The Indian Premier League began in 2008. In the 15 seasons since then, the IPL has established itself as the world’s most popular T20 league. Several players have impressed with their brilliant performances over the years. In this article, we discuss who is the baap of IPL. If you a cricket punter who frequents IPL betting sites, you will find lots of information here to help you with your wagers.
Who is baap of IPL?
In this section, I answer the question who is the baap of IPL by naming the best batsman. For this purpose, I have considered the records of active players who have played over 100 matches. So, who is IPL baap? From the data compiled in the tables below, Virat Kohli deserves the title of the King of IPL (or even the real godfather of IPL) for his prolific run scoring ability over the course of 15 seasons:
| Player | Matches since 2016 | Runs | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| KL Rahul | 84 | 3561 | 53.95 |
| Virat Kohli | 100 | 3487 | 40.08 |
| Shikhar Dhawan | 110 | 3663 | 38.55 |
| David Warner | 79 | 3356 | 50.84 |
| Rohit Sharma | 99 | 2494 | 27.71 |
| MS Dhoni | 105 | 1991 | 32.63 |
| Player | Total IPL matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Hundreds | Fifties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kohli | 223 | 6624 | 36.20 | 129.15 | 5 | 44 |
| Dhawan | 206 | 6244 | 35.08 | 126.15 | 2 | 47 |
| Rahul | 109 | 3889 | 48.01 | 136.22 | 4 | 31 |
| Warner | 162 | 5881 | 42.01 | 140.69 | 4 | 55 |
| Sharma | 227 | 5879 | 30.30 | 129.89 | 1 | 40 |
| Dhoni | 234 | 4978 | 39.20 | 135.20 | 0 | 24 |
In the following table, I have considered the top three players of each IPL since 2008:
| Season | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Shaun Marsh | Gautam Gambhir | Sanath Jayasuriya |
| 2009 | Matthew Hayden | Adam Gilchrist | AB de Villiers |
| 2010 | Sachin Tendulkar | Jacques Kallis | Suresh Raina |
| 2011 | Chris Gayle | Virat Kohli | Sachin Tendulkar |
| 2012 | Chris Gayle | Gautam Gambhir | Shikhar Dhawan |
| 2013 | Michael Hussey | Chris Gayle | Virat Kohli |
| 2014 | Robin Uthappa | Dwayne Smith | Glenn Maxwell |
| 2015 | David Warner | Lendl Simmons | Ajinkya Rahane |
| 2016 | Virat Kohli | David Warner | AB de Villiers |
| 2017 | David Warner | Gautam Gambhir | Shikhar Dhawan |
| 2018 | Kane Williamson | Rishabh Pant | KL Rahul |
| 2019 | David Warner | KL Rahul | Quinton de Kock |
| 2020 | KL Rahul | Shikhar Dhawan | David Warner |
| 2021 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | Faf du Plessis | KL Rahul |
| 2022 | Jos Buttler | KL Rahul | Quinton de Kock |
Who is the baap of cricket in the IPL?
In this section, we decide who is the baap of cricket in the IPL for each of many categories.
Baap of Consistency: KL Rahul
KL Rahul has emerged as the most consistent IPL batter. In all, he has made 3889 runs in 109 games at an average of 48.01. With a high strike rate of 136.22, the batsman has registered 4 centuries and 31 fifties. In 84 matches since 2016, he has made 3561 runs at an average of 53.95. During this period, his average never fell below 44.11 (registered in 2016). Between 2018 and 2022, Rahul has averaged over 51 in every season, with a highest of 62.60 in 2021. In IPL 2022, the champion batter made 616 runs, including 2 hundreds and 4 fifties.
Baap of Bowling: Jasprit Bumrah
Bumrah has established himself as the baap among IPL bowlers with his consistent wicket taking ability combined with a great economy rate. In all, the MI pacer has taken 145 wickets in 120 IPL matches at an average of 23.30 and an economy rate of 7.39. His economy rate is even more impressive when we consider that he bowls in the powerplay and the death. As the following table shows, he was Mumbai Indians’ best bowler in their last three title wins:
| Year | Match | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Average | Economy Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 15 | 404 | 27 | 14.96 | 6.73 |
| 2019 | 16 | 409 | 19 | 21.52 | 6.63 |
| 2017 | 16 | 439 | 20 | 21.75 | 7.39 |
Baap of IPL Captains: Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma is inarguably the most successful captain in IPL history. Thanks to Sharma, Mumbai Indians have won the most IPL trophies (5). Rohit has also won 79 of 143 games as captain, with a high match-win percentage of 55.24. Importantly, he has led from the front with several match winning innings. In all, Rohit has scored 5879 runs at an average of 30.30 with a strike rate of 129.89. The MI skipper has registered one century and 40 half-centuries during his IPL tenure.
Baap of IPL Batting: Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli has played in all the seasons of the IPL. With 6624 runs at an average of 36.20 from 224 matches, the batsman has scored more than any other player. Importantly, he has made the most centuries (5) to add to the 44 fifties under his belt. Kohli’s best season came in 2016 when he scored a record 973 runs from 16 games at an average of 81.08. Most impressively, he registered a strike rate of 152.03 that season, while making 4 tons and 7 fifties. His return to his best form during the World Cup augurs well for the IPL 2024 season.
Baap of IPL: MS Dhoni
Who is the king of IPL? Who is the baap of cricket in IPL? Who is the baap of IPL CSK? Who is the baap of indian cricket? Who is the baap of captain in cricket? Who is the god of IPL? All these questions have one answer: MS Dhoni. As a captain, he is second only to Rohit Sharma, with four IPL trophies to show for his effort. In 234 IPL matches, he has made 4978 runs at an average of 39.20, with a great strike rate of 135.20. He has scored 24 fifties, which is all the more impressive as he usually bats down the order, often in a finisher role. So, it’s clear why MS Dhoni is known as baap of IPL.
Who is the Baap of IPL teams
In this section, I will explain why Mumbai Indians are called baap of IPL. No IPL prediction can be made without considering the presence of MI in the competition. MI have won 125 of 217 games played, with 88 matches lost and 4 ended without result. That translates into a winning percentage of 57.60. The nearest competitors are Chennai Super Kings (CSK) who have won 117 matches. MI have also won five IPL trophies, one more than CSK who have won four. After a trophy-less run from 2008 to 2012, MI won their maiden IPL competition in 2013. They repeated the feat in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
Who is the baap of IPL: My Conclusion
In conclusion, the question of who is the baap of IPL has multiple answers, depending on whether we are talking about a player or a team.
Among the players, the baap of IPL is undoubtedly MS Dhoni. The former India skipper has marshalled his resources brilliantly to lead Chennai Super Kings from the very beginning. In the bargain he has also underscored his class as a player.
Among the teams, the baap of IPL is inarguably the Mumbai Indians squad. are the most IPL trophies, MI have consistently proved to be the team to beat.
FAQ
The title of God and King of IPL belongs to MS Dhoni, the captain of Chennai Super Kings. Both as captain and player, Dhoni has proved that he is the best of the best.
Yes, Dhoni is set to play in IPL 2024, leading Chennai Super Kings in yet another title campaign.
The answer to this question remains unchanged. It is MS Dhoni.