Playoffs are the crucial stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL), where the four top sides battle against each other for the championship podium.
The playoffs stage includes two Qualifiers, bisected by an Eliminator battle between the No. 3 and No. 4 sides. The top two teams of the league will have two opportunities to reach the great finale, as the loser of the first Qualifier will meet the winner of the Eliminator in the second Qualifier clash.
Scoring runs in these matches can be challenging for batters. But a few have overcome the challenges with their elegant run-making.
This article will list the top ten run-scorers in the knock-out stages of the Indian Premier League.
Most Runs in IPL Playoffs
| PLAYER | RUNS | INNINGS | Avg | SR | HIGH SCORE | 50s/100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suresh Raina | 714 | 24 | 37.57 | 155.21 | 87 | 7/0 |
| MS Dhoni | 523 | 23 | 34.86 | 132.07 | 63* | 2/0 |
| Shubman Gill | 474 | 10 | 52.66 | 145.39 | 129 | 1/1 |
| Faf du Plessis | 390 | 15 | 27.85 | 130.43 | 86 | 3/0 |
| Shane Watson | 389 | 12 | 35.36 | 151.36 | 117* | 3/1 |
| Michael Hussey | 388 | 11 | 38.80 | 124.35 | 86* | 4/0 |
| Murali Vijay | 364 | 10 | 36.40 | 147.36 | 113 | 1/1 |
| Dwayne Smith | 351 | 11 | 31.90 | 148.10 | 73 | 4/0 |
| Virat Kohli | 341 | 15 | 26.23 | 121.78 | 70* | 2/0 |
| Kieron Pollard | 341 | 17 | 26.23 | 169.65 | 60* | 1/0 |
Key Insights
Suresh Raina is way ahead of the other compatriots on the list. He has 714 runs to his name in 24 playoff appearances. Raina boasts seven fifties, including a blazing 87-run knock against Punjab in 2014.
You can see seven out of the ten names played for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK), proving how consistent their team is in the tournament.
MS Dhoni and Kieron Pollard are two players from this list who bat in the lower order. Others are all opening batters.
Scoring hundreds in the Playoffs is considered a huge effort, and so far, we have seven entrants in this list. Check them all here.
Raina also tops the chart for hitting the most sixes in the IPL knockout matches – 40. He was also the captain of the Gujarat Lions team, which played two qualifier matches after topping the points table in the 2016 edition.
Kieron Pollard, a crucial part of Mumbai’s title-winning seasons, has the best strike rate of 169.65 in the list above.
