Who is the most dangerous batsman in IPL? - Teamwise

What Makes a Batsman the Most Dangerous in IPL?

There are a number of parameters that help us judge how dangerous a batter is in the IPL. Being dangerous is often subjective; a player can top the run-scoring charts year in, year out, but being dangerous requires a skillset that is quite rare. Hitting boundaries consistently and having the ability to change the course of the match with the bat in hand in a matter of a few balls makes a batter truly dangerous. 

These players are often feared by the bowlers. Most of the dangerous batters have a few match-ups that make them stand apart from others. For instance, Heinrich Klaasen and Nicholas Pooran are two of the best batters when it comes to facing spin bowlers. However, players like MS Dhoni, who is one of the most dangerous batsmen in IPL history, have recently shown signs of struggle against spin bowlers. 

Strike rate, finishing ability & match-winning temperament

Strike rate is the most crucial parameter when judging how dangerous a batter is in the IPL. The strike rate defines the rate at which a batter scores their runs. For instance, Andre Russell has the best strike rate among batters with at least 1200 runs in the tournament. Thanks to Russell’s ability to not only hit sixes at will but also finish matches successfully, he is among the most dangerous batters in the IPL. 

How consistency and fearless intent set batsmen apart

Batting at a high strike rate comes at a cost of playing high-risk shots. These high-risk shots, while resulting in positive results, could come at a cost of a lack of consistency. However, there have been a few players who have been the match-winners with their high striking abilities on a regular basis. The consistency of finishing matches or playing quick-fire cameos set these players apart.

Role of format and game situations in defining “dangerous”

There is no denying the fact that the role of the T20 format plays a huge role in defining ‘dangerous’ when it comes to batting. For instance, in test cricket, a batter who has a high balls per dismissal ratio could be defined as dangerous. In T20 leagues, including the Indian Premier League (IPL), a batter can hit sixes at will and clear the boundary fences consistently. 

Is the Most Dangerous IPL Batsman Always the Highest Run-Getter?

No, the most dangerous IPL batsman is not always the highest run-getter. Accumulating runs often comes at a lower strike rate, which results in batters playing within themselves, showing a lack of intent. However, accumulating runs is as crucial as being dangerous when it comes to batting and contributing to the success of your team. 

For instance, Virat Kohli is the highest run-getter in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Meanwhile, he is still one of the most dangerous batsmen in the history of the tournament. His ability to control the game when batting first or see off chases makes him arguably the most successful batter. 

A possible mixture of accumulating runs and having a high strike rate is what makes a batter dangerous. However, having such a player would be pretty next to impossible. A player could have a season or two where they are among the top five run-getters as well as the highest strike rates. 

Power-hitting vs consistency

Seldom has a batter mastered the art of power-hitting along with consistency. In an ideal world, a perfect T20 batter would have a high strike rate along with consistency. However, when it comes to judging how dangerous a batter actually is, power hitting is better than consistency.

Why strike rate matters more than runs alone

Strike rate matters much more than runs when it comes to judging the ability to be dangerous. Accumulating runs consistently often comes at a cost of a low strike rate. Shikhar Dhawan, for example, ranks third when it comes to the all-time run-scoring list in the IPL. However, the left-handed opening batter has the lowest strike rate among the top 15 run-getters. 

Most Dangerous Batsman in IPL 2025

Nicholas Pooran was the most dangerous batsman in IPL 2025. The left-handed batter was the backbone of the Lucknow Supergiants' batting unit along with Aiden Markram and Mitchell Marsh. Pooran scored 524 runs in the season with a strike rate of close to 200. Shreyas Iyer, the skipper of the runners-up, Punjab Kings, ranks second in our list for the most dangerous batter. He scored 604 runs in the season at a strike rate of 175. Suryakumar Yadav completes the top three as the current Indian skipper broke all records by scoring at least 25 runs in each of the 16 matches he played for the Mumbai Indians.

Most Dangerous IPL Batsmen in Current Form (2025)

Nicholas Pooran is the most dangerous IPL batsman in his current form. The left-handed batter, having retired from international cricket, made a huge name for himself in the Indian Premier League 2025. Pooran for Lucknow Supergiants scored 524 runs at a strike rate of 196.25. 

Shreyas Iyer, leading the Punjab Kings, was one of the most dangerous batsmen in IPL 2025. Iyer scored 604 runs in the season at a strike rate of 175. Thanks to the performances of the opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya, Shreyas, on most occasions, had a great platform when coming to the crease.

Suryakumar Yadav, along with openers Abhishek Sharma, Priyansh Arya, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi, were among the most dangerous batters in IPL 2025. These players had high strike rates while racking up crucial runs whenever they batted for their teams.

Rising stars challenging the legends

The all-time lists for the most dangerous batters include some of the legends like AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle. Meanwhile, the younger generation of the upcoming batters have been challenging the legends of the past. Batters like Priyansh Arya, Abhishek Sharma, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi play with a sense of fearlessness that was seldom present with players of the past generation.

Players with the best strike rate this season

Among batters who faced a minimum of 20 balls in 2025, Romario Shepherd had the best strike rate. The batter from the West Indies scored 70 runs in only 24 balls at a strike rate of 291.66. However, it was Vaibhav Suryavanshi with the highest strike rate among batters with at least 100 runs in the tournament. The teenage prodigy scored 252 runs, which included a record-breaking century at a strike rate of 206.55. 

List of World Most Dangerous Batsman in IPL History

10. Glenn Maxwell – Unorthodox but lethal in form

Glenn Maxwell, in spite of an up-and-down time during the IPL, is considered to be a great batter. The Australian batting all-rounder is known for his high striking abilities. Maxwell has played plenty of innings to showcase his ability to win matches by himself. No one can forget his record-breaking double century during the ODI World Cup 2023 to snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat against Afghanistan. 

In the IPL, Maxwell has played 141 matches and scored 2,819 runs. However, it is his strike rate that makes him better than the other players. In 2014, Maxwell, with Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), had a splendid season. In 16 matches during IPL 2014, the Australian all-rounder scored 552 runs at a strike rate of 187.75. His performances were enough to get Punjab to the finals, where they lost to KKR.

9. Jos Buttler – Explosive wicketkeeper-batsman

Jos Buttler has joined Gayle, Warner, and Kohli on the list of dangerous opening batters. The limited-overs captain for England is a dangerous batter in the IPL. Buttler has played 121 matches and scored 4,120 runs. The opening batter, despite playing 140 innings less than Kohli in the IPL, is only one hundred behind for the record. 

It is the IPL where Buttler revolutionized his batting. With England, he was a middle-order batter before becoming an opening batter. In IPL 2017, the Mumbai Indians promoted the English batter to the top of the order. The move would not only change Buttler’s career but also improve England’s T20I team.

8. Kieron Pollard – Lower-order game-changer

Seldom was there any bowler who wouldn’t be afraid to bowl to Kieron Pollard when he was in his zone. The West Indian batting all-rounder was part of the Mumbai Indians during their five title wins. The right-handed batter played 189 matches in the IPL scoring 3,412 runs. He had a strike rate of 147.32. 

 Pollard could win matches from unwinnable situations. In winning matches, Pollard scored 2,046 runs at a strike rate of 161.73 with an average of 39.34. During the five title-winning seasons, Pollard while batting played a huge role. In those five seasons, Pollard scored 1,771 runs striking at a rate of 156.5.

7. Suryakumar Yadav – The fearless modern-day stroke player

Suryakumar Yadav has quickly climbed up a few spots on the list for the most skillful batsman in the IPL. The Indian middle-order batter, since coming back to the Mumbai Indians in 2018, has been on the rise in T20 batting. If there is any batter who comes close to accessing the field similarly to AB de Villiers, it is Suryakumar Yadav.

The Indian batter can play multiple shots to a single delivery depending on the field positions. His ability to do so has helped him increase his range of shots. In the IPL, SKY has played 166 matches, scoring 4,311 runs. In spite of playing for 14 seasons, Surya has maintained a high strike rate of 148.65.

6. David Warner – Aggressive opening, match-winning knocks

David Warner is one of the best batters in the IPL. The Australian left-handed batter 6,565 has the most runs for an overseas player in the league. Warner despite holding multiple records in the league, was one of the unsold players in IPL 2025. The left-handed batter from 2014 to 2020 went on a six-season streak of scoring at least 500 runs. In IPL 2016, when Virat Kohli made all the headlines for scoring the most runs in a season, Warner quietly recorded one of the best seasons as a batter. The SRH skipper scored 848 runs at a strike rate of 151.42 and more importantly, won the title as well.

While remaining unsold in the 2025 Mega Auction could be an end to an illustrious career Warner will always be remembered as a dangerous batter in the IPL. In 184 matches, Warner scored 6,565 runs with a strike rate of 139.77. As a skipper, he is one of only three overseas captains to win an IPL trophy.

5. Virat Kohli – Dominating across formats with consistency

We put Virat Kohli at the number 5 position among the most dangerous batsman in IPL. The Indian run machine holds the record for scoring the most runs in the IPL. He is the only cricketer to have played for a single franchise from 2008 to the present. Even though an IPL trophy had eluded Kohli for 17 years, he finally got his hands on one in 2025 as RCB defeated PBKS in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Along with the record for the most runs, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper also has the most centuries in the league. In 2016, Kohli broke the record for scoring the most runs in a single season when he made 973 runs at an impressive strike rate of 152.03. 

In 267 matches, Kohli has scored 8,661 runs at a strike rate of close to 132.85. The RCB batter’s striking abilities have been questioned a lot of times, but in the IPL 2024, the right-handed batter showcased another gear of his batting. In the last season, Kohli won the Orange Cap, scoring 741 runs while striking at 154.69. However, his runs once again could not get RCB the trophy they had been chasing for 17 seasons.

6. Andre Russell

Andre Russell is considered to be a dangerous batsman in the IPL, especially while chasing a target. Russell in the death overs is as much feared as someone like MS Dhoni. The Jamaican batter is not only a great batter in the league but also one of the most dangerous bowlers in the IPL. While chasing a target of 206 in 2019 against RCB, KKR needed 66 to win in 24 balls. The right-handed batter then played one of the best knocks in the history of the tournament. Russell scored 48 runs in only 13 balls to win the match for his team by five wickets and five balls remaining.

The heavy-built all-rounder is one of the only two cricketers to win the Player of the Series award at least twice. Russell achieved the feat in 2015 and 2019. In the IPL, Russell has scored 2,651 runs in only 140 matches. His strike rate of 174.17 is the best among players with at least 1200 runs in the league.

3. MS Dhoni – The ultimate finisher under pressure

MS Dhoni in 2020 retired from International cricket as arguably the best finisher in the history of the sport. The wicketkeeper batter though still plays for the Chennai Super Kings where he has made a name for himself for being a powerful batsman in the IPL. Like Russell, Dhoni has won multiple matches while chasing huge totals. Dhoni too has played multiple match-winning knocks. Interestingly, one of the best knocks from Dhoni’s bat also came against RCB when he scored 70 runs in 34 balls to chase down 206 runs.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of the world most dangerous batsman in IPL history.  The Indian wicketkeeper in the last two years has scored 265 runs. However, he has made up for the lack of runs with his high striking prowess. He is striking at better than 200 in the last two seasons. In the IPL, Dhoni has played 264 matches and scored 5,243 runs with a career strike rate of 137.53.

2. Chris Gayle – The Universe Boss’ record-breaking hitting

Nobody has terrorized bowling attacks while opening the batting like Chris Gayle has done. He is fondly remembered as the ‘Universe Boss’ and it is a title that perfectly sums up the left-handed batter. Apart from the IPL, the West Indian batter has played all around the world and holds the record for scoring the most runs in T20s. In the IPL, Gayle played 142 matches and smashed 4,965 runs at a strike rate of 148.96. 

Among his best innings was his unbeaten knock against Pune Warriors India where he smashed the record for the highest individual score in the IPL. Gayle’s 175* in 2013 is still the highest runs made in a single innings in T20 cricket. Once set, the West Indian batter could hit the cricket ball as far as he wanted to. His hand-eye coordination and strength made up for the lack of footwork and technique. Calling Gayle a dangerous batsman in the IPL would be an understatement. Such was his batting prowess that many bowlers feared to bowl at him.

1. AB de Villiers – Mr. 360 and his unmatched impact

AB de Villiers is the Most Dangerous Batsman in IPL. The South African batter along with Gayle and Kohli once formed the greatest batting lineup ever seen in the format. De Villiers was known as ‘Mr. 360 degrees’ and could hit the ball anywhere in the field with the same amount of power. One of his most famous shots included going on one knee to thwart an 8th-9th stump delivery over the fine leg boundary. This shot became a trademark and was often used by the South African batter in the death overs.

De Villiers has three centuries to his name in the IPL and is only to do so while not batting in the top order. The former RCB batter scored 5,162 runs in 184 matches while playing in the IPL. Despite being one of the most talented batsmen in the IPL and partnering with some of the best cricketers like Kohli, Gayle, and Maxwell, de Villiers could not win the IPL trophy.