Which IPL Team Has the Most Dangerous Batsman?

Most Dangerous Batsman in IPL 2025

Heinrich Klaasen is currently the most dangerous batsman in the IPL. The South African middle-order batter has created a reputation for himself as the best attacker against spinners. In the Indian conditions, where spin bowling plays a huge role, Klaasen is certainly the most lethal batter.

The South African is followed by Suryakumar Yadav on the list. SKY in the last few years has been the most consistent while having a high strike rate. In T20Is, no one has scored more runs than him at a better strike rate.

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List of Dangerous Batsman in IPL History

10. Glenn Maxwell

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 134 matches and scored 2,771 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

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 107 matches and scored 3,582 runs. The opening batter in spite of playing 138 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, 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

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.

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7. Suryakumar Yadav

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 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 in increasing his range of shots. In the IPL, SKY has played 150 matches scoring 3,594 runs. In spite of playing for 12 seasons, Surya has maintained a high strike rate of 145.32.

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 is 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 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 2,484 runs in only 127 matches. His strike rate of 174.92 is the best among players with at least 1000 runs in the league.

5. MS Dhoni

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.

While many players experience a dip in form after retiring from international cricket the same is not the case with MS Dhoni. The Indian wicket keeper 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.

4. David Warner

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.

3. Virat Kohli

There aren’t many batting record lists in the IPL that do not feature Virat Kohli. The Indian run machine holds the record for scoring the most runs in the IPL. He is the only cricketer to play for a single franchise from 2008 till now. Even though an IPL trophy has escaped Kohli, he is still a dangerous batsman in the IPL. Along with the record for the most runs, the former RCB 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 252 matches, Kohli has scored 8,004 runs at a strike rate of close to 132. 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.

2. Chris Gayle

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

AB de Villiers is the most dangerous batsman in the world. 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. In spite of 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.