Ranking top 10 batsmen by distance covered on the pitch in IPL history

The IPL is more than a decade old now. Numerous batsmen, both Indian and overseas have played the league and entertained the fans. T20 cricket is usually associated with power-hitting, but running between the wickets is also an important aspect that goes unnoticed. Players like Chris Gayle and Andre Russell are strongmen who rely on boundaries and sixers to get the runs. Others like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni get their runs through ones and twos also along with boundaries. A batsman approximately runs 20 metres on the pitch to secure a run. It needs an immense amount of agility and fitness levels to charge between the wickets in an intensified atmosphere. Here we rank the top 10 IPL batsmen who have covered the most distance while running between the wickets: 10) Robin Uthappa Kolkata Knight Riders’ Robin Uthappa in action. (Photo by IANS) The Kerala batsman has been a part of the IPL from its start. Robin Uthappa has played for many major sides throughout his IPL career. His most successful stint was at the Kolkata Knight Riders where he played from 2014 until he was released ahead of the 2020 season. Uthappa’s first season itself was a grand success. He won the orange cap of the season as he scored 660 runs in total. He also became the first and the only player to win the orange cap and the title in the same season. In all these years, Uthappa has scored 4607 IPL runs including 454 fours and 163 sixes. The remaining 1813 runs were scored by running between the wickets in the form of 1s, 2s, and sometimes 3s. Altogether Robin has covered a total distance of 36.26 km in his IPL career. He thus ranks 10th on this list. 9) Ajinkya Rahane Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Ajinkya Rahane has had an illustrious IPL career. His journey started with the Mumbai Indians followed by the Rajasthan Royals where he played for a long time. He scored a lot of runs there and also gained recognition. He played briefly for the Rising Pune Supergiant and came back to RR in 2018 when their ban ended. He was also the side’s captain for few years. Most recently he was traded to the Delhi Capitals and is still a part of the side. In all these years, Rahane has scored 3941 runs which also includes 2 centuries at an average of 31.53. Traditionally, Rahane not being a big-hitter has scored 1817 of these runs by running. He has thus covered a distance of 36.34 km on the pitch and ranks 9th on this list. 8) Gautam Gambhir Gautam Gambhir of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo: Dhananjay TK/IANS) One of the successful captains of the IPL, Gautam Gambhir has also been a great batsman. Playing a major part of his career at the Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir had a wonderful time there leading them to 2 IPL titles. Gambhir mostly played as an opener both in the IPL and international cricket. He has scored 4217 IPL runs at an average of 31.23. Although he does not have an IPL ton, he has scored 36 fifties and with a high score of 93. Out of the total tally, Gambhir has run 1899 runs and scored the remaining in boundaries. The total distance covered by him in his IPL career through runs is around 37.98 km. He was thus a smart runner and covered the distance quickly. 7) AB de Villiers AB de Villiers. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Cricket’s Mr.360 is arguably the best overseas player the IPL has seen. AB de Villiers started his career at the Delhi Capitals and was bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2011. He is still in the Challengers camp and their most important batsman after Virat Kohli. AB is usually perceived as a power hitter who can send the ball a long way. Although this is true, he is also a great runner between the wickets. He has scored 5056 runs in his IPL career at a handsome average of above 40. Of these, 3094 have come through big hits and remaining through singles and doubles. AB is one of the few batsmen who can play well both in the air and along the ground. Thus, he has covered a distance of 39.24 km while running 1962 runs on the pitch and ranks 7th in this all-time list. 6) MS Dhoni MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter/Chennai Super Kings) India’s most successful captain is also one of the best in the IPL. MS Dhoni has played majorly for the Chennai Super Kings in his IPL career except for a couple of years at the Rising Pune Supergiant. As captain Dhoni has led CSK to the playoffs every single time except in IPL 2020 and has won as many as 3 titles. MS has also done wonderfully as a batsman for his side where he plays the finishing role. He is a smacker of the ball and a clever runner between the wickets. Dhoni has scored 4669 IPL runs at an impressive of 40.25. He has hit 317 fours and 217 sixes which account for around 55% of his runs. Although he ranks 8th on the list of all-time run-getters in the IPL, he has covered 41.98 km on the pitch and ranks 6th on this list. This shows how quick he is between the wickets and easily converts 1s into 2s. 5) David Warner David Warner. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) One of the most destructive openers in the league, Warner has been instrumental in the IPL. After starting his career at the Delhi Capitals, David Warner moved to the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014. He was phenomenal for the franchise from the start and continues to do so. Warner won his first orange cap for scoring the most runs in 2015 and then won it every other year till 2019. He also led his side to the title in 2016 and even qualified for the playoffs every year thereafter. By playing so fluently, Warner has scored 5447 runs in his IPL career at an average of 42.22. Along with boundaries and big sixers, Warner has scored 2141 runs in ones, twos, and threes. As a result, he has covered a total distance of 42.82 km in his IPL career and is among the top 5 in this list. 4) Rohit Sharma Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Rohit Sharma’s IPL career is a long one. From starting as a young boy in Deccan Chargers to becoming the most successful captain of the league, Rohit Sharma has come a long way. He grabbed eyeballs in the 2009 IPL when he won the Emerging Player award and made it certain that a superstar was in making. After joining the Mumbai Indians, he was soon given the leadership of the team. He won the league in his maiden season as skipper and then led them to 4 more titles subsequently. As a batsman too, he has been brilliant in the league. Rohit has scored 5480 runs in the IPL which includes 224 sixers. He has achieved 2232 of those runs by running and has covered a distance of 44.64 km in the process. Thus, apart from the boundaries, Rohit has also sweated it out in the middle which is an answer for the people calling him unfit. 3) Suresh Raina Suresh Raina. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Suresh Raina is fondly called “Mr. IPL” because of the great legacy he has in the league. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings from the start, Raina has contributed immensely to the franchise’s success. He was also the league’s leading run-scorer of all-time until he was overtaken by Virat Kohli. Raina has played 200 matches in the IPL which is one the highest in the league. The southpaw has a natural hitting ability as a result of which he can strike the ball cleanly. His total run tally in the IPL comes to 5491 at an average of around 33 and strike of 136. Raina also has an IPL century to his name and has hit a total of 502 fours and 202 sixes. He has got 2271 runs apart from boundaries which account for a distance of 45.42 km on the pitch. This ranks him 3rd in this list. 2) Shikhar Dhawan Shikhar Dhawan playing the shot. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Even Shikhar Dhawan has played the league for a number of franchises starting from Mumbai to currently in Delhi. Shikhar Dhawan has done well for every franchise he has played for. He has been one of those players who was overshadowed by big names despite doing equally well. In the last two seasons of the IPL, Dhawan has been phenomenal. He has scored 500+ runs in both seasons and looked strong in the 2021 season too. In the 2020 season, he became the only player to hit 2 back-to-back centuries in 2 IPL games. His total runs in the league are 5577 which include 634 fours which are the highest of all time. 2345 runs have come through running between the wickets which cover a distance of 46.9 km ranking him 2nd on this list of most distance covered. 1) Virat Kohli Virat Kohli playing a shot. (Photo Source: IPL/BCCI) Virat Kohli has a habit of being at the top lists, doesn’t he? Yes, he stands at the top of this list too. Playing for the Bangalore franchise from the dawn of his career, he has been a revolutionary figure for them. Kohli’s ability to pace an innings is an art to learn for the youngsters. He waits for the right time to attack and take the game on which is very important in T20 cricket rather than blind hitting. He is the all-time highest scorer in the league and the only batsman to breach the 6000-run mark. He is definitely the fastest between the wickets, his fitness being one of the major reasons for it. He has an athletic approach while running between the wickets which enables him to easily convert ones into twos and twos into threes. Out of his 6076 runs, 45% of the runs (2750) have come in 1s,2s, and 3s. These come to approximately 55 km putting him way ahead of others in this criterion.

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Ranking top 10 batsmen by distance covered on the pitch in IPL history

A batsman approximately runs 20 metres on the pitch to secure a run.

7) AB de Villiers

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