The 2025 IPL season is about to get underway, and excitement is already at a fever pitch ahead of the curtain raiser. The Kolkata Knight Riders head into the campaign as the reigning champions after their resounding eight-wicket victory against the Sunrisers Hyderabad last season. The champs will kick this term off as they welcome the Royal Challengers Bangalore to Eden Gardens in a true blockbuster clash, but neither of them heads into the season as the betting favorites to claim the crown.
That is an honor that goes to both the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. The two heavy hitters are the most successful sides in IPL history having been crowned champions five times each. However, neither of them has shone in recent years, which makes their standing with online sports betting sites all the more surprising. The latest online sports betting in Canada odds price Mumbai as the +550 frontrunner, despite the fact they finished bottom of the league last term with just four victories.
This year, they have strengthened as they look to return to the summit, while in Rohit Sharma they have one of the IPL’s highest-ever run scorers. But who else joins in him piling up the runs over the years?
Virat Kohli
Former India captain Virat Kohli is arguably the biggest cricket star on the planet, and much of that reputation has been built on the back of his stellar displays in the IPL. The Royal Challengers Bangalore legend has scored a whopping 8,004 runs throughout his 16-year stint with the team, the most in history and by some distance.
His standout season came back in 2016 when he redefined batting with a monumental tally of 973 runs in just 16 matches, a record that remains untouched. With four centuries and seven half-centuries that year, Kohli demonstrated his ability to adapt to conditions, grind out runs, and single-handedly take games away from opponents. Last year, he was on fire once again, top scoring with some 741, but unfortunately, silverware continues to elude him.
While Kohli has racked up a bucket load of personal honors, he has never managed to lead RCB to IPL glory. In fact, his beloved Royal Challengers are the team that has lost more finals than any other without actually winning it all. Kohli and Bangalore have lost no fewer than four finals throughout their storied history, defeats that have certainly left scars. They have reached the playoffs in four of the last five seasons, and surely that maiden triumph is just around the corner.
Shikhar Dhawan
Gabbar himself Shikhar Dhawan comes in at second place on our list, scoring 6,679 runs throughout his tenure in the IPL. That’s an impressive haul in its own right, but that is still some 1,325 shy of the aforementioned Kohli, which should rubber stamp just how impressive Virat has been on the grandest stage.
But one thing that Dhawan can point to that Kohli can’t is championship gold. Dhawan led the Sunrisers Hyderabad to the title in 2016, and guess who they beat to claim the crown? Yep, you got it, Kohli and the Royal Challengers.
Unlike his compatriot, Dhawan didn’t spend his entire IPL career with one team, instead bouncing around numerous different sides. He began his career in Delhi, before moving on to Deccan and then Mumbai. He would then find success in Hyderabad, before heading back to Delhi and finally the Punjab Kings, where he finds himself today.
Dhawan’s southpaw elegance, combined with his ability to accelerate during power plays, makes him an invaluable opener. Back-to-back centuries in 2020 stand as a testament to his ability to switch gears while maintaining composure. He has mastered the art of pacing an innings – even in the shortest form of the game – and his partnerships at the top of the order have given bowlers nightmares over the years.
Rohit Sharma
Winning titles is a testament to greatness, and Rohit Sharma has racked up more IPL gold than anybody throughout the tournament’s near-two-decade-long history. The Mumbai Indians skipper has reached six grand finals throughout his legendary career, winning five of them, including back-to-back success in 2019 and 2020. And while he doesn’t have the personal accolades of someone like Kohli, his 6,628 runs are the third most in history and nothing to be scoffed at.
The Hitman is renowned for being one of the most destructive batsmen in all of cricket, especially in the T20 realm. Whether opening the innings or batting in the middle of the order, Rohit has consistently scored runs. He delivers the goods when it matters the most and shines when the pressure is on. His knock of 109 not out against the Kolkata Knight Riders remains an innings that is replayed on highlight reels year after year, but it’s his performances in the finals that truly show just how good he is.
In 2020, Sharma put his team on his back, blasting 68 runs off just 51 balls against a fearsome attack containing Trent Boult to lead his side to a five-wicket victory. Now, those two are teammates, and they will be gunning to bring the crown back to Mumbai for a record-breaking sixth time.
