Updated October 2026 | All stats are as of the end of IPL 2026 (final played 31 May 2026).
David Warner vs Chris Gayle IPL stats, quick answer: David Warner has more IPL runs and a slightly higher average; Chris Gayle has the higher strike rate, more hundreds and over 120 more sixes. Warner was the more consistent run scorer, Gayle the more explosive.
- Matches: David Warner 184, Chris Gayle 142
- Runs: David Warner 6565 (SR 139.77), Chris Gayle 4965 (SR 148.96)
- IPL titles: David Warner 1, Chris Gayle 0
Why This Comparison Is Worth Making
David Warner and Chris Gayle are the two most successful overseas openers in IPL history, with five Orange Caps between them. Warner built his record at Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi, Gayle at Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab.
David Warner vs Chris Gayle IPL Stats: Career Numbers Side by Side
| Metric | David Warner | Chris Gayle |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 184 | 142 |
| Seasons | 15 | 13 |
| Runs | 6565 | 4965 |
| Average | 40.52 | 39.72 |
| Strike rate | 139.77 | 148.96 |
| Highest score | 126 | 175* |
| 100s / 50s | 4 / 62 | 6 / 31 |
| Fours | 663 | 404 |
| Sixes | 236 | 357 |
| Player of the match | 18 | 22 |
| Titles | 1 | 0 |
Per match, David Warner has contributed 35.7 runs and Chris Gayle 35.0 runs. David Warner has won player of the match once every 10.2 games, Chris Gayle once every 6.5.
Season-by-Season Parallel
| Season | David Warner | Chris Gayle |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 163 runs, SR 123.48 (7 m) | 171 runs, SR 119.58 (7 m) |
| 2010 | 282 runs, SR 147.64 (11 m) | 292 runs, SR 158.70 (9 m) |
| 2011 | 324 runs, SR 117.39 (13 m) | 608 runs, SR 183.13 (12 m) |
| 2012 | 256 runs, SR 164.10 (8 m) | 733 runs, SR 160.75 (15 m) |
| 2013 | 410 runs, SR 126.93 (16 m) | 708 runs, SR 156.29 (16 m) |
| 2014 | 528 runs, SR 140.80 (14 m) | 196 runs, SR 106.52 (9 m) |
| 2015 | 562 runs, SR 156.55 (14 m) | 491 runs, SR 147.45 (14 m) |
| 2016 | 848 runs, SR 151.43 (17 m) | 227 runs, SR 151.33 (10 m) |
| 2017 | 641 runs, SR 141.81 (14 m) | 200 runs, SR 122.70 (9 m) |
| 2018 | – | 368 runs, SR 146.03 (11 m) |
| 2019 | 692 runs, SR 143.87 (12 m) | 490 runs, SR 153.61 (13 m) |
| 2020 | 548 runs, SR 134.64 (16 m) | 288 runs, SR 137.14 (7 m) |
| 2021 | 195 runs, SR 107.73 (8 m) | 193 runs, SR 125.32 (10 m) |
| 2022 | 432 runs, SR 150.52 (12 m) | – |
| 2023 | 516 runs, SR 131.63 (14 m) | – |
| 2024 | 168 runs, SR 134.40 (8 m) | – |
- 2009: David Warner (Delhi Daredevils) made 163 runs at a strike rate of 123.48; Chris Gayle (Kolkata Knight Riders) made 171 runs at a strike rate of 119.58.
- 2010: David Warner (Delhi Daredevils) made 282 runs at a strike rate of 147.64; Chris Gayle (Kolkata Knight Riders) made 292 runs at a strike rate of 158.70.
- 2011: David Warner (Delhi Daredevils) made 324 runs at a strike rate of 117.39; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 608 runs at a strike rate of 183.13.
- 2012: David Warner (Delhi Daredevils) made 256 runs at a strike rate of 164.10; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 733 runs at a strike rate of 160.75.
- 2013: David Warner (Delhi Daredevils) made 410 runs at a strike rate of 126.93; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 708 runs at a strike rate of 156.29.
- 2014: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 528 runs at a strike rate of 140.80; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 196 runs at a strike rate of 106.52.
- 2015: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 562 runs at a strike rate of 156.55; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 491 runs at a strike rate of 147.45.
- 2016: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 848 runs at a strike rate of 151.43; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 227 runs at a strike rate of 151.33.
- 2017: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 641 runs at a strike rate of 141.81; Chris Gayle (Royal Challengers Bangalore) made 200 runs at a strike rate of 122.70.
- 2018: Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab) made 368 runs at a strike rate of 146.03; David Warner did not play.
- 2019: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 692 runs at a strike rate of 143.87; Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab) made 490 runs at a strike rate of 153.61.
- 2020: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 548 runs at a strike rate of 134.64; Chris Gayle (Kings XI Punjab) made 288 runs at a strike rate of 137.14.
- 2021: David Warner (Sunrisers Hyderabad) made 195 runs at a strike rate of 107.73; Chris Gayle (Punjab Kings) made 193 runs at a strike rate of 125.32.
- 2022: David Warner (Delhi Capitals) made 432 runs at a strike rate of 150.52; Chris Gayle did not play.
- 2023: David Warner (Delhi Capitals) made 516 runs at a strike rate of 131.63; Chris Gayle did not play.
- 2024: David Warner (Delhi Capitals) made 168 runs at a strike rate of 134.40; Chris Gayle did not play.
They played in the same IPL season 12 times. In those seasons David Warner finished with more runs 7 times and Chris Gayle 5 times (ties counted for neither when equal).
By phase of the innings
| Phase | David Warner runs (SR) | Chris Gayle runs (SR) |
|---|---|---|
| Powerplay (1-6) | 3316 (138.3) | 2373 (134.8) |
| Middle (7-15) | 2621 (134.8) | 2011 (156.1) |
| Death (16-20) | 628 (176.9) | 581 (204.6) |
In the powerplay David Warner scores at 138.3 and Chris Gayle at 134.8; at the death the figures are 176.9 and 204.6. That difference largely reflects where each has batted in the order.
Against each opponent
| Opponent | David Warner runs (SR) | Chris Gayle runs (SR) |
|---|---|---|
| Chennai Super Kings | 696 (133.08) | 395 (125.00) |
| Mumbai Indians | 727 (135.38) | 708 (132.58) |
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 862 (160.52) | 313 (149.76) |
| Kolkata Knight Riders | 1093 (145.15) | 700 (151.84) |
| Delhi Capitals | 448 (128.37) | 503 (155.73) |
| Punjab Kings | 1134 (144.27) | 797 (174.78) |
| Rajasthan Royals | 583 (128.13) | 539 (134.75) |
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 122 (119.61) | 416 (138.21) |
| Gujarat Titans | 39 (114.71) | – |
| Lucknow Super Giants | 71 (97.26) | – |
Home, away and neutral
| Venue type | David Warner | Chris Gayle |
|---|---|---|
| Home | 2303 runs, SR 148.01 | 2127 runs, SR 155.60 |
| Away | 2761 runs, SR 138.81 | 2166 runs, SR 149.17 |
| Neutral | 1501 runs, SR 130.30 | 672 runs, SR 130.74 |
Peak Seasons Compared
David Warner’s best season was 2016 for Sunrisers Hyderabad: 848 runs in 17 matches at an average of 60.57 and a strike rate of 151.43, with 0 hundreds and 9 fifties.
Chris Gayle’s best season was 2012 for Royal Challengers Bangalore: 733 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.08 and a strike rate of 160.75, with 1 hundred and 7 fifties.
| Player | Three best seasons |
|---|---|
| David Warner | 2016 (848), 2019 (692), 2017 (641) |
| Chris Gayle | 2012 (733), 2013 (708), 2011 (608) |
David Warner: five best innings
- 126 off 59 balls for SRH against KKR, 30 Apr 2017. 30 Apr 2017, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium: SRH batted first and made 209/3, led by David Warner 126 (59). KKR replied with 161/7, Robin Uthappa 53 (28) top-scoring as Mohammed Siraj 2/26 did the damage for SRH. SRH won by 48 runs. Player of the match: David Warner.
- 109* off 54 balls for DC against DCG, 10 May 2012. 10 May 2012, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium: DCG batted first and made 187/4, led by Shikhar Dhawan 84 (49), with Varun Aaron 2/30 the pick of the DC bowlers. DC replied with 193/1, David Warner 109* (54) top-scoring. DC won by 9 wickets. Player of the match: David Warner.
- 107* off 69 balls for DC against KKR, 29 Mar 2010. 29 Mar 2010, Feroz Shah Kotla: DC batted first and made 177/4, led by David Warner 107* (69), with Charl Langeveldt 2/35 the pick of the KKR bowlers. KKR replied with 137/9, Chris Gayle 30 (21) top-scoring as Umesh Yadav 2/27 did the damage for DC. DC won by 40 runs. Player of the match: David Warner.
- 100* off 55 balls for SRH against RCB, 31 Mar 2019. 31 Mar 2019, Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium: SRH batted first and made 231/2, led by Jonny Bairstow 114 (56). RCB replied with 113, C de Grandhomme 37 (32) top-scoring as Mohammad Nabi 4/11 did the damage for SRH. SRH won by 118 runs. Player of the match: Jonny Bairstow.
- 93* off 58 balls for SRH against GL, 27 May 2016. 27 May 2016, Feroz Shah Kotla (Qualifier 2): GL batted first and made 162/7, led by Aaron Finch 50 (32), with Ben Cutting 2/20 the pick of the SRH bowlers. SRH replied with 163/6, David Warner 93* (58) top-scoring as Shivil Kaushik 2/22 did the damage for GL. SRH won by 4 wickets. Player of the match: David Warner.
Chris Gayle: five best innings
- 175* off 66 balls for RCB against PWI, 23 Apr 2013. 23 Apr 2013, M Chinnaswamy Stadium: RCB batted first and made 263/5, led by Chris Gayle 175* (66), with Ashok Dinda 2/48 the pick of the PWI bowlers. PWI replied with 133/9, Steve Smith 41 (31) top-scoring as Chris Gayle 2/5 did the damage for RCB. RCB won by 130 runs. Player of the match: Chris Gayle.
- 128* off 62 balls for RCB against DC, 17 May 2012. 17 May 2012, Feroz Shah Kotla: RCB batted first and made 215/1, led by Chris Gayle 128* (62). DC replied with 194/9, Ross Taylor 55 (26) top-scoring as Prasanth Parameswaran 3/30 did the damage for RCB. RCB won by 21 runs. Player of the match: Chris Gayle.
- 117 off 57 balls for RCB against PBKS, 6 May 2015. 6 May 2015, M Chinnaswamy Stadium: RCB batted first and made 226/3, led by Chris Gayle 117 (57), with Sandeep Sharma 2/41 the pick of the PBKS bowlers. PBKS replied with 88, Axar Patel 40* (21) top-scoring as Mitchell Starc 4/15 did the damage for RCB. RCB won by 138 runs. Player of the match: Chris Gayle.
- 107 off 49 balls for RCB against PBKS, 6 May 2011. 6 May 2011, M Chinnaswamy Stadium: RCB batted first and made 205/6, led by Chris Gayle 107 (49), with Ryan Harris 3/38 the pick of the PBKS bowlers. PBKS replied with 120/9, Ryan McLaren 28 (32) top-scoring as Sreenath Aravind 4/14 did the damage for RCB. RCB won by 85 runs. Player of the match: Chris Gayle.
- 104* off 63 balls for PBKS against SRH, 19 Apr 2018. 19 Apr 2018, PCA Stadium, Mohali: PBKS batted first and made 193/3, led by Chris Gayle 104* (63). SRH replied with 178/5, Manish Pandey 57* (42) top-scoring as Andrew Tye 2/23 did the damage for PBKS. PBKS won by 15 runs. Player of the match: Chris Gayle.
Performance in Playoffs and Finals
| Knockout record | David Warner | Chris Gayle |
|---|---|---|
| Playoff matches | 9 | 7 |
| Won | 4 | 3 |
| Runs | 256 | 250 |
| Strike rate | 132.64 | 140.45 |
| Wickets | 0 | 2 |
| Finals played | 1 | 2 |
| Finals won | 1 | 0 |
David Warner has played 9 playoff matches and Chris Gayle 7. In finals, David Warner has 69 runs and Chris Gayle 76.
Their biggest knockout performances
- David Warner, 2016 Qualifier 2: 93* (58). 27 May 2016, Feroz Shah Kotla (Qualifier 2): GL batted first and made 162/7, led by Aaron Finch 50 (32), with Ben Cutting 2/20 the pick of the SRH bowlers. SRH replied with 163/6, David Warner 93* (58) top-scoring as Shivil Kaushik 2/22 did the damage for GL. SRH won by 4 wickets. Player of the match: David Warner.
- David Warner, 2016 Final: 69 (38). 29 May 2016, M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Final): SRH batted first and made 208/7, led by David Warner 69 (38), with Chris Jordan 3/45 the pick of the RCB bowlers. RCB replied with 200/7, Chris Gayle 76 (38) top-scoring as Ben Cutting 2/35 did the damage for SRH. SRH won by 8 runs. Player of the match: Ben Cutting.
- David Warner, 2017 Eliminator: 37 (35). 17 May 2017, M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Eliminator): SRH batted first and made 128/7, led by David Warner 37 (35), with Nathan Coulter-Nile 3/20 the pick of the KKR bowlers. KKR replied with 48/3, Gautam Gambhir 32* (19) top-scoring. KKR won by 7 wickets (DLS). Player of the match: Nathan Coulter-Nile.
- Chris Gayle, 2011 Qualifier 2: 89 (47), 0/11. 27 May 2011, MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) (Qualifier 2): RCB batted first and made 185/4, led by Chris Gayle 89 (47), with Munaf Patel 2/27 the pick of the MI bowlers. MI replied with 142/8, Sachin Tendulkar 40 (24) top-scoring as Daniel Vettori 3/19 did the damage for RCB. RCB won by 43 runs. Player of the match: Chris Gayle.
- Chris Gayle, 2016 Final: 0/24, 76 (38). 29 May 2016, M Chinnaswamy Stadium (Final): SRH batted first and made 208/7, led by David Warner 69 (38), with Chris Jordan 3/45 the pick of the RCB bowlers. RCB replied with 200/7, Chris Gayle 76 (38) top-scoring as Ben Cutting 2/35 did the damage for SRH. SRH won by 8 runs. Player of the match: Ben Cutting.
- Chris Gayle, 2011 Final: 2/34, 0 (3). 28 May 2011, MA Chidambaram Stadium (Chepauk) (Final): CSK batted first and made 205/5, led by Murali Vijay 95 (52), with Chris Gayle 2/34 the pick of the RCB bowlers. RCB replied with 147/8, Saurabh Tiwary 42* (34) top-scoring as Ravichandran Ashwin 3/16 did the damage for CSK. CSK won by 58 runs. Player of the match: Murali Vijay.
When They Have Faced Each Other Directly
David Warner and Chris Gayle have been on opposite sides in 18 IPL matches and in the same XI in 0. When opponents, David Warner’s team won 7 and Chris Gayle’s team won 11.
| In head-to-head matches | David Warner | Chris Gayle |
|---|---|---|
| Runs | 743 | 516 |
| Strike rate | 143.99 | 154.95 |
| Wickets | 0 | 1 |
Awards, Titles and Milestones
| David Warner | Chris Gayle | |
|---|---|---|
| IPL titles | 2016 | None |
| Caps | Orange Cap 2015, Orange Cap 2017, Orange Cap 2019 | Orange Cap 2011, Orange Cap 2012 |
| Player of the match | 18 | 22 |
Warner captained Sunrisers Hyderabad to the 2016 title and also led Delhi in 2023.
Where Each One Is Genuinely Better
- Warner is better at: consistency. He passed 500 runs in a season again and again, won three Orange Caps and captained Sunrisers to the 2016 title.
- Gayle is better at: power and match-winning hundreds. He has six IPL hundreds to Warner’s four and the highest IPL score.
- Playoffs: their playoff run tallies are almost identical, with Gayle scoring a little faster.
The Honest Verdict
Warner was the more reliable opener over a long career and the only one of the two to win an IPL title. Gayle was the more dangerous batter at his peak. For a whole season, Warner; for one innings, Gayle.
Related: most sixes in IPL history, most wickets in IPL history, Orange Cap winners, Purple Cap winners.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is better in the IPL, David Warner or Chris Gayle?
David Warner has more IPL runs and a slightly higher average; Chris Gayle has the higher strike rate, more hundreds and over 120 more sixes. Warner was the more consistent run scorer, Gayle the more explosive.
Who has scored more IPL runs, David Warner or Chris Gayle?
David Warner, with 6565 runs to 4965.
Have David Warner and Chris Gayle played in the same team?
No, they have never been IPL team-mates.