Without a doubt, Virat Kohli is the king of IPL (Indian Premier League). Though the former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper hasn’t won the title yet, his individual records in IPL triumph one and all.
Over the years, hundreds of players and 13 franchises have participated in IPL. The glamorous cricket league has witnessed multiple kings, whether it is a captain, a team, or an impressive performance of a player. Numerous players such as Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, David Warner and others have demonstrated outstanding performances. These players have a huge fan base and are all worthy of being named as King of IPL.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain has so far scored 7263 runs in 229 IPL innings at a staggering batting average of 37.25, which includes 50 half-centuries and 7 centuries. He has played for only one RCB sicce them, having captained them for years. Cricket fans have also often backed Virat Kohli to be the IPL king. Kohli has won the Orange Cap (highest run-getter in the season) once in his career and has been the guiding light to RCB.
As far as the teams are concerned Mumbai Indians, with 5 titles to its name is undoubtedly the King of the IPL along with Chennai Super Kings, who also got to five titles last season.
Which Player is the King of IPL?
If we talk about individual performances, the answer to who is the King of IPL is certainly Virat Kohli. He is the highest run-scorer in the history of IPL. However, there are a few other players who deserve this title. Here’s a little about each of these top-performers:
Virat Kohli
The current cricket captain of India, Kohli, is the best batsman in the world. He is the highest run getter in IPL, with 7263 runs in 237 matches. Kohli is the first batsman to score more than 900 runs in a single season of the Indian League. Under his captaincy, RCB was able to reach the finals but has never won the trophy. If someone asks who is the king of IPL, Virat Kohli is the first name that pops up.
- Runs scored in IPL: 7263
- IPL title as a player: 0
- IPL title as captain: 0
- Orange Caps: 1
Rohit Sharma
As the skipper, Rohit Sharma has the highest win percentage of 59.82. He is the opening batsman for Mumbai Indians and has been one of the five batsmen to score more than 5000 runs in IPL. He also won 5 trophies as captain for MI and 1 as a Deccan Chargers player.
- Runs scored in IPL: 6211
- IPL titles as a player: 6
- IPL titles as captain: 5
- Orange Caps: 0
MS Dhoni
The captain of Chennai Super Kings, MS Dhoni, is the wicket-keeper batsman for CSK. The CSK team won five titles under the captaincy of Dhoni – in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. His record as IPL captain is outstanding, and he is often regarded as one of the best players to have ever played in the IPL.
- Runs scored in IPL: 5082
- IPL titles as a player: 5
- IPL titles as captain: 5
- Orange Caps: 0
Suresh Raina
Raina, or Mr IPL as he is popularly known, is a core player of the Dhoni-led CSK team. Raina held the record for the most runs in the IPL for the longest time before Kohli took over. Currently, Raina is the third leading run-scorer in IPL history. He is also the highest run-scorer in the playoffs and finals. Raina has won three IPL trophies with the Dhoni-led CSK team.
- Runs scored in IPL: 5528
- IPL titles as a player: 3
- IPL title as captain: 0
- Orange Caps: 0
Which Team is the King of IPL?
Quite evidently, the Mumbai Indians franchise is the King of IPL as far as the teams are concerned. Mumbai Indians has won the IPL title five times under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, which even raised demands to replace Virat Kohli with him for international cricket. Mumbai Indians won the title five times in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Initially, the team had a set pattern of winning the league in odd years, but it ditched the pattern in 2020 with a win. For teams the answer to who is the king of IPL is Mumbai Indians. However, last year, CSK also won their fifth IPL title and equaled Mumbai Indians’ record.
Mumbai Indians
Mumbai Indians might have started their campaign in the IPL a bit slowly but once they caught up there was no stopping them. Rohit Sharma led the Mumbai side to the title five times – 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. Such has been Mumbai’s dominance that each time, the side entered the final, they won.
- Wins in IPL – 5
- Years of wins – 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020
- Winning captain – Rohit Sharma
Chennai Super Kings
Before Mumbai stamped its authority on the tournament, it was Chennai who ruled the roost for the longest time. The MS Dhoni-led side won the title in 2010, 2011 and 2018 and qualified for the final on 8 occasions, a record in itself. They did not have the best of time in 2020 but bounced back to win the trophy in 2021 and 2023.
- Wins in IPL – 5
- Years of wins – 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, 2023
- Winning captain – MS Dhoni
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata is the third-most successful team in the IPL with two trophies to its name – in 2012 and 2014. While they have not been able to qualify for the final in any of the other seasons, Kolkata is one side you just cannot underestimate. They are currently led by Eoin Morgan in the IPL.
- Wins in IPL – 2
- Years of wins – 2012, 2014
- Winning captain – Gautam Gambhir
Conclusion
The IPL is all set to return for its 17th edition, and we will soon be able to see the 10 city-based franchises back in action. Who is the king of IPL, the answer to this question might change in years to come, but for now it certainly Virat Kohli.
In the next IPL season, we will have another mega auction where many players will get shuffled. Let’s see which bags one of these kings. Until then, you can enjoy other cricket formats by playing fantasy cricket league on the MPL app.
Also Read: Who have been winners of the Emerging Players Award in IPL?
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