IPL is the most entertaining cricket league where viewers see unmatched cricket action. In IPL, there have been plenty of great players who have played for different teams. These great players have also scored big runs for their teams, but very few players have been able to contribute to their teams for an extended period. So, let’s look at the ten Greatest Players for each IPL team.
1. MS Dhoni (CSK)
Undoubtedly, MS Dhoni is one of the best wicket-keepers and finishers that the world has ever seen. Even though there are a lot of great players who have played for CSK, no one has been able to contribute more than MS Dhoni. It was the inaugural IPL season when CSK purchased him for a whopping price of 9.5 crores. After that, MS Dhoni has always been with CSK. In fact, as a captain, MS Dhoni has won 5 IPL trophies and has groomed many young talented players. That’s why he is the most valuable and outstanding player of the CSK franchise.
2. Rohit Sharma (MI)
Even though many great players have played for Mumbai Indians, no one has contributed as Rohit Sharma has to Mumbai Indians. In IPL 2013, Ricky Ponting stepped down from his captaincy and handed over it to Rohit Sharma. After that, Rohit Sharma won the 2013 IPL, the first IPL trophy for Mumbai Indians. Not only that but as a skipper, he has won 4 more IPL trophies for Mumbai Indians. Along with MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma has won the most IPL trophies as an IPL captain and has groomed talented youngsters performing well for Mumbai Indians.
3. Virat Kohli (RCB)
Unlike MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli has never won an IPL trophy for RCB. Despite not winning the IPL, there is no doubt that Virat Kohli has been the greatest asset for RCB. In IPL 2008, RCB purchased Virat Kohli for 12,00,000 Lakhs. From 2008 to now, he has never changed his franchise and has always played for RCB, showing his loyalty to RCB’s team. In every IPL season, Virat Kohli has given his everything to RCB, but they have never been able to win an IPL title. The closest RCB came to the IPL title was in 2016 when Virat Kohli was playing at his peak.
4. David Warner (SRH)
Sunrisers Hyderabad was earlier known as Deccan Chargers, but later, they changed their name to SRH in 2013. In the mega auction of IPL 2014, Sunrisers Hyderabad purchased David Warner for 8.8 crore. After that, David Warner played 8 IPL seasons for SRH. David Warner led SRH to their first IPL title in 2016 when SRH beat RCB in the finals. In that IPL season, David Warner scored the most runs for SRH. Throughout his IPL career, David Warner was always the most crucial player for SRH, so SRH retained him for eight years.
5. Sunil Narine (KKR)
Very few players have played for only one franchise in their entire career, and Sunil Narine is one of them. In IPL 2012, Sunil Narine played his first IPL, where KKR purchased him for 3.5 crore. In that season, Sunil Narine became the biggest match-winner of KKR as he also got the Most Valuable Player award of IPL 2012. Sunil Narine was one of the most prominent players who helped KKR to win two IPL titles. From 2012 to now, he has still played for the KKR franchise, and KKR has retained him yearly.
6. Shane Watson (RR)
Rajasthan Royals was the first team to win the IPL trophy under Shane Warne’s captaincy. In their only IPL title, Shane Watson played a significant role and performed throughout that IPL, for which he got the Most Valuable Player award. He has scored match-winning runs for Rajasthan Royals in many substantial and crucial matches. Rajasthan Royals won many vital matches through his all-round performance, which helped them become a successful IPL franchise. For RR, Shane Watson played 44 IPL matches in which he scored 1,260 runs.
7. Virender Sehwag (DC)
Before 2019, Delhi Capitals was known as Delhi Daredevils. It was the inaugural IPL season when Delhi Daredevils purchased Virender Sehwag as an Icon player for 3.33 crore. After that, he led Delhi to the IPL playoffs. Even as a batsman, Virender Sehwag has always been an aggressive opener for Delhi’s team. From 2008 to 2013, he played 6 IPL seasons for Delhi Daredevils. For Delhi, Virender Sehwag played 74 matches where he scored 2,174 runs, and after that, he played for Punjab. But till now, Delhi Daredevils has not found a player like Sehwag.
8. David Miller (PBKS)
Even though many great players have played for Punjab, no one has played for as long as David Miller. In IPL 2013, Punjab purchased him for an amount of 6 crore. In that season, David Miller played all matches, and in the game against RCB, he scored the third-fastest century in IPL. After that, David Miller also performed in the 2014 season, where Punjab reached the finals. In IPL 2014, he scored 446 runs in 16 matches. After IPL 2019, David Miller moved to Rajasthan Royals and plays for Gujarat Titans.
9. Hardik Pandya (GT)
It was IPL 2022 when the two new IPL teams were introduced. In IPL 2022, Gujarat Titans purchased Hardik Pandya for a lucrative price of 15 crore and made him captain. In the first IPL season as a captain, Hardik Pandya also scored match-winning runs and bowled. Apart from his performance, he became a good captain, which helped the Gujarat Titans win their first IPL title in their first season. Even though Gujarat Titans have traded Hardik Pandya now, he has contributed the most to Gujarat Titans as a player and captain.
10. KL Rahul (LSG)
Along with Gujarat Titans, Lucknow Supergiant was introduced as a new IPL team. Before the IPL 2022 auction, LSG purchased KL Rahul for a whooping price of 17 crore. That season, he was in good form and scored 614 runs in 15 matches. Even as a skipper, KL Rahul led LSG to IPL playoffs in their first season of IPL. He is undoubtedly a blessing for the Lucknow franchise as a player and captain. Even though KL Rahul could not perform well in IPL 2023, he will surely come back stronger.
