After another feast of action from the Indian Premier League once again this campaign, with the Mumbai Indians seeing off the Delhi Capitals to win their fifth title, the season is over for another year with new heroes born off the back of it.
Ever since its inception, though, the Indian Premier League has seen some extraordinary performances from players regarded as being at the top of the T20 game. Numerous titles have been won, and heroes have been lauded. T20 cricket is a relatively new format of the game too, much like you get classic and alternative roulette online variations – T20 is a take on a classic game.
Still, numerous talented individuals have well and truly taken to it over the years. For some, T20 cricket is a nuisance, while for others they thrive in what is generally considered to be a more entertaining and faster version of the game we all know and love.
With impressive performances this year from the likes of Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, we thought we’d delve deeper into the history books and celebrate some of the best IPL players to come before them too. So, without further ado, here’s a show of appreciation to just some of the best players to have ever graced the Indian Premier League.
Rohit Sharma
The driving force behind the Mumbai Indians’ success, it’s hard to leave out someone like Rohit Sharma from a list like this, largely because of his affinity with the IPL but also because of he has reigned supreme in this competition more than any other player, therefore making him a clear contender for one of the greatest ever players the Indian Premier League has seen. Alongside his consummate professionalism and his ability to inspire a team, Sharma is also the third-highest run-getter in the history of Indian Premier League.
Suresh Raina
Alongside another great in Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina is the only player to have aggregated over 5000 runs thanks to his devastating run rate and his phenomenal technique with the bat. With notable successes with the Chennai Super Kings in 2010 and 2011, Raina cemented himself as a great in the division after playing a key role in their victorious campaigns.
Dwayne Bravo
West Indian right-arm medium-fast paced bowler Dwayne Bravo has impacted numerous classic games in IPL history and goes down as one of the true greats to have graced Indian cricket. With his death bowling and his familiar slow ball causing so much damage over the years, Bravo registered massive success. He’s actually the fifth-highest wicket-taker in tournament history, alongside having his infectious personality to match, with audiences loving his dance moves and smile.
Lasith Malinga
We couldn’t leave out the highest wicket-taker in Indian Premier League history, could we? Lasith Malinga is adored by Mumbai Indian fans, and it’s easy to see why. The Sri Lankan pacer only knows how to take wickets, notching up 170 wickets during a phenomenal spell in the league. His absence from the competition was noticeable this year. Malinga will never be forgotten, though.
Andre Russell
A reliable all-rounder, Andre Russell is a big presence we simply couldn’t ignore. The tall unit from the West Indies won the Player of the Tournament in 2015 and 2019, after taking a number of impressive wickets and racking up some humongous batting scores to boot. An important cog in the wheel of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Russell won the competition with the team in 2014, alongside putting on an array of impressive individual performances too.
Special mentions to Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, David Warner and MS Dhoni too.