Cricket has been a great way in which headlines cricket is made known, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one event that has drawn attention of the global audience. Started in the year 2008, the IPL has featured some of the cricketing world’s best talents, especially the batsmen most of the time. This article goes through performances of the five best batsmen in the history of IPL to understand what they have provided and achieved in the IPL.
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Virat Kohli
RCB’s ex-captain Virat Kohli is arguably the most prominent batsman in IPL history, and nobody can deny that. Kohli has been very constant in his performance and has shown that he can handle pressure of making big scores. The best season of his cricketing career was the year 2016: in that year he made 973 runs, including four hundreds and thus he became the record holder of IPL. Kohli has been one of the most successful captains during the IPL due to his aggressive approach yet clinical with the bat.
Another aspect that has also improved RCB is leadership which has been provided by Virat Kohli. Despite the team not yet to lift the IPL trophy, Kohli has always been an example to his team members. His work ethic and flexibility in various tries as well achieving more has placed him name among fans and opponents.
One of the few players who have played their entire IPL career with a single team is Kohli, who joined Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2008. Because of his devotion, RCB supporters have grown to love him and refer to him as “King Kohli.” His dedication to the team has remained constant, even during seasons when RCB had trouble maintaining a winning record.
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Rohit Sharma
Mumbai Indians’ captain Rohit Sharma is another name which should instantly ring bells when IPL cricket is being discussed. Stylish stroke maker and great big hitting abilities have established this player as a good choice for his team. It has been instrumental in the success of Mumbai Indians as he has taken his side to wins five IPL titles out of which none has been bigger than Rohit.
One of the most valuable assets of the talented cricketer is the opportunity to play at different numbers of the list of batsmen. He is capable of being an anchor man for the innings or he can be the aggressive one, as per the situation required. His inclination towards a calm attitude and his capability to put on great strategies makes him one of the best captains in the IPLs till the date. Suresh Raina joined the Mumbai Indians at this stage and played a very vital role in the success of the team and had a huge say in the fortunes of the team.
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David Warner
One of the most successful batsmen in IPL has been the Australian opener having played for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Warner was known for his powerful hitting ability and his capability of scoring at a faster rate. He is a triple Orange Cap holder which is given to the player with the most number of runs in the IPL which speaks volume about the reliability and effectiveness of the player.
Team management has found Warner’s combination with Jonny Bairstow as openers for Sunrisers Hyderabad as one of the best in IPL history. His hard hitting along with remarkable placements have been a nightmare for bowlers to handle on the ground. Warner has been a great asset to Sunrisers Hyderabad and played a pivotal role in their success, which includes the 2016 IPL title.
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Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina also known by the nickname Mr. IPL has been a great asset to the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). That is why Raina turned out to be so useful for CSK, being able not only to score runs quickly but also to adapt his batting strategies depending on the situation. The right-hand batsman has been instrumental in CSK’s success and has contributed to the team by winning four IPL championships.
This temper is reflected in Raina’s aggressive batting, one of his obvious strengths being huge hitting, which makes him a favourite of supporters. He has had one of the best power play combinations in IPL history as a partner to MS Dhoni in the middle order. From the analysis, it can be concluded that Raina has played a strategic role in CSK’s ability to achieve success; he has made a huge difference in the team.
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AB de Villiers
One of the greatest players of the modern times, AB de Villiers of South Africa has been a sensation in IPL especially when he was a part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). De Villiers’ wonderful stroke making and fielding ability to hit the ball anywhere he wants has endeared him to the fans. On the side of the batting, his alliance with Virat Kohli at the opening has been one of the most fruitful in the IPL.
Although de Villiers has proved that he has a lot of talent in the game, he is humble about it and that has made him be accepted by all the fans as well as competitors. This was all possible only because of the efforts made by him which has been very much effective for Team RCB. IPL has not stopped De Villiers from been a force because he remains relevant in RCB even after retiring from international cricket.
Conclusion
The IPL has provided an opportunity for some of the most talented players in the world to perform. The five batsmen mentioned above not only provide entertainment to the fans with their excellent performance but also became the topic of world cricket news. Both of them contributed immensely to their teams and IPL will always remember their presence for many years to come. These players will always remain part of the IPL folklore history as some of the best batsmen that played for their respective teams in the IPL franchise.