Top 10 Most Dangerous Batsman in IPL History

IPL is the biggest annual T20 cricket tournament in the world. The pinnacle of the sport of cricket, IPL brings together all the cricketers, who are keen to prove that they are the best batsman. What’s more, it brings together cricket fans from all over the world, who talk loudly and passionately about their favourite player. The batsmen of the Indian Premier League are often known for their ability to slay bowlers on their day, with tournaments and knockouts being decided by a few big performances from the likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, and David Warner. However, it's not just these three who seem indispensable at different points in the tournament, especially when fans take to social media to discuss who is the best or most dangerous batsman in the competition. As the IPL season gets underway, it is important to know who are the players to look out for in the powerplay overs. Here is the list of the Most Dangerous Batsmen in the Indian Premier League who will have a major say in how the matches pan out.

S. NO	Name of the Player	Matches Played	Teams Played for	Runs Scored	Average of the batter	Strike Rate of the batter	Highest Score
1	Chris Gayle (West Indies)	142	Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings	4965	39.72	148.96	175*
2	AB de Villiers (South Africa)	184	Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Royal Challengers Bangalore	5162	39.70	151.68	133*
3	David Warner (Australia)	176	Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Sunrisers Hyderabad	6397	41.53	139.91	126
4	Jos Buttler (England)	96	Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals	3223	37.91	148.32	124
5	Virat Kohli (India)	237	Royal Challengers Bangalore	7263	37.24	130.02	113
6	Rohit Sharma (India)	243	Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians	6211	29.57	130.04	109*
7	Suresh Raina (India)	205	Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions	5528	32.51	136.73	100*
8	Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India)	250	Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiants	5082	38.79	135.91	84*
9	Hardik Pandya (India)	123	Mumbai Indians	2309	30.38	145.86	91
10	Glenn Maxwell (Australia)	124	Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Royal Challengers Bangalore	2719	26.39	157.62	95

1. Chris Gayle

The most dangerous batter of the T20 format, “The Universe Boss” Chris Gayle. He is considered as the “G.O.A.T” of the Indian Premier League because of the number of records that he has in the IPL. Chris Gayle has played for three franchises in the IPL and has scored 4965 runs combined in just 142 matches. With an average of 39.72 and a strike rate almost close to 150, Chris Gayle has dominated the bowlers in the league. He possesses a record of scoring the highest score of 175* against Pune Warriors India in 2013 and has contributed well in the wins for the team.

2. AB de Villiers

One of the most destructive batters in the middle order of the Indian Premier League, AB de Villiers, has been a defiant force for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. With over 10 years with Royal Challengers Bangalore, he has been the match-winner for them in a number of matches. In just 184 matches, he has scored over 5000+ runs with an average of 39.70 and has an amazing strike rate of 151.66. In the 2015 season against Mumbai Indians, he made his highest IPL score of 133* and did a great job of giving the opponents a mammoth target to chase.

3. David Warner

The most consistent and most destructive overseas player in the IPL is David Warner, who is often referred to as “Pocket Sized Dynamite.” David Warner has been a batter who has carried Sunrisers Hyderabad for a number of years and even made them the Champions of IPL in 2016 with his batting and captaincy. He has played 176 matches in IPL and has scored 6397 runs at an amazing average of 41.53. The strike rate is also not an issue here as his strike rate is almost 139.91, which makes him a top player in the history of the IPL.

4. Jos Buttler

England’s most prolific T20 opener and Rajasthan Royals key player, Jos Buttler, is the man who plays fearless cricket all around the world. “Jos the Boss” is known for his power hitting skills, and he takes the match away from the opposition in just a few balls, which makes him one of the most destructive batters of all time in the history of the IPL. However, he has just played 96 matches till now in the IPL but has managed to score almost 3223 runs at an average of 37.91. He has been batting with a strike rate of 148.32 and has been a nightmare for the opposition bowlers.

5. Virat Kohli

The most consistent batter and the top scorer in the IPL history, King Kohli is considered as the most destructive batters of all time. He is the one who can take the games away from the opposition in just a few overs and won’t even give a chance to the opposition to come back in the game. In the 237 matches that he has played for the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, he has scored 7263 runs at an average of 37.24 and has an amazing strike rate of 130.02. In the 2016 season, he scored almost 1000 runs in a season and became the only batter to score 4 centuries in a season.

6. Rohit Sharma

The most successful captain of the Indian Premier League and a destructive batter, Rohit Sharma is a complete package in the IPL. Often referred to as” Hitman,” Rohit Sharma has played 243 matches in the IPL and has scored 6211 runs at an average of 29.57. His strike rate is also not an issue as his strike rate is 130 and makes batting look so easy. In the history of the IPL, he is the only player to win the IPL title six times (5 times as a captain and one time as a player).

7. Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina has been a major reason why Chennai Super Kings have won four IPL titles in the history of the Indian Premier League. Known as “Mr. IPL’, Suresh Raina has always been a nightmare for bowlers when he is in form. In the 205 matches that he has played for the team, he has scored 5528 runs and has an average of 32.51 with an amazing strike rate of almost 137 in the IPL. Apart from Chennai Super Kings, he has played for Gujarat Lions, and he was the captain of the team.

8. Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The biggest mastermind of the Indian Cricket and the man who has been performing consistently for the Chennai Super Kings team, MS Dhoni, “The Captain Cool,” has always made it look easy to score runs. On his day, he is the most destructive batter and is a player who reads the game well while chasing a score. He has played 250 matches in the IPL and has scored 5082 runs for the team. His strike rate has always been good because he plays as a finisher and strikes the ball at almost 135.91. His captaincy skills are different from all, and he is always rated highly.

9. Hardik Pandya

The most destructive Indian All-Rounder and a reliable player for Mumbai Indians in the middle order, Hardik Pandya has been a destructive batter in the middle order. For Mumbai Indians, he has finished a number of matches and took them to a winning position. He has played 123 matches till now and has scored almost 2309 runs. Being a finisher, his strike rate is 145.86, which makes him a valuable player for the team. His stint with the new team will surely be an exciting one for his fans who are waiting for his comeback.

10. Glenn Maxwell

One of the most destructive All-Rounder of Australia and popularly known as “Big Show,” Glenn Maxwell has been a handy player for the teams that he has played in. Currently, he is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and in the last season, he proved his worth. In just 124 matches in the Indian Premier League, he has scored 2719 runs with a strike rate of 157.62. However, he didn’t have good performances in the 2018 and 2020 seasons but Royal Challengers Bangalore showed faith in him and bought him for the 2021 IPL season. Now, he will be looking forward to performing even better than the previous season.

Wrapping Up

These batters have always been a nightmare for the bowlers when they are in form. However, other players like Andre Russell, Brendon McCullum, Shane Watson, Ben Stokes, and many more can also feature in the list as they have dominated the bowlers in the league.