Follow Us
In a tournament like the Indian Premier League (IPL), the teams need to finish big to get over the opposition. throughout the years, we have witnessed some of the great finishes by the players in IPL that have changed the momentum of the game and made their team win from the jaws of defeat. No matter how the start is, a good finish will always give confidence to the team to take on the opposition.
There have been many great batters in the history of the cash-rich league but it’s not easy for every batter to finish the innings on a high note. A good finisher knows when to change the gears in death overs and which bowler to target to make the team win. In the sixteen years of the IPL, we have seen some of the iconic finishes that have made the tournament more thrilling and exciting. In this article, we will have a look at the top 10 best finishers in the history of the IPL.
Best finishers in IPL history
10. Rinku Singh
Kolkata Knight Riders batter Rinku Singh went on to become one of the best finishers in the IPL in the last couple of years. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Rinku has produced some memorable knocks that made his team win from clutch situations. The left-hander stunned everyone when he hit those five consecutive sixes in the IPL 2023 encounter against Gujarat Titans’ Yash Dayal in the last over in Ahmedabad and guided KKR to one of the most memorable victories from the jaws of defeat. Since then, he has been a consistent performer in the tournament and finished as the top scorer for KKR in 2023. Rinku’s tremendous form helped him earn his maiden India call in the Asian games and the T20i series against Ireland in 2023. He has played 31 matches in his IPL career where he amassed 725 runs at an average of 36.25 and a strike rate of 142.16 along with four half-centuries. The 25-year-old is on his way to becoming among the top finishers in the IPL and for the Indian team in years to come.
Also See: IPL 2025 Captain & Head Coaches List
9. Chris Morris
South African all-rounder Chris Morris is also among the greatest finishers in IPL history. Morris a fast bowler and comes down the order in the batting lineup. His ability to score quick runs has benefited his team for multiple occasions. He has played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Rajasthan Royals (RR) and has played some iconic knocks in his IPL career. Morris went to amass his highest T20 score in IPL 2016 while playing for DC against Gujarat Lions. He scored an unbeaten 82 runs off just 32 balls with four fours and eight sixes and brought DC close to Gujarat’s total of 172 runs. However, he couldn’t take his team down the line as DC fells short of just 1 run. Morris has played 81 matches in his IPL career amassing 2295 runs at an average of 22.07 and a strike rate of 155.28 along with two half-centuries. His ability to hit big sixes and score quick runs in death overs made him one of the best finishers in IPL.
8. Rishabh Pant
Delhi Capitals skipper and wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant also makes an appearance in the list of the best finishers in IPL history. Pant has become one of the crucial batters for DC and took over the captaincy in IPL 2021. He has played some of the valuable knocks throughout the years and made DC win on multiple occasions. His best IPL knock came in 2018 when he smashed 128 runs off just 63 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Arun Jaitley stadium. However, his knock went in vain as SRH chased the target of 188 runs in 18.5 overs losing just one wicket. Pant has played 98 matches in his IPL career amassing 2838 runs at an average of 34.61 and a strike rate of 147.97 along with 15 half-centuries and a hundred. Notably, Pant went on to miss the entire season of IPL 2023 as he was recovering after getting involved in a major car accident in December 2022. However, the 26-year-old has recovered fast and is likely to make his return in IPL 2024 for DC.
Must Read: Top 10 Oldest Players in IPL 2025
7. David Miller
David Miller has been among the top finishers in the world and has also this in the IPL. The South African batter has been a part of the cash-rich league since 2011 and has played for Punjab Kings (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab), Rajasthan Royal (RR), and Gujarat Titans (GT) Miller has played some memorable knocks after coming to bat at number four and five and has made his team on multiple occasions. His best IPL knock came during the IPL 2013 when he smashed 101 runs off just 38 balls for Punjab while chasing the target of 191 runs against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Mohali. He came on to bat when PBKS were struggling 51 for 3 and guided his team to a memorable by smashing eight fours and seven sixes. Miller has scored 2714 runs from 121 matches in his IPL career at an average of 36.19 and a strike of 138.4 with 12 half-centuries and a hundred. He will be seen playing for GT in IPL 2024.
6. Hardik Pandya
Star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been an asset for the team in the middle-order who could take his team out of the pressure situation and end up winning the game with his fiery batting in death overs. Making his IPL debut in 2015, Pandya has played for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Gujarat Titans (GT) and has won the IPL title five times with both teams combined. He has played so many memorable knocks for his franchises and went on to repeat the same for the Indian team. His best IPL knock came during the IPL 2019 encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. He scored a fiery 91 runs off just 34 balls while chasing a mammoth target of 233 runs when the rest of the MI batters failed to score big. However, his couldn’t take his team down the line as MI fell short of 34 runs off KKR’s total. After playing for MI for six years, Pandya joined GT as a captain and made the franchise win the title in their maiden IPL season in 2022. Now he has been traded back to MI ahead of IPL 2024 and will be seen leading the side after replacing the five-time winning captain Rohit Sharma. Pandya has played 123 matches in his IPL career where he scored 2309 runs at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of 145.86 with 10 half-centuries.
5. Glenn Maxwell
Australian batter Glenn Maxwell is among the best power hitters and finishers in the world. He is the kind of player who could change the momentum of the game with his batting and make his team win from the jaws of defeat. His 201-run knock against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup is the best example of this. However, Maxwell hasn’t been a consistent performer in the IPL but has shown good in the cash-rich league in the last 2-3 years. He made his IPL debut in 2012 and has played for Mumbai Indians (MI), Punjab Kings (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab), Delhi Capitals (DC), and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). He had his best IPL season in 2014 where he amassed 514 runs and played a crucial role for Punjab getting into their first-ever IPL final. Maxwell has amassed 2719 runs from 124 matches in his IPL career at an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 157.62.
Check out: Top 10 Richest Sports League in the World
4. Andre Russell
West Indian star Andre Russell is the kind of player who could turn the match in his team’s favor with his power-hitting in just two to three overs. In his day, Russell can deliver every delivery onto the stands and has been among the best finishers in IPL throughout the years. He made his IPL debut in 2012 for Delhi Daredevils and joined Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of IPL 2014. Russell went on to play some memorable knocks for KKR throughout the years and made his team win the jaws of defeat on multiple occasions with his power-hitting. His best IPL score is 88 runs against Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2018 in Chennai. Russell has scored 2262 from 112 matches in his IPL career at an average of 29.00 and a staggering strike of 174.00.
3. Kieron Pollard
Former West Indies cricket Kieron Pollard was one of the great power-hitters who could turn the match around with his bat single-handedly during his prime form. He made his IPL debut in 2010 for Mumbai Indians (MI) and was one of the main players for the franchise throughout the years. He used to come to bat down the order and go for big hits in the death overs. His best IPL knock came in 2021 when he scored an unbeaten 87 runs off 34 balls against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Delhi. Due to his knock, MI achieved the second-highest chase in the IPL history chasing 219 runs against CSK. Pollard has played 189 matches in his IPL career where he amassed 3412 at an average of 28.67 and a strike rate of 147.32. He announced his retirement in 2022 and currently serving as the batting coach of MI.
2. Ab de Villiers
Widely regarded as ‘Mr. 360’ former South African cricketer Ab de Villiers has been one of the best batters and finishers in the IPL history. He was given the title ‘ Mr 360’ for his unique cricketing shots and the ability to hit the ball in every corner of the park. He has a record for the fastest century in the ODI (31 balls) and has played so many memorable knocks for South Africa and his IPL franchises. De Villiers made his IPL debut in 2008 and played for Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challenges Bangalore (RCB). His best IPL knock came in 2015 when he smashed an unbeaten 133 runs off just 59 balls against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. His knock guided RCB to a mammoth total of 235 runs and they defended that successfully to win the match by 39 runs. He has made RCB win out of pressure situations on multiple occasions including the one during the IPL 2016 Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Lions at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. He went on to score an unbeaten 79 runs off 47 balls when the team was struggling at 68 for 6 and made RCB register a famous victory to make it into their third IPL final. De Villiers has amassed 5162 runs from 184 matches in his IPL career at an average of 39.71 and a strike rate of 151.69 with 49 half-centuries and three centuries.
1. MS Dhoni
Widely regarded as the greatest finisher in the world, former Indian captain MS Dhoni achieves the top spot in the list of best finishers in IPL history. He led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to five titles and also played some memorable knocks in the tournament throughout the years. Some of his best finishes in IPL include the one in 2010 when he scored an unbeaten 54 runs against Kings XI Punjab in a must-win encounter for Chennai in Dharamsala as CSK successfully chased 193 runs to keep themselves alive in the tournament. His other iconic knock came in 2018 when he guided CSK to chase 206 runs against RCB at the Chinnaswamy by smashing an unbeaten 70 runs off 34 balls. He will be seen playing for CSK again in IPL 2024 which is also likely to be his last IPL season. He has played 250 matches in his IPL career so far where he amassed 5082 at an average of 38.79 and a strike rate of 135.92.
