IPL: Batsmen with most runs in the middle-order

The eleventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is approaching fast as the franchises are bracing up for the upcoming auctions later this month. The team combinations will be changed as the players will go under the hammer after playing for a particular franchise over the years. Naturally, all of them will have to adjust themselves in the batting order whenever they will get the opportunity to play in the team. However, there are few players who have done wonders while batting at a certain position so far in the grand history of this cash-rich league.

The shortest format of the game is purely about the specialists. There are specialist T20 bowlers in this generation who have opted to play only in the leagues around the world to keep themselves fit. Similarly, there are batsmen who love to take up the responsibility to take the team through in tough times. The likes of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina are the top order players who believe in giving quick-fire starts to the team.

But it is the middle-order which is under the pump most of the times and more often than not, they thrive. During all these years, IPL has witnessed the number of cricketers who have finished the games for their teams in the extreme situations. Here we have a look at those players who have managed to score more runs in this lucrative league while batting at positions 4, 5 and 6:

7. AB de Villiers – 1840 runs

AB de Villiers has been the legend of the game for a long time now. He has been part of the IPL ever since its inception and has played for only a couple of franchises Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He is currently with the latter franchise and has played a lot of memorable innings for them. In his illustrious IPL career of 129 matches, Mr. 360 has performed his role in the middle order 73 times. However, the man like him rarely disappoints and even in this role, he came out with flying colours.

The Superman from South Africa has amassed 1840 runs at an average of 32.28 which is more than decent considering the number of risky shots the batsmen play in this format. But de Villiers is from a different planet as he has managed to score all these runs at a strike rate of 145.11 scoring 11 half-centuries. The only thing he hasn’t managed while batting in the middle-order is scoring a century as his highest score is 89*.

Though he will be determined to do the same in the upcoming season and even if he doesn’t he will make sure his team wins more matches this time around.

6. Kieron Pollard – 1952 runs

Kieron Pollard has been with Mumbai Indians ever since he has come to the fore in IPL. His exploits in the now-defunct Champions League T20 earned him a lot of money during the auction in 2010. The Caribbean cricketer has played 123 matches for Mumbai franchise and has been an integral part of the team during their three title-winning seasons. He has finished so many games for his side mostly batting at number 6 but whenever required he has also performed the role at 4 accumulating runs in the middle overs.

Pollard has featured in the middle order 96 times in the history of the league and has delivered goods for Mumbai Indians more often than not. He has scored 1952 runs at an amazing strike-rate of 145.35 crossing the 50-run mark 10 times. Though he doesn’t manage to score big, every time he provided the much-needed boost in the end to his team and added 20-30 runs more than expected.

5. Dinesh Karthik – 2187 runs

Dinesh Karthik has travelled a fair bit across the franchises in the IPL in last 10 years. But he has never let down any of the teams with his determined batting and wicket-keeping efforts. He has played for as many as five teams in the history of T20 league, Gujarat Lions being the latest. Now given that the franchise will not be part of this edition, he will once again go under the hammer. His T20 exploits will surely see him picked by one of the franchises in the upcoming auction.

His numbers playing in the middle order have been exceptional which proves he has changed his game drastically to be sync with the modern cricket. He has played a whopping 152 matches in IPL out of which has batted 104 times at the crucial middle-order position scoring 2187 runs at a strike rate of 127.6. He has also scored 10 fifties and believes in taking the team through by holding one end up. He has finished the matches most of the times as well and his presence any side will be a blessing for that team.

4. Yuvraj Singh – 2302 runs

The legendary player Yuvraj Singh has also struggled to stay with a single franchise in the 10-year history of the lucrative Indian league. But his popularity has remained same only because of six hitting skills. His six sixes off Stuart Broad in the ICC World T20 in 2007 is still remembered and has a capability of replicating the same feat any time. His latest franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad has released him and would be looking to buy him back at the auction.

The swashbuckling left-hander has been playing in the middle-order throughout his career smashing 2302 runs in 104 innings. The veteran has scored all these runs at a strike rate of 128.53 which is a touch low by his standards. But 11 half-centuries are the testament to his batting skills in the format. Yuvi will be eager to perform well in the upcoming season for whichever team he is picked in the auction.

3. Yusuf Pathan – 2312 runs

The swashbuckling batsman from Baroda, Yusuf Pathan, is the only centurion in this list while playing in the middle order. He played for Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders over the 10 editions latest being with the latter franchise. Yusuf has also been the lucky charm for his sides as Royals had won the inaugural edition of the tournament with Knight Riders triumphing twice in 2012 and 2014. The first season was the making of the hard-hitter Pathan who did wonders to the fortunes of the Indian sides

Yusuf has played 104 innings in the middle order out of 149 IPL matches and has scored 2312 runs at an amazing average of 31.67 with the best being 100 which he scored for Royals. The best thing is his strike-rate which reads 142.63, just a touch low than his career strike-rate of a whopping 145.49 which is also the third highest in this unique list. His smashing abilities have benefitted KKR the most in the recent seasons and has also played a few long innings scoring nine half-centuries as well.

2. Rohit Sharma – 2803 runs

The ‘Hitman’ of the Men in Blue Rohit Sharma has fantastic numbers while batting in the middle-order in IPL though he opens for India at the international level. His career took a complete U-turn after he was named the captain of the Mumbai Indians in 2013 as he led his side to three titles in five years. His own performance improved to a large extent with him taking up the responsibility of winning games for his team. Undoubtedly, he was going to be retained by the franchise as they hope to defend the title in 2018.

Rohit has amassed 2803 runs in 101 outings in the middle-order while playing for Deccan Chargers and his current franchise MI. His consistency has been impeccable as he averages 33.77 which is second best and has gone past the half-century mark a massive 20 times. Even his strike-rate of 130.31 is a decent one after shouldering the responsibility of the middle-order for so many years. He would want to lead his team to the triumph fourth time in the upcoming season.

1. MS Dhoni – 3242 runs

The favourite son of India and Chennai, MS Dhoni, has to be in this list and is at the top ruling the charts. He has finished so many games for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and has led them to a couple of titles having qualified to the knockouts (or playoffs as they say) in every season they have played. CSK is the only team to have earned their place in the top 4 in all the eight years after the round-robin games. The calm and cool captaincy of Dhoni always came to the fore of the franchise and will once again be at the helm this year.

Dhoni always came to bat at 5 or 6 in order to finish the games much like he does for the Indian team. His numbers in the IPL are staggering as he is way ahead of everyone scoring 3242 runs in 131 innings at a strike-rate of 138.43 and an average of 37.7 which is again the best of the lot. Only a superhuman can generate such statistics while captaining the side for eight years. He has also scored 15 half-centuries on top of this which once again proves he is the best in whatever he does in the game of cricket.