The Indian Premier League (IPL) didn’t have any scope for the bowlers in the initial phase. It has built its brand on the firepower of batsmen.
Batters have valuable contributions and prestige in the T20 format, while there are so meager of bowlers who have emerged over the strong influence of batsmen. The IPL has been blessed with many batters who have stitched the impact of this tournament throughout the world.
King Kohli tops the list of the highest run-scorers in the history of IPL. He tops the overall scoring list along with Shikhar Dhawan, Suresh Raina, and Rohit Sharma.
When it comes to the biggest centurions of the IPL, no one can forget ‘Christopher Henry Gayle’. He hit a historic ton 175* (66), having a massive strike rate of 265, followed by Brendon McCullum’s 158* (73). The trio were the biggest strikers throughout their IPL career. But, the orange cap winners have a different level of consistency in a season compared to these flamboyant ones.
So, here is a list of the highest run-scorers in a single IPL season.
Most Runs in a Single IPL Season
| Player | Runs | Inns | Avg | SR | High Score | 100/50 | Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli (RCB) | 973 | 16 | 81.08 | 152.03 | 113 | 4/7 | 2016 |
| Shubman Gill (GT) | 890 | 17 | 59.33 | 157.80 | 129 | 3/4 | 2023 |
| Jos Buttler (RR) | 863 | 17 | 57.53 | 149.05 | 116 | 4/4 | 2022 |
| David Warner (SRH) | 848 | 17 | 60.57 | 151.42 | 93* | 0/9 | 2016 |
| Virat Kohli (RCB) | 741 | 15 | 61.75 | 154.69 | 113* | 1/5 | 2024 |
| Kane Williamson (SRH) | 735 | 17 | 52.50 | 142.44 | 84 | 0/8 | 2018 |
| Chris Gayle (RCB) | 733 | 14 | 61.08 | 160.74 | 128* | 1/7 | 2012 |
| Michael Hussey (CSK) | 733 | 17 | 52.35 | 129.50 | 95 | 0/6 | 2013 |
| Faf du Plessis (RCB) | 730 | 14 | 56.15 | 153.68 | 84 | 0/8 | 2023 |
| Chris Gayle (RCB) | 708 | 16 | 59.00 | 156.29 | 175* | 1/4 | 2013 |
You can also find the same record for wicket-takers here in this article.
Key Insights
Virat Kohli cemented his position at No. 1 in the list as he hit the highest number of runs in a single season in 2016. He smashed a record 973 runs in 16 matches of the IPL 2016 edition. He also scored four tons in that season, which is also a record. Nobody showed such dominance with the bat in the IPL before him. He helped RCB reach the final but couldn’t win the trophy as SRH played the spoiler in that game.
Virat almost repeated his feat in 2024, scoring 741 runs in 15 matches he played that year. You can find out the year-wise stats of Virat Kohli in this article.
2023 was a special year for Shubman Gill, who made run-scoring easy in international cricket against some prominent bowling attacks. He also ensured he continued the same form in the year’s IPL for his side, Gujarat Titans. Having started the tournament with a valuable 36-ball 63 against CSK in the very first match of the tournament, Gill peaked at the business end of the tournament, scoring three centuries in four games, including a Playoff special triple-digit knock against Mumbai Indians.
Jos Buttler, the English wicketkeeper-batsman, made the 2022 season his own with the number of runs (863) he bulked for Rajasthan Royals. The superlative year included four centuries, the joint-most in a season with Kohli. He hit 45 sixes in that season, which ranks among the top five batsmen with the most sixes in a season.
David Warner has been the most orange cap-winning player across all seasons of the IPL. He held the record for conquering it three times (2015, 2017, and 2019) in his career, followed by Chris Gayle, who won the cap for two consecutive seasons. Warner stands tall in the list of players who have had multiple 500+ runs IPL seasons.
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