IPL 2018: Here are the top batting records after the first 10 years

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 will begin at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 4 when defenders Mumbai Indians (MI) will take on two-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). The Super Kings are making a return after two seasons and will be looking to consolidate their impressive run in the IPL.

The IPL is perhaps the most exciting annual event in cricket in these times. It not only witnesses coming together of players from different cricketing backgrounds but also display of cricketing prowess leading to an endless number of records. The eleventh edition of the tournament this year will certainly see more of them getting broken and made.

Here are some top records from the IPL made over the last decade. The tournament had started in 2008 with Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals lifting the inaugural title.

Most runs in an edition over 10 seasons: Only 3 Indians have topped list

King’s XI Punjab batsman Shaun Marsh got the laurels in the inaugural edition, making 616 runs from 11 matches at an average of 68.44 and strike-rate (SR) of 139.68.

In the 2009 edition which was played in South Africa, another Australian Matthew Hayden won the orange cup by scoring 572 runs in 12 matches at an average of 52 and SR of 144.81. Hayden had appeared for the CSK.

In 2010, Sachin Tendulkar, the captain of the MI who finished as the runners-up, was the highest scorer with 618 runs in 15 matches. He averaged 47.53 and had a SR of 132.61.

Next year, it was West Indian Chris Gayle who had amassed most number of runs (608) from 12 matches at an average of 67.55 and a whopping SR of 183.13.

Gayle topped the table the in 2012 as well, scoring 733 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.08 and SR of 160.74. The hard-hitting Caribbean achieved the feat as a member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Michael Hussey of the CSK bagged the top honours in 2013 by accumulating 733 runs—same as Gayle – to finish at the top. He took 17 games, scoring at an average of 52.35 and SR of 129.50.

Robin Uthappa of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) – the champions of the 2014 edition – finished as the highest scorer with 660 runs in 16 games at an average of 44 and SR of 137.78.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s David Warner was the top batsman in the 2015 edition, scoring 562 runs in 14 games at an average of 43.23 and SR of 156.54.

The highest tally of runs in IPL was registered in 2016 when RCB skipper Virat Kohli hit a staggering 973 runs in just 16 matches, averaging 81.08 and with a SR of 152.03. He, however, could not see his team win the tournament and lose the finals to SRH.

Warner was back to the helm in 2017, scoring 641 runs in 14 matches at an average of 58.27 and SR of 141.81.

Highest individual scores over 10 years: Only Paul Valthaty’s 2011 knock came batting second

When talking about the highest individual scores, who can forget the unbeaten 158 that New Zealander Brendon McCullum had slammed for the KKR against the RCB in Bangalore in the first-ever match played in the IPL, in 2008. McCullum took just 73 balls and registered a strike rate of over 216. The right-hander had hit 10 fours and 13 sixes in what is considered one of the best in IPL. KKR won the match by 140 runs.

In 2009, RCB’s Manish Pandey hit an unbeaten 114 against the now defunct Deccan Chargers and it proved to be the highest in that edition. Pandey’s knock at the Supersport Park, Centurion, came in 73 deliveries (SR of 156.16) and featured 10 fours and four sixes. RCB had won the game by 12 runs.

CSK’s Murali Vijay hit 127 against the RR at Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, in the 2010 edition and it was recorded as the best individual score that year. Vijay’s ton came in just 56 balls as he hit eight fours and 11 sixes (SR 226.78), helping his team win by 23 runs.

In 2011, King XI Punjab’s Paul Valthaty hit a match-winning 120 not out of just 63 deliveries (19 fours and two sixes; SR of 190.47) against CSK at Mohali and it ended up as the best score that year. Valthaty’s knock had come batting second as his team was chasing a steep target of 189 and it made him an overnight sensation.

The highest score of the 2012 edition happened on a day of Gaylestorm. The left-handed Caribbean plundered 128 runs of just 63 balls against Delhi Daredevils (DD) in the away game at Feroze Shah Kotla, helping RCB post a mammoth 215 in 20 overs and eventually win the game by 21 runs. Gayle’s unbeaten knock featured seven fours and 13 sixes and his SR read 206.45.

Gayle eclipsed McCullum in 2013 by hitting an unbeaten 175 off just 66 balls against Pune Warriors at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. This is still the highest individual score in a T20 match and it also helped RCB post the highest team total in a T20 match: 263. Gayle slammed 17 sixes and 13 fours during his monstrous knock (SR 265.15) as Bangalore went on to humiliate Pune by a massive gap of 130 runs.

Next year, it turned out to be an Indian batsman to register the highest individual score in the IPL and he was none other than Virender Sehwag. Batting for the KXIP, Sehwag hit a sensational 122 off just 58 deliveries, hitting 12 fours and eight sixes (SR 210.34) against CSK at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The innings saw the Kings winning the game by 24 runs.

In 2015, the highest score came off AB de Villiers’ bat as the RCB batsman hit an unbeaten 133 off 59 balls (19 fours, four sixes) against MI in Mumbai, helping his team win by 39 runs. The dashing South African batsman’s SR in the game read 225.42, best only to teammate Gayle’s 2013 and Vijay’s 2010 knocks.

The edition of 2016 also saw AB de hitting the highest score of 129 not out in just 52 balls against Gujarat Lions in Bengaluru. He bettered his previous SR by reaching to 248.07, hitting 10 fours and 12 fours during the knock. RCB won the match by a whopping 144-run margin.

SRH captain David Warner’s 126 off 59 balls against KKR was the highest individual knock in the 2017 edition. Warner slammed 10 fours and eight sixes during his knock with a SR of 213.55 and SRH posted a formidable 209 in their 20 overs to defeat the opponents by 48 runs.

Top 5 century scorers in IPL:

Chris Gayle has the most number of centuries (five) in the IPL and all of them have been scored for RCB, his second team after a two-year stint with KKR. Gayle has played 101 matches and 100 innings for his five tons scored between 2011 and 2015. Gayle’s highest score is a blistering 175 not out scored against Pune Warriors in Bengaluru in the 2013 edition. This year, Gayle was bought by KXIP in the last minute of the auction and the 38-year-old will look to regain his majestic touch.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli is the second in the list of hundreds (four) all of which were scored in the 2016 edition. Kohli went on to amass nearly 1,000 runs in that edition of the IPL – the highest for any batsman. He has taken 149 games and 141 innings for four hundreds and his highest has been 113 against KXIP in Bengaluru.

SRH captain David Warner and RCB’s AB de Villiers are joint third in the hundred makers’ list with three apiece. Warner, however, has taken 114 games (114 innings as well) for scoring those three-figure knocks while de Villiers has taken 129 games (118 innings). Warner’s highest score is 126 registered against KKR in Hyderabad in 2017 while de Villiers’ best score is 133 not outscored against MI in Mumbai in 2015.

Six players have scored two centuries each in the IPL and they include – Brendon McCullum (103 games), Virender Sehwag (104 games), Shane Watson (102 games), Murali Vijay (100 games), Adam Gilchrist (80 games) and Hashim Amla (16 games). Amla has the best average of them all (44.38) and the second-best SR of 141.76 after Sehwag (155.44)

Hundreds scored over seasons:

In 2008, as many as six hundreds were scored by six batsmen and the most sensational of them was 158 not out by Brendon McCullum (KKR). Shaun Marsh (KXIP), Sanath Jayasuriya (MI), Adam Gilchrist (DC), Mike Hussey (CSK) and Andrew Symonds (DC) were the other five. Team-wise, two hundreds were scored by DC.

In 2009, only two centuries were scored in the IPL which was played in South Africa. Manish Pandey scored an unbeaten 114 for RCB while AB de Villiers scored an unbeaten 105 for DD in his home country. It is the lowest tally of centuries in any IPL till date.

In 2010, the number of IPL tons was four with the 127 by CSK’s Murali Vijay bagging the top rank. The other three were by Mahela Jayawardene (KXIP), Yusuf Pathan (RR) and David Warner (DD).

In 2011, the tally of centuries was six scored by five batsmen and the most eye-catching of them was youngster Paul Valthaty’s (KXIP) 120 not out while chasing for KXIP. Chris Gayle (RCB) hit two hundreds in this edition to become the first batsman to score two tons in IPL. Sachin Tendulkar (MI), Sehwag (DD) and Gilchrist (KXIP) were the other members of the 100 club. Gilchrist also equalled Gayle’s record of scoring two tons in IPL, though for two different sides.

In 2012, Gayle hit the best knock of 128 not out and was followed by Ajinkya Rahane (RR), Rohit Sharma (MI), Vijay (CSK), Kevin Pietersen (DD) and Warner (DD) also hit hundreds, taking the tally to six. Vijay and Warner also became owners of two IPL hundreds in this edition,

The edition of 2013 saw a slide in the number of IPL tons as only four three-figure scores were made. Gayle hit his third IPL ton when he blew Pune Warriors out of the park in Bengaluru, scoring 175 not out off just 66 balls. Suresh Raina (CSK), Shane Watson (RR) and David Miller (KXIP) were the other century makers that year.

In 2014, only three centuries were scored in the annual carnival and two of them came from KXIP – from the bats of Virender Sehwag (122) and Wriddhiman Saha (115 not out in the final). West Indian Lendl Simmons was the other batsman to score a hundred and he did it for MI.

In 2015, the tally of centuries touched four and they were scored by the established names. AB de Villiers hit his second this year (133 not out) and the first for RCB. Gayle slammed his fourth while Watson and McCullum (CSK) registered their second tons in IPL.

The 2016 edition has seen the most number of IPL tons (seven) as RCB captain Virat Kohli alone went on to hit four in the tournament. The highest score was made by Kohli’s teammate de Villiers who hit his third ton in the tournament (129 not out) while the other two came from Quinton de Kock (DD) and Steve Smith (Rising Pune Supergiant).

Finally, in 2017, five centuries were scored and the highest of them all was by SRH’s Warner (126). However, it was KXIP’s Hashim Amla who stole the headlines this year by hitting two hundreds. DD’s Sanju Samson and RPS’ Ben Stokes were the other three players to score hundreds in this edition.

Most sixes in IPL:

Chris Gayle holds the record of hitting most sixes in an innings in IPL and the number stands at a staggering 265 in 101 matches (an average of 2.62 sixes every game). In the game in which Gayle slammed 175 not out against Pune Warriors India in 2013, he hit 17 over-boundaries.

Suresh Raina, who is set to appear for CSK after a brief stint with Gujarat Lions, is a distant second with 173 sixes in 161 matches (average of 1.07). Raina has only one hundred in the IPL while Gayle has five.

At No. 3, comes Rohit Sharma – the man who has led MI to win the title thrice and the most number of times. Sharma has hit 172 sixes so far in 159 matches (1.08 average). Sharma, too, has one IPL ton to his credit.

David Warner is ranked fourth with 160 sixes hit in 114 matches (average 1.40). Warner, currently the captain of SRH, has three IPL hundreds with two of them coming for his previous team DD.

RCB and Team India skipper Virat Kohli stands fifth in the table also with 160 sixes but hit in 149 matches (average 1.07). Kohli had a fantastic 2016 edition in which he slammed four hundreds and amassed nearly 1,000 runs, the highest so far.

The below graph shows batsmen who hit the most number of sixes in each season:

Most runs in IPL: Top 5 players

Suresh Raina, who went to captain Gujarat Lions and is set to return to his old outfit CSK, is the highest run-getter in IPL so far. The left-hander has scored 4,540 runs in 161 matches and 157 innings so far. He has one hundred and 31 fifties to his credit. Raina’s SR is 139.09.

Virat Kohli of RCB is currently ranked second, thanks to his superhuman form in 2016 when he accumulated nearly 1,000 runs in one edition. Kohli now has 4,418 runs from 149 games (141 innings) with four hundreds and 30 fifties. Kohli’s SR stands at 129.82.

MI skipper Rohit Sharma is the third in line with 4,207 runs in 159 matches and 154 innings. He has scored one hundred and 32 fifties so far and his SR is 130.89.

Gautam Gambhir, who led KKR to two titles and has returned to his old team DD this year, is the fourth highest run-getter with 4,132 runs in 148 matches and 147 innings. Gambhir is yet to score a hundred and has 35 fifties under his belt. His SR is 124.60.

David Warner is the only foreign player to have featured in the top five run-getter with 4,014 runs in 114 matches and as many innings. With three hundreds and 36 half-centuries in his kitty, Warner has an impressive strike rate of 142.13.