On Wednesday, April 3, captain MS Dhoni of CSK became the seventh player in the IPL to score 5000 runs. In their game against the Lucknow Super Giants, he celebrated the milestone in style by hitting a six off Mark Wood. Dhoni achieved the feat in 208 innings and 3691 balls, making him the second-fastest Indian player in terms of balls behind Suresh Raina. In the IPL, he has scored 5004 runs at an average of 39.09 with a strike rate of 135.53.
The IPL has seen a number of great batting players. However, these batters’ longevity is demonstrated by their ability to score more than 5000 runs. We look at the three batters who reached the milestone the quickest, based on the number of innings they batted. Top-order batters, who typically face more balls, will naturally benefit from this metric.
#1 David Warner – 135 innings
By a wide margin, Warner is at the top of the list. He is perhaps the IPL’s most consistent batter. He has scored 5937 runs at a normal of 42.11 and a strike pace of 140.42. The southpaw has the most 50+ scores in the opposition with 4 centuries and 56 half-hundreds of years to his name.
Warner scored 47* off 33 balls in a 164-run chase against KKR to reach the 5000-run mark. He batted oddly at number 4 for his former team (SRH) in that game to get the most out of Williamson’s Powerplay returns. However, they lost the Super Over game.
The Australian whiz is currently the Delhi Capitals commander without even a trace of Rishabh Gasp. He will try to make a name for himself on the team where he first played.
#2 Virat Kohli – 157 innings
Virat Kohli, a former captain of RCB and India, has also reached 5000 runs. He currently holds the record for most IPL runs scored. He has pitched 216 innings and struck out 129.50 times, scoring 6706 runs at an average of 36.64. In their first match of the 2023 season against MI, Kohli scored 50 points or more, marking his 50th 50-plus score of the tournament.
In 2019, Kohli played against the Mumbai Indians and scored 5000 runs. In a 188-run chase, he bowled 32 balls and scored 46 runs. However, it was insufficient, and Bangalore was defeated at the Chinnaswamy Stadium by a narrow six-run margin.
The star hitter will try to make the most of his excellent form, which helped RCB win their first IPL title this season.
#3 AB de Villiers – 161 innings
De Villiers is the only player on the list who did not open the batting. He is one of the greatest T20 batters ever. In the coveted tournament, it took him 161 innings to score 5000 runs. With three centuries and forty half-centuries, ABD has scored 5162 runs in 170 innings at an average of 39.70 and a strike rate of 151.68.
The former RCB player reached the milestone against the Delhi Capitals by scoring 75* in just 42 balls on an extremely challenging Ahmedabad wicket. His innings guaranteed a triumph for RCB, in spite of the fact that it went right down to the last possible second as they won by only one run.
After that IPL season, De Villiers quit all forms of cricket. He recently attended the RCB unboxing event alongside Chris Gayle, another legend. The two remain fan top picks at the Chinnaswamy Arena.