The final of any cricket tournament is a high-ticket contest. To make it there and contribute significantly is what every player dreams of.
One good knock from a batter can really make a lot of difference. And batters know this quite well.
So they come out and score runs as if it’s one last time they would bat. The IPL has seen a few batters bat with passion in this most important match.
So here are the top five batters who have scored the most runs in the IPL final.
5. MS Dhoni | 180 Runs
No other player has featured in the IPL final more than MS Dhoni. He has appeared in 11 finals! That’s a big number, isn’t it?
While MSD didn’t bat in all finals, he accumulated 180 runs in nine innings. His best performance came in the 2013 final, although in a losing cause. The keeper-batter scored an unbeaten 63 in an unsuccessful chase of 149 runs against Mumbai Indians (MI).
4. Murali Vijay | 181 Runs
Another Chennai Super Kings (CSK) player on the list. Murali Vijay played a crucial role in CSK’s first two title triumphs.
His 95-run knock in the 2011 final helped the Yellow Army win their second trophy. In all, the right-hander aggregated 181 runs in four innings.
Also Read | Top 5: Batters with Most Runs in IPL Playoffs
3. Rohit Sharma | 183 Runs
There’s an interesting fact about Rohit Sharma and the IPL. What’s that, you ask? He is the only batter on this list with all of his runs coming in wins. Isn’t that impressive?
Sharma has featured in six IPL finals thus far. By now, you must’ve guessed the team he led in five finals. The other final appearance came for Deccan Chargers in 2009.
While Sharma scored at a dismal rate, some of his contributions were crucial. Like, in the 2009 final, his 24 off 23 gave the Chargers an edge. And his 50 off 26 and 68 off 51 helped MI win titles in 2015 and 2020.
The right-arm opener scored 183 runs in six outings at a strike rate of 129.78, including two fifties.
2. Shane Watson | 236 Runs
How can one forget Shane Watson’s brave effort in the IPL 2019 final? He played a lone warrior knock with a bleeding knee!
Although Watson’s 80-run knock couldn’t ensure a victory for CSK, it showed his eagerness to give it all despite an injury.
In the 2018 final, though, he finished the job with all class. The Aussie all-rounder hammered an unbeaten 117 to hand CSK their third title – just the second instance of a batter scoring a hundred in the IPL title clash.
Before this, Watson played two finals – one for Rajasthan Royals (2008) and the other for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2016). Across the four finals, he amassed 236 runs at a strike rate of 163.88.
1. Suresh Raina | 249 Runs
Suresh Raina is the lead run-getter in the IPL final. His 249 runs in eight innings are the most by a batter in the title clashes.
Raina often played a ‘crisis man’ role for CSK throughout his career. And it was on display in a few finals as well.
His unbeaten 57 proved valuable as CSK lifted their first title in 2010. Then Raina’s 38-ball 73 saw Chennai put up 190 in the 2012 final. His 28 in 2015 kept his team in the chase. And in 2018, the left-hander played a decent knock of 32 to take CSK home.
This is enough to show you his brilliance with the bat in the most tense game of the tournament. And no wonder he sits at the top.
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