New -delhi [India]April 18 (Ani): On April 18, the Indian Premier League (IPL) celebrates its 18th birthday, a tournament that made cricket a revolution and forever changed the landscape of the sport. The origin of the league was nothing less than dramatic, as Brendon McCullum of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) raised M. Chinnaswamy Stadium with an unforgettable 158* of just 73 deliveries, which beat ten fours and thirteen sixes against royal challenges (RCB). One beat announced the arrival of a cricket carnival. As the league undergoes its 18th season, Virat Kohli stands as the highest runner in IPL history. Kohli has collected just one franchise-Royal Challengers Bangalore-astonishing 8,252 runs out of 258 games, including eight centuries and 58 fifties. It is striking that he has never missed a season for RCB, which made him the league’s most loyal and productive batter. Just behind Kohli is veteran -Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, who accumulated 6.769 runs in 222 games. Unlike Kohli, Dhawan traveled over five franchises: Mumbai -Indians (MI), Deccan Chargers (DCH), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Delhi Capitals (DC) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). India’s five-time IPL-winning captain Rohit Sharma sits third on the list with 6.710 runs out of 263 games. He played for two teams-DeCan Chargers and Mumbai Indians-and lifted the trophy with both and cemented his status as one of the most successful players of the league. Australian Southpaw David Warner, a destructive power at the top of the order, holds fourth place. With 6.565 runs in 184 games, Warner Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers represented Hyderabad, which led SRH to their first title in 2016. Fifth on the list is Suresh Raina, the now broken former Chennai Super Kings (CSK) Stalwart. Raina scored 5.528 runs in 205 games and also represented Gujarat Lions during CSK’s short suspension of the league. On the bowling front, Yuzvendra Chahal leads the cards with 211 wickets in 166 games. His IPL journey started with Mumbaiindians, but it was at RCB where he truly flourished. Later he represented Rajasthan Royals, and in 2024 Punjab Kings secured his services for a huge INR -18 crore. Piyush Chawla, a veteran-legged spinner Piyush Chawla, followed in 192 wickets in 192 games. Chawla, a two-time IPL winner, scored the winning runs in the 2012 KKR final and was also part of CSK’s victorious 2021 squad. He also appeared for Kings Xi Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Mumbai Indians. Third on the list is the KKR legend Sunil Narine. Since joining the franchise in 2012, Narine has been a game changer with both BAT and Ball. He played a key role in KKR’s title victories in 2012, when he took 24 wickets, and in 2014, when he took 21 wickets. In 2024, Narine had a dream season, with 488 runs and 17 wickets, which helped CRC to lift their third IPL title. In total, Narine has 187 wickets out of 183 games. He was also judged three times as the most valuable player of the season (2012, 2018, 2024). Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the swing specialist, also has 187 wickets achieved over 181 games. He played for RCB, Pune Warriors India, and Sunrisers Hyderabad and the purple PET won twice in the process. Ravichandran Ashwin closes the top five with 185 wickets in 218 games. Ashwin put on the jerseys of Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings Xi Punjab, Rising Pune Supergiants and Rajasthan Royals. In 2025 he returned to CSK and reunited with the franchise where it all started. (Ani) first published: 18 Apr 2025, 04:03 AM IST
Virat Kohli tops batting cards, Yuzvendra Chahal leads with the ball while IPL turns 18
