Since the day T20 cricket has started, the role of strike rate is the most important out of all the batting stats. In IPL the role is even more important as in Indian conditions the grounds are small and pitches are flat, which makes any score feasible to chase. Innings total of more than 200 are easy and are scored more often. IPL has seen 260 been scored in T20 match to 230s even getting chased. There is nothing which can be termed as unexpected in terms for the IPL.

With Indian conditions favouring the batsman and the fact that all teams have at least one domestic bowler playing in the lineup, having a hard-hitting strike batsman, whether an opener or finisher is quite significant. Even after having Kohlis and Rohits holding the fort for their team with long innings, there is always a need for a power hitter who can change the course of the match within a few deliveries.

These so-called pinch hitters go on an create an unmatchable era around them in future, don’t forget, arguably India&#8217;s best T20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a “pinch hitter” in his initial days.

Playing with a strike rate more than 150 has been achieved by a lot of players in a particular inning but to find out which player scores at a high rate constantly a benchmark of minimum innings was to be set. That’s why here we have identified 5 players who have played more than 50 innings but have still managed to score at a higher strike rate due to their ability to score boundaries at will.

Here are top 5 players with the highest strike rate in IPL (minimum 50 innings):

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296474" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virender-Sehwag-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption-text">Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>

When we talk about opening batsman with the ability to score boundaries from the first ball Sehwag comes to our mind. This list won&#8217;t be completed without the batsman who played Test cricket in T20 fashion even before it was popular.

The veteran from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-picks-his-all-time-delhi-capitals-daredevils-xi-in-ipl-names-virender-sehwag-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi </a>has scored a boundary of his 1st ball 23 times out of 98 innings he has opened in IPL. His ability to find gaps in the 6 over mandatory powerplay and his hand-eye coordination makes run making it easy for him. His 105 sixes in 104 innings tell us that sixes are not the only thing that makes your strike rate top notch.

Sehwag had an average of 27 which is below par for a T20 opener but his immense ability to counter-attack any world-class bowler and diminish their confidence is what makes Sehwag the Master Blaster he is.

Apart from the starting 5 five seasons, Sehwag played IPL during the end of his prime, otherwise, there was no doubt that he was the most attacking batsman of India also his performance in IPL is often overshadowed by the fact that Sehwag never won any IPL trophy for his team.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-145206" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Glenn-Maxwell-KXIP.jpg" alt="Glenn Maxwell of Kings XI Punjab" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145206" class="wp-caption-text">Glenn Maxwell of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

The Australian all-rounder is a typical T20 batsman. His ability to score all around the ground is magical and dangerous for any bowler. On his day he can score boundaries at will against any bowler at any part of the ground.

The mighty <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-belligerent-tamim-iqbal-scripts-title-glory-for-comilla-victorians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Victorian </a>pulls of any shot of cricket, some of them are yet to be written in books, with utmost swagger. His sixes reach the roof of the small Indian grounds even before our eyes can catch them. His versatility and dominance can be understood by the fact that in his 68 innings IPL career, he has batted at 5 different positions with a strike rate of over 150 at 3 of them.

Maxwell usually bats down the order and his strength lies in breaking all the chains of the field through his unorthodox shots and immense power. More than one-third of his runs have come out of sixes and this shows how hard he can hit the ball. Maxwell is one of the few Australian batsmen who play spinner brilliantly. He attacks them from the beginning which affects their confidence and adds power to his scoring rate in IPL.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-250458" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rishabh-Pant-5.jpg" alt="Rishabh Pant Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-250458" class="wp-caption-text">Rishabh Pant celebrates his century. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

Rishabh Pant announced his arrival in the world cricket with an excellent under-19 world cup. When Dhoni was at the end of his career, India was looking answers for all the questions Dhoni was leaving behind. A wicketkeeper-batsman, more of a batsman than a keeper, ability to the ball long and will power to start hitting the ball from the first ball made Pant a popular choice.

Rishabh was drafted into <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-reason-why-delhi-daredevils-didnt-go-for-virat-kohli-in-ipl-2008-u19-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi Daredevils</a> on the back of his excellent U19 world cup in 2016 and was retained for the next year as well. He performed quite well for a young batsman with excellent strike rate even when his father passed away on the eve of their 1st match against RCB.

2018 came up as the year he was waiting for, his innings of 128* against SRH was one for the ages as he launched firecracker after firecracker in the sky which never landed on the ground itself.

The poster boy of Delhi Capitals has already scored 94 sixes in his 54 innings career with 6 not outs which tells us how well he has handled finishing for his franchise. This 22-year-old stumper hits a boundary or a six on every 4th ball of his IPL innings which makes him the most attacking Indian batsman in the cash-rich league. With age on his side, the sky is the limit for Pant and he can take these numbers to an even bigger stage.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-251993" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine-2.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-251993" class="wp-caption-text">Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption>

Apart from no. 3 and no. 6 Sunil Narine has batted on all the positions in IPL. His IPL franchise KKR is owned by Shah Rukh Khan the Superstar and Narine is a superstar himself. With an interesting hairstyle and serious look on his face, Narine is all about getting the job done with putting a scare on the opposition captain&#8217;s face.

Narine used to bat lower down the order but an experiment of sending him as a pinch hitter to open the innings changed the whole package that Sunil Narine brings to the table.

Narine just swings his bat and the ball goes for boundaries, it looks simple but it is not. Narine has really improved his batting as compared to previous years. It is better to talk about his batting while he has opened the innings as that is where he has got 80 per cent of his runs.

He has a strike rate of more than 183 while opening and he scores more than one-third of his runs by sixes. Narine and powerplay is the best love story, he exploited the field restrictions to the best and formed a perfect pair with Chris Lynn.

Narine and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-chris-lynns-113-propels-lahore-qalandars-into-the-semi-finals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Lynn&#8217;s </a>partnership was so lethal that it even forced Captain Gautam Gambhir to change his opening position to no. three. Narine has made only 771 runs in his IPL career but his impact has been well known and his utility as a player and all-rounder can&#8217;t be overlooked. Narine is a popular choice for Most Valuable Player of IPL history and this should not raise many eyebrows.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-330024" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andre-Russell.jpg" alt="Andre Russell" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330024" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Russell. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption>

This cricketer from Jamaica looks more of a wrestler than a cricketer. He muscles the ball in the crowd like Bully and opposition captain feels powerless. Russell has always been a powerhouse in batting and always had an ability to provide 4 overs to his captain.

The amusement for Russell came in 2019 when he was handling all the bowlers like toys and gave the opposition captains a serious headache. He chased down totals of above 200 with ease and his 13 ball 48 against RCB in a successful chase was a mere example of it. His strike in IPL 2019 was above 200 and it broke all possible records, this could be one of the best T20 performances from a player in a single edition of any tournament.

This mighty <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/west-indies-vs-india-rohit-sharma-lights-up-the-day-of-two-of-his-jamaican-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamaican </a>can hit sixes with sheer power and he has already hit 120 sixes in IPL which comprises more than half of his runs. His excellent ability to control and change the game single-handedly makes him the most dangerous and complete finisher in IPL. Whenever an impossible situation arises, KKR looks in his direction. Whether Russell is the Most Valuable Player of IPL, that is a discussion yet to happen.

Since the day T20 cricket has started, the role of strike rate is the most important out of all the batting stats. In IPL the role is even more important as in Indian conditions the grounds are small and pitches are flat, which makes any score feasible to chase. Innings total of more than 200 are easy and are scored more often. IPL has seen 260 been scored in T20 match to 230s even getting chased. There is nothing which can be termed as unexpected in terms for the IPL.
With Indian conditions favouring the batsman and the fact that all teams have at least one domestic bowler playing in the lineup, having a hard-hitting strike batsman, whether an opener or finisher is quite significant. Even after having Kohlis and Rohits holding the fort for their team with long innings, there is always a need for a power hitter who can change the course of the match within a few deliveries.
These so-called pinch hitters go on an create an unmatchable era around them in future, don’t forget, arguably India’s best T20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a “pinch hitter” in his initial days.
Playing with a strike rate more than 150 has been achieved by a lot of players in a particular inning but to find out which player scores at a high rate constantly a benchmark of minimum innings was to be set. That’s why here we have identified 5 players who have played more than 50 innings but have still managed to score at a higher strike rate due to their ability to score boundaries at will.
Here are top 5 players with the highest strike rate in IPL (minimum 50 innings):
<h3>5. Virender Sehwag (155.44)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-296474" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virender-Sehwag-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption-text">Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
When we talk about opening batsman with the ability to score boundaries from the first ball Sehwag comes to our mind. This list won’t be completed without the batsman who played Test cricket in T20 fashion even before it was popular.
The veteran from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-picks-his-all-time-delhi-capitals-daredevils-xi-in-ipl-names-virender-sehwag-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi </a>has scored a boundary of his 1st ball 23 times out of 98 innings he has opened in IPL. His ability to find gaps in the 6 over mandatory powerplay and his hand-eye coordination makes run making it easy for him. His 105 sixes in 104 innings tell us that sixes are not the only thing that makes your strike rate top notch.
Sehwag had an average of 27 which is below par for a T20 opener but his immense ability to counter-attack any world-class bowler and diminish their confidence is what makes Sehwag the Master Blaster he is.
Apart from the starting 5 five seasons, Sehwag played IPL during the end of his prime, otherwise, there was no doubt that he was the most attacking batsman of India also his performance in IPL is often overshadowed by the fact that Sehwag never won any IPL trophy for his team.

<h3>4. Glenn Maxwell (161.13)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_145206" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145206" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-145206" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Glenn-Maxwell-KXIP.jpg" alt="Glenn Maxwell of Kings XI Punjab" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145206" class="wp-caption-text">Glenn Maxwell of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The Australian all-rounder is a typical T20 batsman. His ability to score all around the ground is magical and dangerous for any bowler. On his day he can score boundaries at will against any bowler at any part of the ground.
The mighty <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-belligerent-tamim-iqbal-scripts-title-glory-for-comilla-victorians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Victorian </a>pulls of any shot of cricket, some of them are yet to be written in books, with utmost swagger. His sixes reach the roof of the small Indian grounds even before our eyes can catch them. His versatility and dominance can be understood by the fact that in his 68 innings IPL career, he has batted at 5 different positions with a strike rate of over 150 at 3 of them.
Maxwell usually bats down the order and his strength lies in breaking all the chains of the field through his unorthodox shots and immense power. More than one-third of his runs have come out of sixes and this shows how hard he can hit the ball. Maxwell is one of the few Australian batsmen who play spinner brilliantly. He attacks them from the beginning which affects their confidence and adds power to his scoring rate in IPL.

<h3>3. Rishabh Pant (162.70)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_250458" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-250458" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-250458" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rishabh-Pant-5.jpg" alt="Rishabh Pant Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-250458" class="wp-caption-text">Rishabh Pant celebrates his century. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Rishabh Pant announced his arrival in the world cricket with an excellent under-19 world cup. When Dhoni was at the end of his career, India was looking answers for all the questions Dhoni was leaving behind. A wicketkeeper-batsman, more of a batsman than a keeper, ability to the ball long and will power to start hitting the ball from the first ball made Pant a popular choice.
Rishabh was drafted into <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-reason-why-delhi-daredevils-didnt-go-for-virat-kohli-in-ipl-2008-u19-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi Daredevils</a> on the back of his excellent U19 world cup in 2016 and was retained for the next year as well. He performed quite well for a young batsman with excellent strike rate even when his father passed away on the eve of their 1st match against RCB.
2018 came up as the year he was waiting for, his innings of 128* against SRH was one for the ages as he launched firecracker after firecracker in the sky which never landed on the ground itself.
The poster boy of Delhi Capitals has already scored 94 sixes in his 54 innings career with 6 not outs which tells us how well he has handled finishing for his franchise. This 22-year-old stumper hits a boundary or a six on every 4th ball of his IPL innings which makes him the most attacking Indian batsman in the cash-rich league. With age on his side, the sky is the limit for Pant and he can take these numbers to an even bigger stage.

<h3>2. Sunil Narine (168.34)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_251993" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-251993" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-251993" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine-2.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-251993" class="wp-caption-text">Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Apart from no. 3 and no. 6 Sunil Narine has batted on all the positions in IPL. His IPL franchise KKR is owned by Shah Rukh Khan the Superstar and Narine is a superstar himself. With an interesting hairstyle and serious look on his face, Narine is all about getting the job done with putting a scare on the opposition captain’s face.
Narine used to bat lower down the order but an experiment of sending him as a pinch hitter to open the innings changed the whole package that Sunil Narine brings to the table.
Narine just swings his bat and the ball goes for boundaries, it looks simple but it is not. Narine has really improved his batting as compared to previous years. It is better to talk about his batting while he has opened the innings as that is where he has got 80 per cent of his runs.
He has a strike rate of more than 183 while opening and he scores more than one-third of his runs by sixes. Narine and powerplay is the best love story, he exploited the field restrictions to the best and formed a perfect pair with Chris Lynn.
Narine and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-chris-lynns-113-propels-lahore-qalandars-into-the-semi-finals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Lynn’s </a>partnership was so lethal that it even forced Captain Gautam Gambhir to change his opening position to no. three. Narine has made only 771 runs in his IPL career but his impact has been well known and his utility as a player and all-rounder can’t be overlooked. Narine is a popular choice for Most Valuable Player of IPL history and this should not raise many eyebrows.

<h3>1. Andre Russell (186.42)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_330024" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330024" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-330024" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andre-Russell.jpg" alt="Andre Russell" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330024" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Russell. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
This cricketer from Jamaica looks more of a wrestler than a cricketer. He muscles the ball in the crowd like Bully and opposition captain feels powerless. Russell has always been a powerhouse in batting and always had an ability to provide 4 overs to his captain.
The amusement for Russell came in 2019 when he was handling all the bowlers like toys and gave the opposition captains a serious headache. He chased down totals of above 200 with ease and his 13 ball 48 against RCB in a successful chase was a mere example of it. His strike in IPL 2019 was above 200 and it broke all possible records, this could be one of the best T20 performances from a player in a single edition of any tournament.
This mighty <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/west-indies-vs-india-rohit-sharma-lights-up-the-day-of-two-of-his-jamaican-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamaican </a>can hit sixes with sheer power and he has already hit 120 sixes in IPL which comprises more than half of his runs. His excellent ability to control and change the game single-handedly makes him the most dangerous and complete finisher in IPL. Whenever an impossible situation arises, KKR looks in his direction. Whether Russell is the Most Valuable Player of IPL, that is a discussion yet to happen.

Since the day T20 cricket has started, the role of strike rate is the most important out of all the batting stats. In IPL the role is even more important as in Indian conditions the grounds are small and pitches are flat, which makes any score feasible to chase. Innings total of more than 200 are easy and are scored more often. IPL has seen 260 been scored in T20 match to 230s even getting chased. There is nothing which can be termed as unexpected in terms for the IPL.
With Indian conditions favouring the batsman and the fact that all teams have at least one domestic bowler playing in the lineup, having a hard-hitting strike batsman, whether an opener or finisher is quite significant. Even after having Kohlis and Rohits holding the fort for their team with long innings, there is always a need for a power hitter who can change the course of the match within a few deliveries.
These so-called pinch hitters go on an create an unmatchable era around them in future, don’t forget, arguably India&#8217;s best T20 captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was a “pinch hitter” in his initial days.
Playing with a strike rate more than 150 has been achieved by a lot of players in a particular inning but to find out which player scores at a high rate constantly a benchmark of minimum innings was to be set. That’s why here we have identified 5 players who have played more than 50 innings but have still managed to score at a higher strike rate due to their ability to score boundaries at will.
Here are top 5 players with the highest strike rate in IPL (minimum 50 innings):
<h3>5. Virender Sehwag (155.44)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_296474" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-296474" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-296474" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Virender-Sehwag-Delhi-Daredevils.jpg" alt="Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-296474" class="wp-caption-text">Virender Sehwag Delhi Daredevils. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
When we talk about opening batsman with the ability to score boundaries from the first ball Sehwag comes to our mind. This list won&#8217;t be completed without the batsman who played Test cricket in T20 fashion even before it was popular.
The veteran from <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/aakash-chopra-picks-his-all-time-delhi-capitals-daredevils-xi-in-ipl-names-virender-sehwag-captain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi </a>has scored a boundary of his 1st ball 23 times out of 98 innings he has opened in IPL. His ability to find gaps in the 6 over mandatory powerplay and his hand-eye coordination makes run making it easy for him. His 105 sixes in 104 innings tell us that sixes are not the only thing that makes your strike rate top notch.
Sehwag had an average of 27 which is below par for a T20 opener but his immense ability to counter-attack any world-class bowler and diminish their confidence is what makes Sehwag the Master Blaster he is.
Apart from the starting 5 five seasons, Sehwag played IPL during the end of his prime, otherwise, there was no doubt that he was the most attacking batsman of India also his performance in IPL is often overshadowed by the fact that Sehwag never won any IPL trophy for his team.

<h3>4. Glenn Maxwell (161.13)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_145206" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-145206" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-145206" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Glenn-Maxwell-KXIP.jpg" alt="Glenn Maxwell of Kings XI Punjab" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-145206" class="wp-caption-text">Glenn Maxwell of Kings XI Punjab. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption></figure>
The Australian all-rounder is a typical T20 batsman. His ability to score all around the ground is magical and dangerous for any bowler. On his day he can score boundaries at will against any bowler at any part of the ground.
The mighty <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-belligerent-tamim-iqbal-scripts-title-glory-for-comilla-victorians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Victorian </a>pulls of any shot of cricket, some of them are yet to be written in books, with utmost swagger. His sixes reach the roof of the small Indian grounds even before our eyes can catch them. His versatility and dominance can be understood by the fact that in his 68 innings IPL career, he has batted at 5 different positions with a strike rate of over 150 at 3 of them.
Maxwell usually bats down the order and his strength lies in breaking all the chains of the field through his unorthodox shots and immense power. More than one-third of his runs have come out of sixes and this shows how hard he can hit the ball. Maxwell is one of the few Australian batsmen who play spinner brilliantly. He attacks them from the beginning which affects their confidence and adds power to his scoring rate in IPL.

<h3>3. Rishabh Pant (162.70)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_250458" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-250458" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-250458" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Rishabh-Pant-5.jpg" alt="Rishabh Pant Delhi Daredevils" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-250458" class="wp-caption-text">Rishabh Pant celebrates his century. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Rishabh Pant announced his arrival in the world cricket with an excellent under-19 world cup. When Dhoni was at the end of his career, India was looking answers for all the questions Dhoni was leaving behind. A wicketkeeper-batsman, more of a batsman than a keeper, ability to the ball long and will power to start hitting the ball from the first ball made Pant a popular choice.
Rishabh was drafted into <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/the-reason-why-delhi-daredevils-didnt-go-for-virat-kohli-in-ipl-2008-u19-draft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Delhi Daredevils</a> on the back of his excellent U19 world cup in 2016 and was retained for the next year as well. He performed quite well for a young batsman with excellent strike rate even when his father passed away on the eve of their 1st match against RCB.
2018 came up as the year he was waiting for, his innings of 128* against SRH was one for the ages as he launched firecracker after firecracker in the sky which never landed on the ground itself.
The poster boy of Delhi Capitals has already scored 94 sixes in his 54 innings career with 6 not outs which tells us how well he has handled finishing for his franchise. This 22-year-old stumper hits a boundary or a six on every 4th ball of his IPL innings which makes him the most attacking Indian batsman in the cash-rich league. With age on his side, the sky is the limit for Pant and he can take these numbers to an even bigger stage.

<h3>2. Sunil Narine (168.34)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_251993" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-251993" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-251993" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine-2.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-251993" class="wp-caption-text">Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders. (Photo by Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
Apart from no. 3 and no. 6 Sunil Narine has batted on all the positions in IPL. His IPL franchise KKR is owned by Shah Rukh Khan the Superstar and Narine is a superstar himself. With an interesting hairstyle and serious look on his face, Narine is all about getting the job done with putting a scare on the opposition captain&#8217;s face.
Narine used to bat lower down the order but an experiment of sending him as a pinch hitter to open the innings changed the whole package that Sunil Narine brings to the table.
Narine just swings his bat and the ball goes for boundaries, it looks simple but it is not. Narine has really improved his batting as compared to previous years. It is better to talk about his batting while he has opened the innings as that is where he has got 80 per cent of his runs.
He has a strike rate of more than 183 while opening and he scores more than one-third of his runs by sixes. Narine and powerplay is the best love story, he exploited the field restrictions to the best and formed a perfect pair with Chris Lynn.
Narine and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/twitter-reactions-chris-lynns-113-propels-lahore-qalandars-into-the-semi-finals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chris Lynn&#8217;s </a>partnership was so lethal that it even forced Captain Gautam Gambhir to change his opening position to no. three. Narine has made only 771 runs in his IPL career but his impact has been well known and his utility as a player and all-rounder can&#8217;t be overlooked. Narine is a popular choice for Most Valuable Player of IPL history and this should not raise many eyebrows.

<h3>1. Andre Russell (186.42)</h3>
<figure id="attachment_330024" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-330024" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-330024" src="https://crictracker-admin-panel-08032022.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/media/attachments/Andre-Russell.jpg" alt="Andre Russell" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-330024" class="wp-caption-text">Andre Russell. (Photo: IANS)</figcaption></figure>
This cricketer from Jamaica looks more of a wrestler than a cricketer. He muscles the ball in the crowd like Bully and opposition captain feels powerless. Russell has always been a powerhouse in batting and always had an ability to provide 4 overs to his captain.
The amusement for Russell came in 2019 when he was handling all the bowlers like toys and gave the opposition captains a serious headache. He chased down totals of above 200 with ease and his 13 ball 48 against RCB in a successful chase was a mere example of it. His strike in IPL 2019 was above 200 and it broke all possible records, this could be one of the best T20 performances from a player in a single edition of any tournament.
This mighty <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/west-indies-vs-india-rohit-sharma-lights-up-the-day-of-two-of-his-jamaican-fans/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jamaican </a>can hit sixes with sheer power and he has already hit 120 sixes in IPL which comprises more than half of his runs. His excellent ability to control and change the game single-handedly makes him the most dangerous and complete finisher in IPL. Whenever an impossible situation arises, KKR looks in his direction. Whether Russell is the Most Valuable Player of IPL, that is a discussion yet to happen.

Even after having Kohlis and Rohits holding the fort for their team with long innings, there is always a need for a power hitter who can change the course of the match.

Top 5 batsmen with highest strike-rate in IPL history

These so-called pinch hitters go on an create an unmatchable era around them in future. India's best T20 captain MS Dhoni was a “pinch hitter” in early days