The Indian Premier League changed the landscape of cricket when it started up back in 2008 and since then a number of big names have starred on the high-profile Twenty20 stage.
Virat Kohli is the leading runscorer in the competition, while Lasith Malinga has taken more wickets than any other bowler, but both of those stars have just missed out on a place on our list of the top five IPL performers.
MS Dhoni – Chennai Super Kings
MS Dhoni has made 220 IPL appearances, more than any other player in the history of the tournament, and the Chennai Super Kings captain has lifted the trophy on four occasions.
Dhoni enjoyed a glorious international career with India and his destructive hitting, slick wicketkeeping skills and inspirational captaincy have lit up the IPL ever since its inception in 2008.
At the age of 40, he led Chennai to victory in the 2021 IPL, sealing the Super Kings’ place in the final by hitting three boundaries in the last over of a play-off clash with Delhi Capitals, and he will go down as one of the greatest players in the tournament’s history.
Rohit Sharma – Mumbai Indians
Rohit Sharma is the third-highest runscorer in IPL history, with 40 half-centuries and one ton in 208 innings, but it is his leadership of Mumbai Indians that makes him a true legend of the competition.
Bangalore’s Kohli, the only man to pass 6,000 IPL runs, has famously never lifted the trophy, but his India team-mate has claimed the title five times in the past nine seasons.
Sharma’s Mumbai side play a thrilling brand of Twenty20 cricket, often with the skipper leading from the front.
He was named man of the match in the 2015 final after scoring a 26-ball half-century and he also steered the Indians to victory with a cool innings of 68 in the 2020 final against Delhi.
Kieron Pollard – Mumbai Indians
One of Rohit Sharma’s key lieutenants at Mumbai Indians has been hard-hitting West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard, who has been with the franchise since 2010.
In his first season he cracked an unbeaten 33 off just 13 balls before taking three wickets in the semi-final win over Bangalore and in 2013 he inspired Mumbai to their first title, smashing 60 not out off 32 deliveries in the final against Chennai.
In 2015, another of Mumbai’s title-winning seasons, Pollard struck 28 sixes from the 256 deliveries he faced, while his accurate medium-pace bowling and stunning fielding in the deep have helped him become one of the IPL’s most iconic overseas stars.
Shane Watson – Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore & Chennai Super Kings
Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Andre Russell and David Warner have had massive impacts as overseas players in the IPL, but Australian all-rounder Shane Watson gets the nod on our list.
Watto made a flying start to his IPL career, being named player of the tournament in 2008 as his Rajasthan Royals side won the inaugural title.
He was the fourth-highest runscorer and fourth-highest wicket-taker that year and was MVP again in 2013, scoring 543 runs and claiming 13 wickets for the Royals.
Watson enjoyed more success under fellow veteran MS Dhoni at Chennai, scoring 117 not out from 57 deliveries in their 2018 final victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad – an incredible effort given that he failed to score a run from the first ten balls he faced.
Sunil Narine – Kolkata Knight Riders
Like Shane Watson and Andre Russell, West Indian 0ff-spinner Sunil Narine has twice been named player of the tournament – in 2012 and 2018 – and his career economy rate of 6.74 runs per over is the best of any bowler with at least 100 IPL wickets.
Hailed as a mystery spinner when he burst on to the scene in 2012, Narine’s ability to dry up runs and build pressure on the batting team was a key part of Kolkata Knight Riders’ success.
He has also played some explosive innings as a pinch-hitting opener, equalling the record for the IPL’s fastest half-century when he reached 50 off just 15 balls against Bangalore in 2017.
