From backing up the team recovering from disheartening setbacks to making game-changing strategic decisions on the field, the captains undoubtedly lead their teams from the front in the Indian Premier League (IPL). In addition to being the flag bearers of their respective teams, a few skippers in the past have also established a whole new set of benchmarks when it comes to individual performances in the IPL.
Over the decades, numerous IPL captains, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, David Warner and many others have dictated the course of the tournament and smashed match-winning runs for their respective teams.
In this article we will take a look at the top four captains who have smashed the highest runs in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
IPL’s Top 4 Captains Who Have Smashed The Highest Runs
| Rank | Player | Team | Runs |
| 1 | Virat Kohli | RCB | 4,994 |
| 2 | MS Dhoni | CSK | 4,660 |
| 3 | Rohit Sharma | MI | 3,986 |
| 4 | Gautam Gambhir | KKR & DD | 3,518 |
-
Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – 4,994 Runs
Legendary Indian international cricketer often hailed as the “run machine” of the Indian cricket team, Virat Kohli, who has been the flag bearer of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), is at the first spot in our list of the top four captains of the IPL teams who hold the record for hitting the highest runs ever.
After delivering a formidable streak of match-winning performances, Kohli was selected as the captain of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL 2013 edition and continued to be the reigning captain till the IPL 2021 edition, leading the squad to the finals of the IPL 2016 edition.
While Kohli’s captaincy tenure proved to be a boon for the RCB squad, it also leveled up his own innings as an individual cricketer. Kohli played a total of 143 IPL matches as the captain of RCB and amassed the highest total of 4,994 runs.
-
M.S. Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) – 4,660 Runs
Read More
At the second spot in our list of the top four captains who have smashed the highest runs in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), we have another legendary Indian former international cricketer, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, popularly referred to as “Thalaiva” of the Indian cricket team.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been an irreplaceable part and the skipper of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise since the inaugural IPL 2008 edition. It was only ahead of the IPL 2024 edition that CSK’s Thalaiva stepped down from his captaincy with Rituraj Gaikwad taking over. As a captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a total of 226 IPL matches as a captain and scored the second-highest total of 4,660 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Additionally, Dhoni also led CSK to a record total of five IPL titles in the years 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
-
Rohit Sharma, Mumbai Indians (MI) – 3,986 Runs
Often hailed as one of the greatest cricket captains in the world, across all formats, Rohit Sharma fearlessly led the Indian cricket team to an unbeaten victory in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup and the most recent 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Rohit Sharma was appointed as the skipper of the Mumbai Indians (MI) franchise in the middle of the IPL 2013 edition and has since led the squad to a record total of five IPL titles in the 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2020 editions, creating history for being the first-ever IPL captain to lead his team to five IPL titles. As the captain of the Mumbai Indians (MI) squad, Rohit Sharma played a total of 158 matches and amassed the third-highest total of 3,986 runs.
-
Gautam Gambhir, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) & Delhi Daredevils (DD) – 3,518 Runs
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four captains who have smashed the highest runs in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), we have the legendary former Indian international cricketer and the current head coach of the Indian cricket team, Gautam Gambhir. In his glorious IPL career that lasted for ten seasons from 2008 to 2018, Gambhir was appointed as the skipper of two squads; Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in the IPL 2011 and 2018 editions respectively.
As the captain of IPL team, Gautam Gambhir played a total of 129 matches collectively and scored the fourth-highest total of 3,518 runs in his glitzy Indian Premier League (IPL) career.
