The Indian Premier League has not just become the biggest cricketing spectacle, it has drawn millions of fans all around the world since its first season in 2008. The league has produced and displayed some of the most remarkable individual performances ever seen within the history of the game, while showcasing incredible talent. There are some key run scorers who have etched their names in record books. Here are the top five run scorers in IPL history who have redefined the game.

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has ruled the game, he has accumulated a staggering 8004 runs in 252 matches. He he only player in the history of IPL who had played every season for the same franchise, which includes Royal Challengers Bengaluru or RCB. He was roped in by RCB soon after India won the 2008 Under-19 World Cup under his leadership, and since then, has been a regular player with the team. Kohli is the sole player to have crossed the run of 8,000 in IPL history. He is also the man with the most centuries he has scored in the league and holds the record at eight. He also put on the record for a season by scoring 973 runs in 2016. Kohli has the Orange Cap twice, won in 2016 and 2024.

Kohli has led RCB as their full-time skipper from the 2013 season up to 2021 season and steered the team into IPL finals for the first time when RCB lost the game to Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Shikhar Dhawan

In the IPL history Shikhar Dhawan has scored 6769 runs and he is also the first player to have scored back to back centuries. He also holds the record of hitting most fours the league. He stands as the 2nd top scorer after the great Virat Kohli. Dhawan was part of the SRH team that won the IPL title in 2016. He has represented four different franchises through his entire career: SRH, Delhi Daredevils and Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers, Mumbai Indians, and Punjab Kings.
Aside from his batting exploits, Dhawan has also led PBKS as well as SRH making him the only Indian that lead more than two teams for the IPL.

Rohit Sharma

Also known as the ‘Hitman’, Rohit has been accorded as the most successful IPL captain, he has scored 6628 runs and has led Mumbai Indians towards IPL Victory five times. In total he has been part of the winning side six times, one with Deccan Chargers and five times with Mumbai Indians. Rohit Sharma joined Mumbai Indians (MI) in 2011 and became the captain in 2013. His first year as captain resulted in Mumbai Indians winning its first-ever IPL title and led for 11 consecutive seasons up to the 2023 season, where he transferred the baton to Hardik Pandya for the 2024 season.

Rohit is also only part of four batters in the Indian Premiere League who have aggregated 6,000-plus runs. His only hundred of the season was scored at 109 not out as he batted Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012. Rohit has had the best season at 2013 when he scored 538 runs for MI and thus helped to win the title.

David Warner

The Aussie legend David Warner has 6565 runs in the history of IPL. David Warner is the one with the most successful outcome from a foreign player hitting a bat for IPL; he made his debut with Delhi Daredevils, now known as Delhi Capitals, in 2009 and stayed until 2013.

He was sold to Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2014. In 2015, he was appointed as their captain and led the side to win the title of 2016. Warner has ended with 500-plus runs in as many as seven IPL seasons; no player has been able to break this feat. Warner is an Orange Cap winner thrice, a feat he achieved the feat in the seasons 2015, 2017, and 2019, creating a record of his, besides being at the very top of most fifties scored in the league.

Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina is a top player in T20 cricket, in IPL history he has scored 5528 runs, he has great capacity to handle the pressure of any match well and is an excellent match finisher since he is now batting at No. 1. Not only as a batsman, Raina is a part-time off-spinner and has produced the breakthroughs of the opponents at the time when the side requires most. Moreover, Raina is the energetic and lively personality on the field, which includes marvelous reflexes, including accurate fielding skills.