Updated October 2026 | All stats are as of the end of IPL 2026 (final played 31 May 2026).
Quick answer: our greatest IPL XI of all time is Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Andre Russell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal. It follows the real IPL rule of no more than four overseas players, and it is built from IPL records only, from 2008 to the 2026 final. This page explains how we choose, sets out the team and its numbers, and covers the debates that any all-time XI starts.
| Player | Role | Mat | Runs | Wkts | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle | Opener (overseas) | 142 | 4965 | 18 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | Opener | 283 | 9336 | 4 | 2 |
| Suresh Raina | No. 3 | 205 | 5528 | 25 | 3 |
| AB de Villiers | No. 4 (overseas) | 184 | 5162 | 0 | 0 |
| MS Dhoni | Wicketkeeper, captain | 278 | 5439 | 0 | 5 |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder (overseas) | 140 | 2651 | 123 | 1 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | 268 | 3526 | 180 | 4 |
| Sunil Narine | Spin all-rounder (overseas) | 202 | 1820 | 207 | 3 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Fast bowler | 206 | 354 | 226 | 3 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Fast bowler | 158 | 75 | 187 | 3 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Leg-spinner | 188 | 37 | 233 | 0 |
Selection Criteria Explained
Any all-time team is an argument rather than a fact, so the most useful thing to publish is the set of rules used to build it. These are ours.
- IPL performances only. A player is judged on what he did in the IPL. International records do not count.
- Four overseas players at most. A real IPL XI can include only four overseas players, so we did the same. This is the rule that explains most of the famous names who are missing.
- A balanced side. The XI needs a wicketkeeper, at least five genuine bowling options, and batters who can cover the powerplay, the middle overs and the death.
- Longevity and peak both count. A player needs a long body of work, roughly 100 matches or more. A brilliant peak, such as Andre Russell’s 2019, also carries weight.
- Match-winning, not just volume. Titles, playoff performances and player of the match awards are part of the case.
These rules are deliberately strict. Together they exclude brilliant but short careers and reward players who performed for many seasons under changing conditions, which is the closest fair test of greatness that IPL data allows. They also mean the XI will change as new seasons add to the record.
The data covers 19 seasons, from 2008 to the 2026 final. A title counts for a player only if he was in the winning XI for that final, which is why Andre Russell is credited with one title, from 2024, and not two.
The Greatest IPL XI of All Time
The XI is shown below with the case for each. The full reasoning, with each player’s best season and a long list of near-misses, is on our all-time IPL XI page.
| Player | Role | Why selected |
|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle | Opener (overseas) | The most sixes in IPL history (357), the highest score (175*) and the fastest hundred (30 balls) |
| Virat Kohli | Opener | The leading run scorer (9336) and the record for a single season (973 in 2016) |
| Suresh Raina | No. 3 | 5528 runs, 109 catches, three titles and a long record of playoff runs |
| AB de Villiers | No. 4 (overseas) | An average of 39.71 with a strike rate of 151.69 across 184 matches |
| MS Dhoni | Wicketkeeper, captain | Five titles as captain, ten finals, and the records for catches (158) and stumpings (47) |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder (overseas) | A career strike rate of 174.18 and 123 wickets as a fourth or fifth seamer |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | 180 wickets at an economy of 7.71, 3526 runs, and an outstanding fielder |
| Sunil Narine | Spin all-rounder (overseas) | 207 wickets at an economy of 6.79 and a career strike rate of 165.30 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Fast bowler | The most successful fast bowler (226 wickets) and a two-time Purple Cap winner |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Fast bowler | 187 wickets at an economy of 7.34, bowling in the powerplay and at the death |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Leg-spinner | The leading wicket-taker in IPL history (233), with two hat-tricks |
The team by the numbers
Between them, the eleven have scored 38,893 IPL runs, taken 1,203 wickets and won 24 titles. Splitting the numbers by nationality shows how much the four-overseas rule shapes the side.
| Group | Players | Runs | Share of runs | Wickets | Share of wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The four overseas players | Gayle, de Villiers, Russell, Narine | 14,598 | 37.5% | 348 | 28.9% |
| The seven Indian players | Kohli, Raina, Dhoni, Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Chahal | 24,295 | 62.5% | 855 | 71.1% |
The four overseas players supply more than a third of the runs but under 30 per cent of the wickets, which fits the picture: two of the four, Gayle and de Villiers, are batters, and the other two, Russell and Narine, are all-rounders. The Indian seven carry the bowling, with more than 70 per cent of the wickets.
How the Side Covers Every Phase
The batting order is built so that each phase of the innings has a specialist.
- Powerplay: Gayle and Kohli give one hitter and one anchor at the top, with Narine able to open if needed.
- Middle overs: Raina and de Villiers take over at three and four, with a strike rate between 136 and 152.
- Finish: Dhoni, Russell and Jadeja close the innings, with Russell’s strike rate of 174.18 the highest in the side.
The bowling has six genuine options. Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah bowl with the new ball, Narine, Jadeja and Chahal control the middle overs, and Bumrah, Russell and Bhuvneshwar bowl the death. Raina’s off-spin is a seventh option if it is needed.
| Strike-rate ladder | Player | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andre Russell | 174.18 |
| 2 | Sunil Narine | 165.30 |
| 3 | AB de Villiers | 151.69 |
| 4 | Chris Gayle | 148.96 |
| 5 | MS Dhoni | 137.45 |
| 6 | Suresh Raina | 136.73 |
| 7 | Virat Kohli | 134.80 |
| 8 | Ravindra Jadeja | 130.64 |
The ladder shows the point of the batting order. The fastest scorers come in at the end or open with freedom, and the two slowest, Kohli and Jadeja, play different roles: Kohli anchors, and Jadeja’s value is as much his bowling and fielding as his batting.
How the XI Performs in the Playoffs
Big matches were part of the selection test. This table shows each player’s record in IPL playoff matches, which is why Dhoni and Raina are in the side and why Gayle, de Villiers and Chahal, none of whom won a title, are the most debatable picks.
| Player | Playoff matches | Runs | Strike rate | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle | 7 | 250 | 140.4 | 2 | 6.29 |
| Virat Kohli | 20 | 514 | 130.5 | 0 | 9.67 |
| Suresh Raina | 24 | 714 | 155.2 | 4 | 9.49 |
| AB de Villiers | 10 | 294 | 144.1 | 0 | – |
| MS Dhoni | 28 | 523 | 132.1 | 0 | – |
| Andre Russell | 5 | 68 | 158.1 | 4 | 7.92 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 25 | 189 | 128.6 | 21 | 7.93 |
| Sunil Narine | 14 | 98 | 144.1 | 12 | 7.25 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 15 | 15 | 65.2 | 16 | 7.79 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 10 | 16 | 145.5 | 12 | 6.72 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 13 | 0 | – | 13 | 7.98 |
Three things stand out. Dhoni has played 28 playoff matches and Raina scored 714 runs in the knockouts, more than anyone else in the side. Jadeja has taken 21 playoff wickets and Chahal 13 in 13 matches, so the spin bowlers have delivered when it mattered. And Bumrah’s playoff economy of 6.72 is the best of the five regular bowlers.
Stress-Testing the Selection Rules
The easiest way to see how fragile an all-time team is, is to change one rule and look at who drops out. Using the numbers in the table above:
| If the rule were… | Who would drop out | Why |
|---|---|---|
| At least 150 matches | Chris Gayle (142) and Andre Russell (140) | Both are below 150 matches |
| At least one title | Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Yuzvendra Chahal | None of the three won a title |
| No overseas limit | No one is forced out, but Malinga, Rashid Khan and Warner would compete for places | The overseas quota is what keeps them out |
| At least 200 matches | Gayle, de Villiers, Russell, Bumrah and Chahal | All five played fewer than 200 |
The 200-match test is the most severe, removing five of the eleven. The 150-match test removes the two overseas players with the shortest careers, Gayle and Russell, leaving only de Villiers (184 matches) and Narine (202) from the overseas places. The title test would remove three.
The Bench and the Impact Player Options
Since 2023 each IPL side can name five substitutes and bring one in as an Impact Player. With four overseas players already in the XI, the substitute has to be Indian, as our page on the Impact Player rule explains. Our bench has four options.
| Player | Role | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | Batting impact | 7329 runs and six titles; comes in for a bowler when the side bats first |
| Suryakumar Yadav | Batting impact | 4581 runs at a strike rate of 148.59 |
| Hardik Pandya | All-round impact | 2955 runs and 82 wickets, with five titles as a player |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Bowling impact | 187 wickets at an economy of 7.20, suited to a slow pitch |
Honourable mentions
- Dwayne Bravo: 183 wickets and two Purple Caps, the death-overs specialist of Chennai’s best years.
- Jos Buttler: 863 runs in 2022, and one of the best overseas openers in league history.
- Heinrich Klaasen: 2038 runs at a strike rate of 169.13 from 2023 to 2026, the most of any batter in the impact-era table below.
- Shubman Gill: 890 runs in 2023 and the leading run scorer for Gujarat Titans.
- KL Rahul: the 2020 Orange Cap and the third-highest IPL score, 152 not out.
How the XI Compares With a Modern Impact-Era Team
Scoring rates have risen since the Impact Player rule arrived in 2023, and that changes what a great IPL batter looks like. These are the fastest scorers with at least 1,200 runs across the four seasons from 2023 to 2026.
| Player | Runs, 2023 to 2026 | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|
| Abhishek Sharma | 1712 | 191.07 |
| Travis Head | 1351 | 176.14 |
| Phil Salt | 1258 | 174.48 |
| Rajat Patidar | 1208 | 172.57 |
| Nicholas Pooran | 1615 | 172.36 |
| Heinrich Klaasen | 2038 | 169.13 |
None of these batters has the long record that our selection rules require, so none is in the XI. But the gap in scoring speed is large: the fastest modern batters score at well over 170 runs per 100 balls, against 135 to 150 for most of the all-time XI. A team picked in a few seasons’ time will almost certainly include some of them.
Directory of Every XI Page
This page is the hub for our best-XI content. The pages that exist today are below.
| Page | What it covers |
|---|---|
| All-Time IPL XI: The Greatest Combined Team in League History | The full case for each of the 11 picks, with best seasons, playoff records, the bench and the debates |
| IPL Player Stats: Career Records for Every Major Player | Career numbers for the players in the XI and many more |
| IPL Records: The Complete All-Time List | The records behind the selections, from most sixes to highest scores |
| IPL Teams: Complete Guide to All 10 Franchises | Where each player fits in his franchise’s history |
The Hardest Calls and Who Missed Out
Every omission here is a statement about the rules, not about the player. Seven players who would be in many fans’ teams do not make ours.
| Player | Role | Mat | Runs | Wkts | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner | Opener (overseas) | 184 | 6565 | 0 | 1 |
| Rohit Sharma | Opener | 281 | 7329 | 15 | 6 |
| Lasith Malinga | Fast bowler (overseas) | 122 | 88 | 170 | 4 |
| Rashid Khan | Leg-spinner (overseas) | 153 | 635 | 179 | 1 |
| Kieron Pollard | All-rounder (overseas) | 189 | 3412 | 69 | 5 |
| Jos Buttler | Wicketkeeper-opener (overseas) | 138 | 4646 | 0 | 0 |
| Hardik Pandya | All-rounder | 162 | 2955 | 82 | 5 |
- David Warner is the hardest omission. He has 6565 runs at an average of 40.52 and captained Sunrisers to the 2016 title. He loses out to Gayle only because the overseas quota forces a choice.
- Rohit Sharma has six titles as a player and five as captain, but an average of 29.91 and a strike rate of 132.92 are lower than Kohli’s and Raina’s across a long career. He is the first batting impact substitute.
- Lasith Malinga and Rashid Khan would walk into most all-time sides. Both miss out only because of the four-overseas rule. With Narine already in as a spinner and Russell as a seamer, there is no room.
Where Readers Will Disagree
Three debates come up whenever this team is discussed.
- Warner or Gayle. Warner was more consistent over more seasons, and Gayle was more devastating at his peak. We chose peak and six-hitting.
- How much to reward titles. Rohit Sharma’s record of six titles is remarkable, and some will argue that winning should outweigh averages. Gayle, de Villiers and Chahal never won a title, which is the strongest argument against them.
- The overseas quota. Some readers prefer to ignore it and pick the eleven best players regardless of nationality. In that case Malinga, Rashid Khan and Warner all come in.
There is also a generational argument. This XI leans on players from the first 15 seasons, because longevity counts, and the newest players do not yet have the long record that the rules ask for. A team built in a few seasons’ time could look very different.
For the numbers behind these picks, see most wickets in IPL history, most sixes in IPL history and the Orange Cap winners.
Related guides: IPL captaincy records, IPL player comparisons, the history of the IPL, all best-XI guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who would be in an all-time IPL XI?
Our all-time IPL XI is Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (captain, wicketkeeper), Andre Russell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal, with no more than four overseas players.
Why is Rohit Sharma not in the XI?
Rohit Sharma has six titles as a player and five as captain, but his average of 29.91 and strike rate of 132.92 are lower than Kohli’s and Raina’s over a long career. He is the first batting impact substitute in our squad.
Who is the greatest IPL player ever?
There is no single answer, but the strongest cases are for Virat Kohli, the leading run scorer with 9336 runs, MS Dhoni, who won five titles as captain, and Sunil Narine, who has 207 wickets at an economy of 6.79.
Which players just missed the all-time XI?
David Warner, Rohit Sharma, Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan, Kieron Pollard, Jos Buttler and Hardik Pandya were the hardest omissions. Most of them miss out because of the four-overseas rule.
How many overseas players can an IPL team field?
No more than four in the playing XI. Our all-time XI uses all four places, on Gayle, de Villiers, Russell and Narine.
Who captains the all-time IPL XI?
MS Dhoni, who also keeps wicket. He led Chennai Super Kings to five titles and ten finals, and holds the records for catches (158) and stumpings (47). No other captain was seriously considered.
Who is the leading wicket-taker in our XI?
Yuzvendra Chahal, with 233 wickets, which is also the most in IPL history. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is next in the XI with 226.