Updated October 2026 | All stats are as of the end of IPL 2026 (final played 31 May 2026).
Best IPL playing 11 of all time: Our all-time IPL XI: 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. Between them these eleven have scored 38,893 IPL runs, taken 1,203 wickets and won 24 titles. The team follows the real IPL rules, with no more than four overseas players, and is picked on nineteen seasons of evidence, from 2008 to the 2026 final.
Any all-time XI is an argument, not a fact, and this one will start plenty. Below we set out the rules we used, make the case for each pick with the numbers behind it, list the players who came closest, and name the impact substitutes. If your team is different, the comparison tables should at least show what you are leaving out.
Best IPL Playing 11 of All Time: Selection Criteria and the Rules I Applied
- IPL performances only. International records do not count. A player is judged on what he did in the IPL.
- Four overseas players at most. This is the most important constraint and the reason several obvious names are missing. A real IPL XI can field only four, so we did the same.
- A balanced side. At least five genuine bowling options, a wicketkeeper, 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, but a brilliant peak, such as 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.
The XI, Position by Position, With the Case for Each Pick
1. Chris Gayle (Opener (overseas))
No batter has dominated IPL bowling like Chris Gayle at his peak. He hit 357 sixes, still the most in league history, made the highest score (175*) and the fastest hundred (30 balls), both against Pune Warriors in 2013. His strike rate of 148.96 with an average near 40 is the opening combination every captain wants. He uses one of the four overseas places, and it is the easiest one to justify. Best season: 2011, 608 runs at a strike rate of 183.13 and 8 wickets at an economy of 6.78.
2. Virat Kohli (Opener)
Virat Kohli is the IPL’s leading run scorer with 9336 runs and its leading century-maker, and his 973 runs in 2016 remain the record for a single season. He opens here, as he has for most of the last decade at Royal Challengers, and the anchor role he plays lets the rest of the line-up attack. He finally won the title in 2025 and again in 2026, when he was player of the match in the final. Best season: 2016, 973 runs at a strike rate of 152.03.
3. Suresh Raina (No. 3)
Suresh Raina was ‘Mr IPL’ for a reason: 5528 runs at a strike rate of 136.73, the bulk of them at number three for Chennai, plus 109 catches and useful off-spin. He was the first player to reach 5,000 IPL runs and was a part of 3 title-winning teams in the data. His consistency across the first twelve seasons is the reason he gets the nod over more recent number threes. Best season: 2010, 520 runs at a strike rate of 142.86 and 6 wickets at an economy of 7.47.
4. AB de Villiers (No. 4 (overseas))
AB de Villiers combined an average of 39.71 with a strike rate of 151.69, a rare pairing across 184 matches. He won more player of the match awards than anyone in IPL history and was the batter most likely to change a game from any position. He is the second overseas pick. Best season: 2016, 687 runs at a strike rate of 168.80.
5. MS Dhoni (Wicketkeeper, captain)
MS Dhoni captains and keeps. He led Chennai to five titles and ten finals, holds the records for most catches (158) and stumpings (47), and scored 5439 runs, most of them as a finisher, at a strike rate of 137.45. No other choice for captain was seriously considered. Best season: 2013, 461 runs at a strike rate of 162.90.
6. Andre Russell (All-rounder (overseas))
Andre Russell is the most destructive finisher the league has seen: a career strike rate of 174.18 with 2651 runs, plus 123 wickets as a fourth or fifth seamer. His 2019 season, when he scored 510 runs at a strike rate above 200, is one of the best individual seasons in IPL history. He is the third overseas player. Best season: 2019, 510 runs at a strike rate of 204.82 and 11 wickets at an economy of 9.51.
7. Ravindra Jadeja (All-rounder)
Ravindra Jadeja gives the side its left-arm spin, its best fielder and a batter who can finish. He has 180 wickets at an economy of 7.71, 3526 runs, and has been part of 4 title-winning sides. His 2023 final, when he hit a six and a four off the last two balls to win the title for Chennai, sums up his value. Best season: 2023, 190 runs at a strike rate of 142.86 and 20 wickets at an economy of 7.56.
8. Sunil Narine (Spin all-rounder (overseas))
Sunil Narine is the fourth overseas player and perhaps the most valuable cricketer in IPL history. He has 207 wickets at an economy of 6.79, the best of any bowler with 200 wickets, and since 2017 has opened the batting for Kolkata at a strike rate of 165.30 for his career. He has won the season MVP or Player of the Tournament award three times. Best season: 2024, 488 runs at a strike rate of 180.74 and 17 wickets at an economy of 6.69.
9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Fast bowler)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the IPL’s most successful fast bowler, with 226 wickets at an economy of 7.71. He won the Purple Cap twice, in 2016 and 2017, and his swing with the new ball makes him the ideal partner for Bumrah. He has won three titles, with Sunrisers in 2016 and Royal Challengers in 2025 and 2026. Best season: 2026, 28 wickets at an economy of 7.95.
10. Jasprit Bumrah (Fast bowler)
Jasprit Bumrah has 187 wickets at an economy of 7.34, outstanding for a bowler who does most of his work in the powerplay and at the death. He was player of the match in the 2019 final and has been at the centre of all of Mumbai’s titles since 2015. Best season: 2020, 27 wickets at an economy of 6.73.
11. Yuzvendra Chahal (Leg-spinner)
Yuzvendra Chahal is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history with 233, and the only leg-spinner in the side. He takes wickets in the middle overs, when batters are trying to accelerate, and has two IPL hat-tricks. He has never won the title, which is the one gap in his record. Best season: 2022, 27 wickets at an economy of 7.75.
Full Stats Table for the XI
| Player | Role | Mat | Runs | Avg | SR | Wkts | Econ | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Gayle | Opener (overseas) | 142 | 4965 | 39.72 | 148.96 | 18 | 7.90 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | Opener | 283 | 9336 | 40.42 | 134.80 | 4 | 8.80 | 2 |
| Suresh Raina | No. 3 | 205 | 5528 | 32.52 | 136.73 | 25 | 7.39 | 3 |
| AB de Villiers | No. 4 (overseas) | 184 | 5162 | 39.71 | 151.69 | 0 | – | 0 |
| MS Dhoni | Wicketkeeper, captain | 278 | 5439 | 38.30 | 137.45 | 0 | – | 5 |
| Andre Russell | All-rounder (overseas) | 140 | 2651 | 28.20 | 174.18 | 123 | 9.51 | 1 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | All-rounder | 268 | 3526 | 29.14 | 130.64 | 180 | 7.71 | 4 |
| Sunil Narine | Spin all-rounder (overseas) | 202 | 1820 | 17.50 | 165.30 | 207 | 6.79 | 3 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Fast bowler | 206 | 354 | 9.32 | 93.90 | 226 | 7.71 | 3 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | Fast bowler | 158 | 75 | 9.38 | 87.21 | 187 | 7.34 | 3 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Leg-spinner | 188 | 37 | 5.29 | 43.02 | 233 | 8.05 | 0 |
Titles count the finals in which the player was in the winning XI. Russell, for example, was in Kolkata’s squad for the 2014 title but did not play in the final, so only his 2024 title is counted.
The batting order is built so that every phase of the innings is covered. Gayle and Kohli give one hitter and one anchor at the top; Raina and de Villiers take the middle overs; Dhoni, Russell and Jadeja finish. Narine can bat anywhere from one to eight. The bowling has six genuine options: Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah with the new ball, Narine, Jadeja and Chahal in the middle overs, and Bumrah, Russell and Bhuvneshwar at the death. Raina’s off-spin is a seventh option if needed.
The XI in the Playoffs
| Player | Playoff matches | Runs | SR | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Big matches were part of the selection test, and this table shows why Dhoni (28 playoff matches) and Raina (714 playoff runs) are in the side: no players have more experience of IPL knockout cricket. Gayle, de Villiers and Chahal, by contrast, never won a title, which is the strongest argument against them.
The Hardest Calls and Who Narrowly Missed Out
| Player | Role | Mat | Runs | Avg | SR | Wkts | Econ | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Warner | Opener (overseas) | 184 | 6565 | 40.52 | 139.77 | 0 | 12.00 | 1 |
| Rohit Sharma | Opener | 281 | 7329 | 29.91 | 132.92 | 15 | 8.02 | 6 |
| Lasith Malinga | Fast bowler (overseas) | 122 | 88 | 5.50 | 88.89 | 170 | 7.14 | 4 |
| Rashid Khan | Leg-spinner (overseas) | 153 | 635 | 13.80 | 156.40 | 179 | 7.28 | 1 |
| Kieron Pollard | All-rounder (overseas) | 189 | 3412 | 28.67 | 147.32 | 69 | 8.79 | 5 |
| Jos Buttler | Wicketkeeper-opener (overseas) | 138 | 4646 | 39.71 | 149.73 | 0 | – | 0 |
| Suryakumar Yadav | Batter | 179 | 4581 | 33.68 | 148.59 | 0 | 8.00 | 3 |
| Hardik Pandya | All-rounder | 162 | 2955 | 27.88 | 146.29 | 82 | 9.36 | 5 |
David Warner is the hardest omission. He has 6565 runs at an average of 40.52, won the Orange Cap three times and captained Sunrisers to the 2016 title. He loses out to Gayle only because the overseas quota forces a choice, and Gayle’s six-hitting and peak were more extreme.
Rohit Sharma has six titles as a player, five as captain, and 7329 runs. His average of 29.91 and strike rate of 132.92 are lower than Kohli’s and Raina’s across a long career, which is why he becomes the first impact substitute instead.
Lasith Malinga (170 wickets at 7.14) and Rashid Khan (179 at 7.28) would walk into most all-time sides. Both miss out only because of the four-overseas rule; with Narine already in the side as a spinner and Russell as a seamer, there is no room. Kieron Pollard, Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen miss out for the same reason.
Honourable Mentions
- Dwayne Bravo: 183 wickets and two Purple Caps; the death-overs specialist of Chennai’s best years.
- Ravichandran Ashwin: 187 wickets at an economy of 7.20 over sixteen seasons.
- Jos Buttler: Four hundreds in 2022, when he made 863 runs, and one of the best overseas openers in league history.
- Heinrich Klaasen: The best combination of average and strike rate of any batter with 2,000 runs.
- 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 in 2026.
The Bench and Impact Options
Since 2023 each IPL side can name substitutes and bring one in as an Impact Player. With four overseas players already in the XI, the impact substitute must be Indian. Our options:
- Rohit Sharma (batting impact): 7329 runs, 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, the best 360-degree batter in the pool.
- Hardik Pandya (all-round impact): 2955 runs and 82 wickets, and 5 titles as a player.
- Ravichandran Ashwin (bowling impact): 187 wickets at 7.20 for a slow pitch.
How the XI Compares With an Impact Player Era Team
Strike rates since the Impact Player rule arrived in 2023 have changed what a great IPL batter looks like. These are the fastest scorers with 1,200 or more runs, and the leading wicket-takers, across the four seasons from 2023 to 2026:
Fastest scorers, 2023-2026 (min. 1,200 runs)
| Player | Runs | SR |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Leading wicket-takers, 2023-2026
| Player | Wickets | Econ |
|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 72 | 8.71 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 71 | 9.68 |
| Varun Chakravarthy | 69 | 8.13 |
| Mohammed Siraj | 69 | 8.79 |
| Rashid Khan | 67 | 8.76 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 67 | 9.11 |
None of the batters in the first table has the long record that our selection rules require, which is why they are not 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 the 135 to 150 of most of the all-time XI. An all-time side picked in 2031 will almost certainly include some of them.
Where Readers Will Disagree
Three debates come up whenever this team is discussed. First, Warner or Gayle: Warner was more consistent over more seasons; Gayle was more devastating at his peak. Second, Rohit Sharma: six titles is a remarkable record, and some will argue that winning should outweigh averages. Third, the overseas quota: some readers prefer to ignore it and pick the eleven best players regardless of nationality, in which case Malinga, Rashid Khan and Warner all come in.
There is also a generational argument. This XI leans on players from the first fifteen seasons, because longevity counts. A team built on the Impact Player era, with Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Heinrich Klaasen, would score faster than any of these line-ups, but none of those players yet has the long record the selection rules ask for. Give it five more seasons and this team 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: greatest IPL XIs, IPL captaincy records, IPL player comparisons.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who would make 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.
Who is the greatest IPL player ever?
There is no single answer, but the strongest cases are for Virat Kohli (the leading run scorer, 9336 runs), MS Dhoni (five titles as captain) and Sunil Narine (207 wickets at 6.79 and three tournament MVP awards).