Statistical analysis: Top 5 batsmen of IPL 2016

May 30, 2016 at 6:10 PM

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Statistical analysis: Top 5 batsmen of IPL 2016

60 matches, 17963 runs and 652 wickets; later we finally have a winner as Sunrisers Hyderabad claimed their maiden Indian Premier League title with an 8-run victory over Royal ChallengerBangalore on Sunday.

The 9th edition of the IPL was all about records being shattered here and there. Following a slow start, the competition really picked up. It was RCB captain Virat Kohli who remained the usual suspect in most cases with his individual statistics kissing the roof.

Fours and Sixes were literally scored for fun this season where batsmen had the time of their lives on the flat batting pitches on offer throughout the tournament.

Let’a take a look at the top 5 batsmen who delighted the statisticians in this IPL.

Virat Kohlikohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper looks to be the latest victim of the Orange Cap jinx which has been proving to be a nightmare for the leading run scorers and their franchises in the IPL. Just once in nine editions of the league has an Orange Cap holder went on to lay hands on the coveted trophy.

There have been seasons where Chennai Super Kings were the team to catch up with. This time, it was Virat Kohli throughout the competition. With four massive centuries and 973 runs to his name, Kohli was the problem that most of the teams had no solution to. He actually owned the cover drive, ran like an African gazelle and displayed intent and planning with every shot. He even notched a century with a split webbing. Everybody believed Kohli will get to 1000 runs in the final. However, at the end of 40 overs on the final night, Kohli was seen with a deserted look on his face in the RCB dugout after his team had lost the final battle on the big night against Sunrisers Hyderabad. But the thing for sure, comparisons with Sachin Tendulkar are not over the top.

David Warnerwarner

Virat Kohli might have earned a considerable amount of applause for his majestic batting in this IPL, but in the biggest match of the season, the one man who from the beginning had been challenging Kohli’s claim for the tournament’s most valued player ultimately crossed the finish line ahead of the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain – that man is David Warner.

With the bat, Warner has been a beast, leading from the front and conquering opponents with ease utilising the traps his bowling line-up has set, scoring 848 runs in the process.  His most memorable performance was in the Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Lions where he single-handedly won the match for his team by finishing with a score of 93 after opening the batting and seeing as many as 6 batsmen fall at the other end. Chasing a score of 162, he held his nerve and helped his team go over the line in the penultimate over.

AB de Villiersde villiers

RCB, one of the powerhouses of the Indian Premier League, has a batting line up which is may be the best in the IPL. With the likes of Gayle, Kohli, Watson and de Villiers in the RCB side, they have managed to post 200+ totals as many as three times. While Kohli has run away with the limelight with his batting brilliance, de Villiers has been a dependable lieutenant to his captain. The South African is third in the list of highest run scorers this season with 687 runs in 16 matches.

de Villiers, captain of the South African Test and ODI teams has played a number of sports as a teenager but the cricket fraternity would be pleased that the talented right-handed batsman chose to make a career out of cricket. The stylish hard-hitter has been entertaining cricket lovers since 2004 and holds the record for scoring the fastest century in ODI from just 31 balls.

IPL 9 has been another successful season for de Villiers. He was the hero of the match against Gujarat Lions as he took RCB out of the grave at 29 for 5 and chased down 158 with a little help from Iqbal Abdullah.

Gautam Gambhirgambhir

The KKR captain was superb with the bat while opening. He was in supreme form in the first few matches of the IPL, taking his side to victory on most occasions. Gambhir scored 501 runs in 15 matches and was the top-scorer for KKR, remained 5th in the Orange Cap list. His captaincy and aggression were a big factor in KKR reaching the playoffs. Gambhir stuck to his best XI in most of the games and that did pay dividends. This year his performance was at a similar level to his personality. One of the very few players who could attack and defend with the same ease, Gambhir has done some classy act. While it’s true to accept his footwork or technique was not the best sometimes, it was his hard work which made him one of the most consistently performing batsmen this season.

Rohit Sharmarohit

The Mumbai Indians skipper actually tried his level best to take his team into the playoffs. Every time he performed, Mumbai emerged triumphantly. However, his performance in the first innings wasn’t as effective as in the second innings, as all his five half-centuries came while chasing a target. If we only consider his performances in the 1st innings, the numbers are completely different. In 7 matches that he has batted first, he has managed to score only 95 runs at a shocking average of 13.57. Probably Rohit feels more comfortable while chasing and having a set target set in mind, and not so much when he has to pace the innings and set a target. He scored 489 runs at an average of 44.45 and was 6th on the highest run-getter list.

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