We’ve had 15 seasons of IPL cricket so far with all the leading T20 batsmen in the world playing in it at one stage or another. But who’s done it best over the years when it comes to scoring runs?
Some of the biggest names in world cricket have played in the history of IPL. In order from the most to the least in the Top 10 ever, let’s find out.
Highest Run-scorers In IPL History
| Player | Runs Scored | Games Played |
| Virat Kohli | 6411 | 216 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 6086 | 200 |
| Rohit Sharma | 5764 | 221 |
| David Warner | 5668 | 155 |
| Suresh Raina | 5528 | 205 |
| AB de Villiers | 5162 | 184 |
| Chris Gayle | 4965 | 142 |
| Robin Uthappa | 4950 | 201 |
| MS Dhoni | 4878 | 228 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 4262 | 222 |
1. Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has been at the top spot pretty much since the beginning. Virat Kohli has a total of 6411 runs in the IPL. He has stayed at Royal Challengers Bangalore since the first season of IPL.
The Indian run machine Virat Kohli has notched five centuries over the years with his brand of elegant strokes and hard running.
He has never won an IPL and time may be running out for him, but he’s top of the tree on an individual basis when it comes to batting.
2. Shikhar Dhawan
The left-handed opener Shikhar Dhawan is in the twilight of his career now and has represented several teams in getting to 200 IPL appearances. Shikhar Dhawan has been highly consistent and he has 6086 IPL runs to his name.
Dhawan also has the quirky record of having scored more fours in the IPL than anyone else with 684 at the time of writing this article.
3. Rohit Sharma
The current India captain Rohit Sharma is not far behind Kohli and Dhawan He is the only player in the IPL to have won the title six times. Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma has only ever scored one century in the IPL but his consistency and longevity have been commendable.
Rohit Sharma has scored 5764 runs in IPL. A famously slow starter but once he gets his eye in, few can accelerate with their scoring like Rohit Sharma.
4. David Warner
The nuggety little Australian left-hander David Warner is a divisive figure in cricket but whomever he plays for, you’re guaranteed plenty of top-order runs from him.
David Warner is more than happy to take early risks knowing that runs come quickest in the powerplay overs. No one can match his 53 IPL half-centuries.
5. Suresh Raina
The left-handed #3 Suresh Raina was a stalwart for Chennai Super Kings in those early editions of the IPL when they were so dominant and was famous for never missing a match for years and years.
He was also famous for his legside flicks and slog-sweeps and brilliant fielding in the covers. Retired a couple of seasons ago but certainly left his mark on the IPL.
6. AB de Villiers
For season after season, AB de Villiers formed a formidable middle-order partnership with Kohli at RCB and no match was over while those two were still at the crease.
He was known as Mr 360 for his ability to score runs in all areas of the ground. Of all the players in the Top 10, he’s the one boasting the highest strike rate of all at 151.69. ABD retired from all cricket a couple of seasons ago without ever having won the IPL.
7. Chris Gayle
If T20 cricket was meant to be all about huge sixes and full-out aggression, then few players epitomized that like the big West Indian opener Chris Gayle.
He played for plenty of different IPL franchises over the years. Gayle was probably the most feared batsman of them all due to his immense power that could see the ball travel 100-plus meters on a regular basis.
No one can come even close to his 357 IPL sixes and this is despite playing considerably fewer matches than lots of other players on this list.
8. Robin Uthappa
The stylish right-hander and occasional wicket-keeper was part of the India side that won the first-ever T20 World Cup back in 2007. He only ever played 13 T20IS for India over the years with other top-class players like Sharma, Kohli, Dhawan, and Raina often preferred to him.
But he more than made up for it in the IPL, joining the somewhat exclusive club of players to have notched up over 200 IPL matches during the 2022 season. Uthappa has represented several IPL teams and called it a day after the 2022 season at CSK.
9. MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni is the man who does it all. For 13 seasons, he’s been the heartbeat of a remarkably successful CSK side, also spending two years at the Pune Supergiants when Chennai Super Kings were suspended from the league. Dhoni has 4878 IPL runs to his name.
Dhoni leads the side, keeps wicket, marshals his troops beautifully, and bats in the middle order, anywhere between 4 and 7 depending on his mood and the situation of the game. He is famous for his trademark helicopter shot.
10. Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik has moved around plenty over the years from one franchise to another normally also keeping wicket and occasionally also acting as captain.
Batted at number 3-5 for most of his career but found later on that, Karthik is also an extremely handy ‘finisher’ with lightning-fast scoring in the death overs.
