Ever since the start of the Indian T20 League in 2008, there have been a handful of players who went on to become mainstays for their respective teams through their performances with bat and ball.
While performing consistently year after year is by no means an easy task, some talents have gone on to defy logic by putting their best put forward season after season and helping their respective teams in their quest for glory.
T20 cricket by definition comes across as a batter’s game. Furthermore, the fact that Indian T20 League matches are played on flat batting-friendly surfaces in India only further enhances the superiority of the willow over leather in such conditions.
As a result, it’s not much of a surprise that plenty of batters have accumulated tons of runs to their credit while playing in the league over the years. Here, we have a look at the players who have scored the most runs in Indian T20 League history.
Most runs in Indian T20 League
| Player | Matches | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | Hundreds | Fifties |
| Virat Kohli | 234 | 7044 | 113 | 36.49 | 129.41 | 5 | 50 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 214 | 6593 | 106* | 35.83 | 127.15 | 2 | 50 |
| David Warner | 173 | 6211 | 126 | 41.13 | 139.38 | 4 | 59 |
| Rohit Sharma | 238 | 6070 | 109* | 29.60 | 129.72 | 1 | 41 |
| Suresh Raina | 205 | 5528 | 100* | 32.51 | 136.73 | 1 | 39 |
| AB de Villiers | 184 | 5162 | 133* | 39.70 | 151.68 | 3 | 40 |
| MS Dhoni | 246 | 5074 | 84* | 39.33 | 136.06 | - | 24 |
| Chris Gayle | 142 | 4965 | 175* | 39.72 | 148.96 | 6 | 31 |
| Robin Uthappa | 205 | 4952 | 88 | 27.51 | 130.35 | - | 27 |
| Dinesh Karthik | 240 | 4516 | 97* | 26.10 | 132.82 | - | 20 |
Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has only played for one Indian T20 League franchise in the form of Team Bangalore from 2008 to the present. Over the years, he has produced plenty of top performances with the bat, and as a result, he’s the player with the most runs in Indian T20 League history. The only player with more than 7,000 runs in the Indian T20 League, Virat Kohli has smashed five centuries and 50 fifties in the league. He also scored the most runs in a single Indian T20 League season and over 35 in the fast-paced and high-octane league where batters don’t get much time to get their eye in.
Shikhar Dhawan
Like Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan has been a part of every edition of the Indian T20 League since its start in 2008. Unlike Kohli, though, Shikhar Dhawan has played for several teams over the years. He’s represented the likes of Team Mumbai, Team Deccan, Team Hyderabad, Team Delhi, and Team Punjab. Thanks to his longevity and consistency with the bat while representing these sides, the elegant left-hander holds the distinction of being the player with the second-most runs in Indian T20 League history. He’s made more than 6,500 runs while playing in the league and has two centuries as well as 50 fifties to his name. Dhawan also won the Indian T20 League with Team Hyderabad in 2016.
David Warner
One of just a few international players to feature in the list for most runs in Indian T20 League, David Warner is third as far as runs scored in this league are concerned. The belligerent left-hander has represented Team Delhi as well as Team Hyderabad and has amassed more than 6,000 runs at an impressive average of above 40. He’s also made four centuries and 59 fifties, which is the most half-centuries by any player in league history. Like Dhawan, Warner won the Indian T20 League trophy with Team Hyderabad in 2016.
Photo credit: Alamy
