years. He was the backbone of the side and won many crucial matches in crunch situations.

Since he retired, the franchise has been looking for his replacement, but no one can fill it. De Villiers had a strike rate of more than 150 and scored 5,162 runs in 184 matches. This showcases his legacy as a batter and the impact he has created in the rich cash league. He is surely one of the greatest IPL players of all time.

Batting & Fielding

4. Lasith Malinga (MI)

Lasith Malinga is one of the finest Sri Lankan pacers of all time. He is the greatest death bowler and the best overall bowling matchwinner in IPL history. He helped MI to win matches single-handedly with his lethal bowling spells. Malinga’s spell in the two finals, which Mumbai won against Chennai Super Kings, will never be forgotten, where he changed the course of the match in double quick time.

Malinga’s impact in the IPL has been unmatched. He was also a crucial member of Mumbai Indians, which won five trophies from 2013 to 2020. He 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. He is also the pacer with the most wickets in the tournament history, and makes his way into the best IPL players of all time.

Bowling

3. Suresh Raina (CSK/GL)

Suresh Raina is called the ‘Mr. IPL’ and has been one of the finest cricketers in the toughest T20 league. He was the backbone of CSK for many years and was a consistent performer for the side till his retirement. He won many matches single-handedly for the side. He led Chennai to 4 titles and 5 runner-up titles. The Southpaw has now retired from all forms of cricket.

Raina was the first batter to score 5000 runs in the IPL. He is also the highest run scorer for CSK, the batter has scored 5528 runs at a fantastic strike rate of 136.76, with 1 hundred and 39 fifties. This showcases his consistency in the rich cash league. He still has a love for CSK and might also return someday as a mentor or coach for the side.

Batting & Fielding

2. Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virat Kohli is arguably one of the best IPL players. He has been there since the inception of the league. This showcases his unmatched legacy and consistency in the league. He has been stuck with only one franchise since the competition started. He is the only such player featuring for a single franchise. The 36-year-old has been the franchise’s best captain in the competition.

However, he has failed to win the trophy in his illustrious career so far. But he continues to score runs for the franchise. Kohli leads the chart for most runs in the IPL and is also the batter with the most runs for a single franchise. The 36-year-old has scored more than 8000 runs and has played more than 250 games in the tournament. He has scored the most centuries in IPL history. Known as an IPL goat player, Kohli will be looking to add more runs and centuries to his tally in the forthcoming seasons.

Batting & Fielding

1. Sunil Narine (KKR)

Sunil Narine can be called the ‘GOAT’ of the IPL. Despite featuring in the IPL from 2012, his impact on the competition’s history is truly unmatched. Narine was one of the key orchestrators behind KKR’s IPL triumph in 2012 and 2014. He is the fifth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. The West Indies spinner has more than 180 wickets to his name. He is also the highest wicket-taker for a single franchise.

Narine is also the only cricketer to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award thrice, in 2012, 2018, and 2024. He helped with the bat in the latter part of the IPL as well. While opening the innings in 2024, he was the side’s highest run-getter with 488 runs in the tournament, picked up 17 wickets, and helped KKR to win their third title as well.

Batting

Bowling

List of Top 10 Greatest Players in IPL History