Since the first ball was bowled in 2008, the Indian Premier League has produced some of the most remarkable batting performances in the history of T20 cricket. Franchise cricket changed the format. It gave the world a stage where the best batters from every corner of the globe competed against each other, match after match, season after season.
The run charts that have accumulated over nearly two decades tell a compelling story. Some players dominated through sheer volume. Others changed the game through strike rate and innovation. A few did both.
This is the complete guide to the top run scorers in IPL history — their records, their milestones, and what made them so exceptional. For cricket fans on Reddy Book, understanding the all-time greats adds essential context to every match prediction and every season you follow.
1. Virat Kohli — 9,145 Runs
There is no debate at the top of this list. Virat Kohli is the highest run scorer in IPL history with 9,145 runs from 279 matches, and the margin between him and second place is enormous — he leads Rohit Sharma by 1,856 runs.
Kohli has played his entire IPL career for Royal Challengers Bengaluru since the tournament's first season in 2008. He has scored 9 centuries and 66 half-centuries. His average of 40.11 is exceptional for a batter who has played at the top of the order across nearly two decades of T20 cricket.
His defining season came in 2016, when he scored 973 runs in a single IPL campaign — a record that still stands today as the most runs scored by any batter in a single IPL season. That campaign included four centuries and seven half-centuries. It remains the greatest individual batting season in the history of the tournament.
In IPL 2026, Kohli added his ninth IPL century — an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls against KKR in Raipur — further cementing his status as the greatest run scorer the tournament has ever seen. He also became the first Indian cricketer to score 14,000 T20 runs during the same season.
2. Rohit Sharma — 7,289 Runs
Rohit Sharma is second on the all-time IPL run charts with 7,289 runs from 278 matches. He has scored 2 centuries and 47 half-centuries at an average of 30.12 and a strike rate of 132.09.
Rohit's IPL story is inseparable from the Mumbai Indians. He joined the franchise early in the tournament's history and became the player around whom MI built one of the most successful teams in IPL history. Under his captaincy, MI won five IPL titles — a record that ties him with MS Dhoni as the most successful captain in the tournament's history.
His batting style brought a combination of elegance and power that made him particularly effective in the powerplay and the middle overs. His ability to absorb pressure while maintaining a healthy scoring rate made him the ideal anchor for Mumbai's top order across many seasons.
3. Shikhar Dhawan — 6,769 Runs
Shikhar Dhawan is third on the all-time list with 6,769 runs from 222 matches. He averages 35.25 with a strike rate of 127.14, and he holds the record for the most boundaries hit in IPL history.
Dhawan represented multiple franchises throughout his career, including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, and Punjab Kings. His most productive single season came in 2020 with Delhi Capitals, where he scored 618 runs, including two consecutive centuries — the only batter in IPL history to score hundreds in back-to-back innings.
He played the role of the consistent, technically sound opener across every franchise he represented. His left-handed approach and ability to manipulate the field made him one of the most reliable run-getters the format has seen.
4. David Warner — 6,565 Runs
David Warner holds the record as the highest-scoring overseas batter in IPL history with 6,565 runs from 184 matches. He averages 40.52 with a strike rate of 139.77. He won the Orange Cap three times — in 2015, 2017, and 2019 — a record that no other player has matched.
Warner became synonymous with Sunrisers Hyderabad, for whom he scored 4,014 runs from 95 matches. He captained SRH to their maiden IPL title in 2016, contributing 848 runs in that season alone. His aggressive left-handed approach at the top of the order redefined how teams approached the powerplay in the IPL era.
He hit 4 centuries and 62 half-centuries during his IPL career. His record at the top of the all-time run charts for overseas players is unlikely to be challenged for some years.
5. Suresh Raina — 5,528 Runs
Few players in IPL history have been given a nickname that so perfectly captures their relationship with a tournament. Suresh Raina is "Mr IPL" — a title earned through 5,528 runs from 205 matches with an average of 32.52 and a strike rate of 136.76.
Raina played most of his IPL career for Chennai Super Kings and was one of the first players to become a franchise icon in the truest sense. His best season came in 2013, when he scored 548 runs and played a pivotal role in CSK's strong campaign.
He scored 1 century and 39 half-centuries. His ability to perform under pressure in knockout cricket was a consistent theme across his career. His retirement from IPL cricket in 2022 ended one of the longest and most celebrated individual runs in the tournament's history.
6. MS Dhoni — 5,439 Runs
MS Dhoni has played 278 IPL matches and scored 5,439 runs. His average of 38.3 and strike rate of 137 are exceptional for a batter who has almost always come in at number five or lower in the batting order. He has been not out 100 times in IPL matches — the most not-outs in the tournament's history.
Dhoni's value to CSK goes far beyond his batting numbers. He has captained the franchise to five IPL titles and transformed Chennai into the most consistent team in the tournament's history. His finishing ability — the calm that he brought to run chases in the final overs — is the defining quality of his IPL batting career.
7. KL Rahul — 5,699 Runs
KL Rahul has scored 5,699 runs from 157 matches. He holds the record as the fastest batter in IPL history to reach 5,000 runs, achieving the milestone in just 130 innings — bettering David Warner's previous record of 135.
Rahul has won the Orange Cap twice and is one of the most versatile batters in IPL history, equally capable of providing explosive starts at the top of the order and rebuilding an innings in the middle. His keeping has added further utility to his value across franchises.
8. AB de Villiers — 5,162 Runs
AB de Villiers scored 5,162 runs from 184 matches with a strike rate of 151.68 — the highest among all players in the all-time top ten run scorers list. That strike rate is the defining statistic of his IPL career. De Villiers was not just a run scorer. He was a game-changer who could accelerate an innings from any position, at any point, against any bowling attack.
His partnership with Virat Kohli at RCB became one of the most feared batting combinations in T20 cricket history. He scored 3 centuries and 40 half-centuries, and his presence at the crease changed the strategic calculations of every opposition captain he faced. He retired from cricket in 2021, leaving behind one of the most celebrated batting legacies in IPL history.
9. Chris Gayle — 4,965 Runs
Chris Gayle changed the way the world thought about T20 batting. His 4,965 runs from 148 matches came at a strike rate of 148.96, and he hit 357 sixes in IPL cricket — the most by any player in the tournament's history. His 175 not out against Pune Warriors India in 2013 remains the highest individual score in IPL history.
Gayle was not a consistent scorer in the way Kohli or Dhawan were. He was a force of nature who, when he connected, could win a match in the first six overs. He scored 6 centuries in the IPL — second only to Virat Kohli and Jos Buttler.
What These Records Tell Us About IPL Batting
Looking at the top run scorers collectively, three themes emerge clearly.
The first is longevity. Every player at the top of the all-time list has played across a minimum of eight or nine IPL seasons. Consistency over time matters more than any single brilliant campaign.
The second is franchise loyalty. Virat Kohli has played all 279 of his IPL matches for RCB. MS Dhoni has been with CSK for the overwhelming majority of his career. Familiarity with a franchise's systems and venues produces long-term performance.
The third is the premium placed on opening batters. Nine of the top ten all-time run scorers have batted at the top of the order for significant portions of their careers. Openers face more deliveries, play more innings, and accumulate more runs over time.
Use These Records on ReddyBook
Understanding the greatest run scorers in IPL history gives you a deeper lens through which to assess every match and every season you follow on Reddy Book Login. When Virat Kohli walks out to bat, you are watching the player who has scored more IPL runs than anyone who has ever played the game. When the match is in its final moments and the chase requires composure, you now understand exactly why the players at the top of this list have the reputations they carry.
Use Reddy Book App to follow the run charts as IPL 2026 continues, track who is building towards the next milestone in the all-time list, and make predictions informed by the kind of batting context that separates a well-researched call from a guess.
