Highest Strike Rates in IPL: IPL has always been considered as one of the most exciting events in the cricketing history and it’s that time of the year when every cricket fan gets involved in the joy and colors of this beautiful game. Moreover, the next season of Indian Premier League is about to arrive in April 2019 and we are sure to be going to witness some of the most memorable cricketing moments and performances down the line.
Additionally, ever since the tournament got established, it has been home to some of the most breathtaking records made by some of the biggest players around the world. Some of these records did involve lots of sixes and fours that have entertained every cricket fan during the process. Even though we don’t get to see big hundreds and half centuries that much, the game is more about the Strike rate in the current context. While we said that, let’s have a look at the Top 5 players with the highest strike rates in the IPL history.
List of Top 5 Highest Strike Rates in IPL History
#1 Andre Russell (KKR)
Strike rate in IPL: 186.41
There are no brownie points for guessing who tops the list of highest strike rate in IPL and its none other than the “Beast” from the West Indies, Andre Russell. Ever since that guy has stepped into the cricket field, he has entertained every cricket fan with those humongous hits down the ground over the years.
Although Russell started his IPL career while playing for Delhi Daredevils in 2012, he came into the spotlight by playing some of the explosive innings for his new team KKR and that was the only reason why he got retained by his franchisee ever since then. While he has maintained a strike rate of 186.41 during his IPL career, he has hit more than 40 sixes in the process. This exciting batsman is often been promoted up the order by his captain and every time he has lived up to the hype quite well.
#2 Glenn Maxwell (DD)
Strike rate in IPL: 164.39
Aussies player Glenn Maxwell is highly rated in the world of T20 cricket as a player who can hit sixes “ At will”. Even though his record wasn’t quite overwhelming in the recently concluded IPL with his new team Delhi Daredevils, he still holds a mighty strike rate of 164.39 over his IPL career in the last 6 years.
It’s quite interesting to know that Maxwell started his career with the Delhi team only but he just managed to play 2 matches while making 6 runs out of the same. Eventually, he has been picked up by the Mumbai Indians team in the Next year’s IPL but again he only got to play 3 matches during the whole tournament.
2014 came as a landmark year for the Aussie as he gets on to score 552 runs in the 16 matches he played with his new team Punjab and that was the year when everyone came to know about his power and skills.
#3 Virender Sehwag (Kings XI Punjab)
Strike rate in IPL: 155.44
When it comes to naming one of the most attacking batsmen India has ever produced, it has to be the Exquisite former Indian Opening Batsman Virender Sehwag. Not only Sehwag did come as a threat for all the bowlers in the IPL, but he has also maintained that impression at the International level for a long time as well. While he is now performing the role of a mentor of the Kings XI Punjab, he still holds the third position of highest strike rate in IPL history of 155.44.
Along with this strike rate, he has managed to pile on 2728 runs in the 104 matches he played during the past 10 years of IPL. Over the years, Virender Sehwag is been known as a player who feared no bowler and smacked almost each and every one of them out of the park with the utmost ease. It must be mentioned that he has hit 106 sixes and 334 fours in IPL history. It must be the good luck of the bowlers that he is not playing anymore otherwise those numbers have been higher.
#4 Chris Gayle
Strike rate in IPL: 151.20
You just cannot miss the “Gayle Storm” whilst talking about the list of best strike rates in the IPL history. There’s hardly any player who can hit the ball as long as this beast from the Caribbean and he is one of those few players who are loved by cricket fans across the world irrespective of the teams he has played for.
Chris Gayle has overshadowed almost every other record in the IPL history and while he has hit 265 sixes in the 101 matches he played so far, he did maintain an exemplary strike rate of 151.20 in process. Although he made his debut in the inaugural season only while playing for the KKR team, he only came into the spotlight in the 2011 season which saw him scoring a mammoth 608 runs with two centuries at a strike rate of 183.13.
While everyone thought that this was his best, he overtook the same record in 2012 while scoring 733 runs for his team RCB. It was after that season that his form went on a down surge and he eventually lost his place in the RCB squad. While he remained unsold in the IPL 2018 auction first round, he was bought by Punjab’s team in the last round of auction. The Decision paid well as he impressed everyone with his explosive batting along with his opening partner KL Rahul during the whole tournament.
#5 Rishabh Pant
Strike rate in IPL: 151.20
Rishabh Pant has been the latest sensation in Indian cricket and many are taking him as a successor of the Indian legendary wicket-keeper MS Dhoni. He scored the fastest century by an Indian player (32 balls) against Himachal Pradesh in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy and that was the reason he was retained by the franchisee before the IPL 2018 auction.
It was during the same season only that he managed to score 366 runs for his team while hitting 34 sixes in the process. While that wasn’t enough, he took his run tally to 684 runs in 14 matches in the 2018 season and was the sole warrior from the Delhi Daredevils team. Quite interestingly, he smacked 37 sixes and 68 fours in the whole season while maintaining an unbelievable average of 52.61.
