IPL 2017: Top 10 Players In IPL History

Mar 25, 2017 at 2:54 PM

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IPL 2017: Top 10 Players In IPL History

The Indian Premier League (IPL) enter its 10th season this year. It was nothing short of an innovative step when the BCCI spearheaded the formation of a football style league with the rise in popularity of the T20 format. The shortest format of the game was the new rage in the country after India claimed the inaugural World T20 trophy and soon, eight franchises were formed. The league began as a grand affair.

It brought players from almost all Test playing nations together in one team. All of a sudden the likes of Mathew Hayden, Shahid Afridi, Brendon McCullum and other superstars featured in the same XI which had unknown Indian players. This formula was supposed to be cricket entertainment and it lived up to its early promise.

It was where ‘talent meets opportunity’ and that is what has been happening all throughout these years. From spin ace Ravichandran Ashwin to Jasprit Bumrah, all owe their careers to the IPL in a great way. Above all, a few handful of players have left a bigger impact with their consistency and are no less than legends of the league. At the turn of a decade of IPL, let’s have a look at the 10 players who are no less than legends of this T20 league that has united the cricket lovers in the nation in a completely unique manner.

MS Dhoni:

Whenever we talk about unifying cricket fans, the name of MS Dhoni definitely comes to the mind. India’s most successful skipper also goes down the IPL history as its most successful captain. It is an unarguable fact, especially when we take into account his long stint with the now suspended Chennai Super Kings. The Chennai franchise almost had an Australian flavour with the kind of dominance it had over other teams. Dhoni led the side to successive title wins in 2010 and 2011. He also has two Champions League title in his kitty which came in 2010 and 2014. Apart from the glorious wins, he also led the franchise to the finals in 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2015. With such a stellar record to his credit, it is tough to rate Dhoni as anything less than legendary!

Virat Kohli:

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has scored 26 half centuries in past nine seasons of IPL.

Dhoni’s immediate successor as the captain in the Indian team – Virat Kohli – currently rules the IPL roster. Many would argue, but Virat Kohli, India’s captain in all format, certainly fits as one of the most influential players to have ever played in the IPL. He entered the IPL as a teenager touted as the next big thing of Indian cricket and was roped in by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Kohli flourished in no time and with the help of the ‘Bradmanesque’ run in the 216 season, where he score over 1000 runs in a season, ended up becoming the top run-getter in the history of the league. At present, his numbers read 4110 runs in 139 matches with 4 centuries and 26 fifties. Better than anyone who has played in the IPL.

Sachin Tendulkar:

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians player Sachin Tendulkar along with son Arjun during the practice session ahead of their IPL 6 match at Wankhede in Mumbai on Monday. PTI Photo by Santosh Hirlekar

Sachin Tendulkar faced a new challenge in the form of T20 cricket. The shortest format asked the batsmen to forget about the emphasis on traditional technique and rely more on carefree hitting. Tendulkar, who was not a part of the World Cup-winning team in 2007, showed no weakness and ended up as one of the most successful batsmen in the IPL.

Most eyes were on Tendulkar when the ‘Master Blaster’ was roped in by his home franchise Mumbai Indians. In his IPL career spanning five seasons which stretched till 2013, Tendulkar amassed 2334 runs in 78 matches at an average of 34.83 including a century.

Suresh Raina:

Suresh Raina (Photo Source: Google)
Suresh Raina (Photo Source: Google)

Suresh Raina might not have been a Test regular and may have lost his place in the limited over internationals for India. But, when it comes to the IPL, he is rated as one of the best. He can easily be called an IPL legend. With 4098 runs in 147 matches, the southpaw until last season held the record for the most number of runs in the league before Kohli surpassed him in 2016.

That being said, it is no surprise that he was also his franchise, Chennai Super Kings most successful batsmen by a long distance. His consistent contributions with the bat was one of the chief reasons behind CSK’s tremendous success over the years.

Gautam Gambhir:

Gautam Gambhir

At the time of the inception of IPL, Gautam Gambhir’s career was at its peak and he was one of the most recognised names of Indian cricket. It didn’t take him much time to build a reputation in the league as well. He started off his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils and later was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders, a move that changed his IPL fortunes.

While his international career slowly began to dwindle, he managed to stay alive in the minds of his fans through IPL. He led KKR to two title wins in 2012 & 2014. As a batsman, he has so far scored 3634 runs in 132 matches overall a currently sits at the fourth position in the highest run-getters list.

Chris Gayle:

Chris Gayle (Photo Source: Google)
Chris Gayle (Photo Source: Google)

The Jamaican Giant’s fan base grew ten folds with his antics in the IPL. His majestic sixes and blazing knocks can never be overlooked when talking about T20 cricket and the league. He is the first player to have scored a century in international Twenty20 cricket; the only man to score seven or more tons in the Twenty20 format, and is the leading six-hitter in T20s. Gayle began his IPL journey with Kolkata Knight Riders and later moved to the Royal Challengers Bangalore where he achieved great success and amplified his stature as T20 cricket’s most devastating batsman.

AB de Villiers:

Ab De Villiers of Royal Challengers Bangalore in action during match 44 of the Vivo IPL ( Indian Premier League ) 2016 between the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Gujarat Lions held at The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore, India, on the 14th May 2016Photo by Prashant Bhoot / IPL/ SPORTZPICS

South Africa’s batting maverick AB de Villiers, one of the most loved cricketers in India, is associated with the league since the very beginning. He first represented Delhi Daredevils but was later bought by the Royal Challengers Bangalore for USD 1.1 million at the Player Auction 2011. De Villiers has been always a threat to the opposition. His aggressive instinct coupled with the athleticism made him a highly valuable individual for RCB. His popularity rocketed skywards when he unleashed a range of unorthodox and never seen before shots against Dale Steyn in the 2012 season. He has been a completely different menace for the bowler from that day.

Lasith Malinga:

Lasith Malinga (Photo Source: Google)
Lasith Malinga (Photo Source: Google)

If there is any bowler who can guarantee success in the batsmen dominated format as a bowler, then it has to be Lasith Malinga without any doubt. The Sri Lankan fast bowler made the best players of fast bowling doubt their capabilities with the use of his slingy action, nippy pace and toe-crushing yorker. He was forced to miss the inaugural edition with a knee injury but made an entry with the Mumbai Indians in 2009. Since then, he has been quite devastating. He is currently the highest wicket taker in the league snaring 143 wickets in just 98 matches. His economy rate of 6.67 runs is the second best among all the current bowlers only behind Ravichandran Ashwin who has an economy of 6.54.

Mike Hussey:

Mike Hussey has one of those players who had the ability to achieve a lot in a short span of time. He made his international debut at the age of 30 and soon became of Australia’s most reliable man in the middle order. Mr.Cricket as he is famously called, Hussey also gained the same reputation in the IPL and was one of the top contributors for Chennai Super Kings. Hussey displayed his worth in the inaugural season itself when he became also became the second player to hit a century in the IPL. His 116* against Kings XI Punjab. He played a huge role in CSK’s title win in the 2010 IPL and CLT20. He briefly moved to Mumbai Indians before getting rebought by his old franchise in 2015. His number were fantastic as an overseas batsman with 1977 runs 59 matches at an average of 38.76 across seven seasons in which he batted (2008-2014).

Shane Warne:

Shane Warne (Photo Source: Google)
Shane Warne (Photo Source: Google)

 

The IPL did one great thing for all the cricket fans – it brought back the retired ‘Sheikh of Tweak’ back to play the game. Warnie was retired from both the Test and ODI format and never played in an international T20I for Australia. But a short break from active cricket and lack of T20 experience did not cause him any problem. After all the famed legend, known for his nippy leg breaks and flippers, was no ordinary cricketer. The Rajasthan Royals would not have got a better leader than Warne. He was associated with the team till the 2011 season and ended with 57 wickets in 55 matches. The stats might not look overwhelming but it was his impact as the skipper that made a major difference. The Royals consisted of young and inexperienced players and started off the least favourites to win in the first edition. However, Warne spun magic with the ball as well as the skipper inspiring his team to win the inaugural season.

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