It is important for an opening batsman to have a good start for his team in any cricketing format, especially in T20s. Opening batters are trusted to make the best use of the powerplay overs, and when they get settled, they might take great chances against the opposition bowlers.
It is rare for a batsman who walks in as an opener to stay not out until the end of the innings. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), when you have quality bowlers bowling on both ends, the ‘staying unbeaten’ business becomes more challenging, as only a few batters can take the responsibility on their shoulders, thereby producing that rare feat.
This article will reveal the list of opening batters who have stayed unbeaten most times in the IPL tournament.
Most Not-Outs by Opening Batsmen in IPL
| BATSMEN | INNINGS AS OPENNER | NOT-OUTS |
|---|---|---|
| Shikhar Dhawan | 202 | 23 |
| Virat Kohli | 124 | 21 |
| Chris Gayle | 122 | 15 |
| David Warner | 163 | 15 |
| Ajinkya Rahane | 126 | 14 |
| KL Rahul | 102 | 14 |
| Gautam Gambhir | 123 | 11 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 74 | 10 |
| Shubman Gill | 95 | 9 |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | 60 | 8 |
Key Insights
Shikhar Dhawan leads this list of opening batters with the most not-outs. The southpaw opener remained unbeaten 23 times in his 202-match IPL career.
KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock have registered the first and only instance of both opening batters staying unbeaten for the full 20 overs of the team’s innings. The LSG pair scored an unbeaten 210 runs against KKR in 2022, which is the highest first-wicket stand by any pair in the IPL.
Talking about the record-opening partnerships, some bowlers have been more effective against the openers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar tops the list of bowlers with the most dismissals of No.1 & 2 batters in the IPL.
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