The Indian Premier League is the largest T20 tournament in cricket. There have been legendary performances by legendary cricketers who have ruled the tournament since its inception in 2008. Due to this dominance, the fans often ask a common question: Who is Baap of IPL?
Baap of IPL is not limited to records and runs but also captaincy success and innings as match-winner. Out of all IPL players, names like MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma or Chris Gayle come to mind when you think about recent years statistics and records.
Who Is the Baap of IPL
Who is the baap of IPL, well that is a question based on Runs scoring, Trophies won, Captaincy Wins and Match winning Performance. There have been a number of players who reigned supreme in the league over the years.
MS Dhoni For the many people in cricket who insist that MS Dhoni should be called the greatest captain because of his success as a leader and a match winner for Chennai Super Kings. Virat Kohli, while known as the king of IPL batting records and Rohit Sharma is recognized for his Mumbai Indians instilling multiple trophies. Chris Gayle, meanwhile, will be remembered as one of the most destructive batsmen in IPL history.
MS Dhoni – Baap of IPL in Captaincy

MS Dhoni has often been referred to as the Baap of IPL when it comes to leadership and finishing matches. He has been the face of the team for a long time and has taken it to great heights.
CSK under Dhoni’s captaincy has played more than 200 times in IPL and his on-field performance is one of the best in terms of captaincy for any side. His successful stints as captain have seen him lead Chennai Super Kings to five IPL titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023) and he has registered over 133 victories as captain.
Not only captaincy, Dhoni has also made thousands of runs in the IPL and even today remains one of the best finishers in T20 cricket. His unflappability, experience and knack for winning tight matches have made him one of the most esteemed players in the tournament.
Due to these successes, several fans regard Dhoni as the actual Baap of IPL.
Virat Kohli – Baap of IPL in Batting Records

Putting aside all the batting records, if you talk about ODI cricket as a whole, Virat Kohli is on top. He is also the leading run-scorers of all-time in IPL history and by that virtue one of its greatest ever players.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Kohli has played his entire IPL career with RCB, remaining true to a single franchise. He has scored 8661 runs in the IPL, most by any player in the history of the league.
Before his IPL record, one of his biggest achievements was when he scored 973 runs in the year 2016 during an IPL season – Highest ever by any player till today.
Kohli has let very few people down with the bat and that effort as England’s King of IPL Runs Proved his Moment as Few years mastered most 50 plus score matches heroics will not lead to Captaincy.
Rohit Sharma – Baap of IPL in Trophies

Rohit Sharma is another big contender for the Baap of IPL title. He is one of the all-time great IPL captains and was crucial to so much success for Mumbai Indians.
Rohit Sharma also won five IPL titles (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020) with Mumbai Indians as captains and boasts one of the highest playoff win ratios among all IPL skippers.
He is also among the leading run-getters in the league’s history, having scored over 7046 IPL runs. Rohit is regarded as a calm captain and someone who comes to the fore in high-stake games.
Due to his trophy-record and captaincy achievement, most fans of IPL call Rohit Sharma the Baap of IPL captaincy after Dhoni.
Chris Gayle – Baap of IPL in Power Hitting

Chris Gayle is still one of the most dangerous players in IPL history, whether it be explosive batting and entertainment.
Gayle played a few seasons for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and was known to hit several sixes. He registered the highest score ever made by an individual in IPL (175)*.
Gayle now also has hit above 350 sixes, the most by any player in IPL history.
His capacity to annihilate bowling attacks in the space of two or three overs gave him the name “Universe Boss.”
Other Players Who Dominated the IPL
Other than these four superstars, some other players have also hit the jackpot in IPL.
Some notable IPL legends include:
- AB de Villiers – An all-time great T20 entertainer.
- David Warner – Arguably one of the most consistent IPL openers.
- Suresh Raina – Commonly termed as “Mr IPL” for his phenomenal show.
- Jasprit Bumrah – One of the greatest IPL bowlers ever
The league has been added to the success and popularity, with these players also being major contributors.
Read More: RCB Highest Score in IPL || IPL Team Owners || KL Rahul Jersey Number
Conclusion
Now, the IPL has produced a number of great players through the years and will always be debated as to who is the baap of IPL by the fans. Credits: MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle have all had their spells ruling the competition like no others before.
Virat Kohli probably has most of the batting records, and Rohit Sharma has most trophies as a captain, MS Dhoni has best leadership, finishing quality and longevity in the Indian Premier League. Because of these achievements and the impact he created in the cricket field, many consider him as the true Baap of this IPL.
FAQs
1. Who Is the Baap of IPL?
Many cricket fans consider MS Dhoni the baap of IPL because of his leadership success with Chennai Super Kings and his ability to win crucial matches.
2. Who has scored the most runs in IPL history?
Virat Kohli holds the record for the most runs in IPL history while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
3. Which captain has won the most IPL trophies?
Both MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma have won five IPL titles as captains with Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians respectively.
4. Who hit the highest score in IPL history?
The highest individual score in IPL history is 175*, scored by Chris Gayle for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
