In this article, we look at the top 10 batsmen of IPL 2023 after the completion of match 24 between RCB and CSK on 17 April. We have ranked the batters on the basis of runs scored. Not surprisingly, nine out of 10 on the list are openers. The sole exception is RR’s middle order batsman Shimron Hetmyer.
In the following table, we have listed the top 10 highest scorers of IPL 2023 so far:
| Rank | Player & Team | M | I | NO | Runs | Avg | SR | HS | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faf du Plessis, RCB | 5 | 5 | 1 | 259 | 64.75 | 172.66 | 79* | 0/3 |
| 2 | Venkatesh Iyer, KKR | 5 | 5 | 0 | 234 | 46.80 | 170.80 | 104 | 1/1 |
| 3 | Shikhar Dhawan, PBKS | 4 | 4 | 2 | 233 | 116.50 | 146.54 | 99* | 0/2 |
| 4 | Shubman Gill, GT | 5 | 5 | 0 | 228 | 45.60 | 139.87 | 67 | 0/2 |
| 5 | David Warner, DC | 5 | 5 | 0 | 228 | 45.60 | 116.92 | 65 | 0/3 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli, RCB | 5 | 5 | 1 | 220 | 55.00 | 147.35 | 82* | 0/3 |
| 7 | Jos Buttler, RR | 5 | 5 | 0 | 204 | 40.80 | 163.20 | 79 | 0/3 |
| 8 | Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK | 5 | 5 | 1 | 200 | 50.00 | 150.37 | 92 | 0/2 |
| 9 | Shimron Hetmyer, RR | 5 | 5 | 4 | 183 | 183.00 | 184.84 | 56* | 0/1 |
| 10 | Devon Conway, CSK | 5 | 5 | 0 | 181 | 36.20 | 148.36 | 83 | 0/2 |
Who has scored the most runs?
RCB skipper Faf du Plessis is at the top of the batting leader board. In five matches, du Plessis has made 259 runs at an average of 64.75 with a strike rate of 172.66. His runs include three 50-plus innings, with a top score of 79 not out.
Who has the highest average?
Curiously, RR’s middle order batter Shimron Hetmyer has the highest average of 183, after having played 5 matches. The exceptionally high average can be attributed to the fact that Hetmyer has registered 4 not outs in his five innings. Incidentally, the one dismissal (against PBKS) came in the for of a run out. Thus, no bowler has dismissed Hetmyer yet, this IPL season.
Who has the highest strike rate?
Hetmyer has also registered the highest strike rate of 184.84 in his five innings. His knocks are as follows:
- 26 not out from 16 balls, versus SRH
- 36 from 18 versus PBKS
- 39 not out from 21 balls versus DC
- 30 not out from 18 balls versus CSK on 12 April
- 56 not out from26 balls versus GT.
Who has scored the most fifty-plus innings?
David Warner, the DC skipper and opener shares the top spot for most fifties scored with RCB openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, and RR opener Jos Buttler. All four batters have registered three fifty-plus innings each.
Which innings has had the greatest impact?
There have already been several impactful innings by the top 10 batters in this IPL season. One of the latest came in RR’s game versus GT on 16 April. RR’s Shimron Hetmyer scored an unbeaten 56 from 26 balls to take his side to an unlikely win. Coming to the crease at 55 for 4, Hetmyer saw the chase through to its culmination at 179/7. Likewise, Glenn Maxwell played a blinder against CSK on 17 April. Chasing an improbable target of 227 to win, RCB were reduced to 15/2 after the loss of two early wickets. That brought skipper Du Plessis and Maxwell together. The pair added 126 runs for the 3rd wicket in just over 10 overs. However, after Maxwell was dismissed, RCB lost the plot. In the event, they lost the game by just eight runs.
Though his knock came in a lost cause, our vote goes to PBKS opener Shikhar Dhawan’s unbeaten 99 versus SRH in match 14 on 9 April. Put in to bat by the hosts, PBKS were reduced to 22 for 3 in over four. Dhawan scored his runs from 66 balls and held the innings together even as wickets fell around him. To put things in perspective, the second highest run maker was Sam Curran who scored 22, coming in at number five. None of the other batters got into double figures. In the circumstances, SRH were reduced to 88 for 9. In a last wicket stand of 55, Dhawan farmed the bowling. Number 11 batter Mohit Rathee had to face just two balls from which he garnered one run. Dhawan’s effort propelled PBKS from a near hopeless situation to a score of 143/9, giving them an outside chance of winning.
Conclusion
Who will win the orange cap in IPL 2023? Will it be one of these 10 men? Or could it be one of several other batters who have already scored over 150 runs? They include Tilak Varma (MI), Glenn Maxwell (RCB), Sai Sudarshan (GT), Rinku Singh (KKR), Kyle Mayer (LSG), and Sanju Samson (RR). If you are looking to bet on the IPL 2023, check out our article on the best cricket betting sites.
