Who is the Baap of IPL? MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli

Baap of IPL – Over the course of the last 14 seasons, Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen several legends compete in the blockbuster T20 league. We have seen some jaw-dropping performances in this competition, as the some of the world’s finest players unite in one place to compete in the IPL.

Who is the Baap of IPL?

The likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni have been associated with IPL since its very beginning in 2008. Virat Kohli has been associated with Royal Challengers Bangalore since 2008, and has also become the top run-getter in IPL. On the other hand, MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina have stayed with Chennai Super Kings since the inception of IPL, winning the title on four occasions.

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MS Dhoni can be termed as the Baap of IPL, given that he has led Chennai Super Kings to four IPL titles so far. Moreover, the former Indian captain has guided CSK to a record nine IPL finals, and the franchise have failed to reach the playoffs in just one season in 2020.

In the years 2016 and 2017, MS Dhoni represented Rising Pune Supergiant, as CSK was banned for two years owing to match-fixing allegations. Dhoni has been a lethal finisher for his franchise over the years, amassing 4,746 runs in IPL coming in from the lower middle order. He averages almost 40 in IPL cricket, and has a strike rate in the mid 130s.

Here’s MS Dhoni’s performance in IPL over the years

Year	Runs	Average
2008	414	41.40
2009	332	41.50
2010	287	31.88
2011	392	43.55
2012	258	29.83
2013	461	41.90
2014	371	74.20
2015	372	31.00
2016	284	40.57
2017	290	26.36
2018	455	75.83
2019	416	83.20
2020	200	25.00
2021	114	16.28

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MS Dhoni in IPL

MS Dhoni has played the finals of IPL on 10 occasions out of a possible 14. The only year where he did not captain his franchise was in 2017, when Steve Smith was handed the captaincy of Rising Pune Supergiant. Incidentally, that year, RPSG also reached the finals, losing to Mumbai Indians in a thriller.

MS Dhoni has 23 fifties to his name in IPL Cricket, smashing 325 boundaries and clearing the ropes on 219 occasions. The three time ICC winning captain has won four titles with CSK in 2010, 2011, 2018 and 2021. They are only one of the two sides, including Mumbai Indians to have successfully defended their IPL title.

Although, Dhoni’s form has dipped in the past two seasons, yet he continues to remain one of the most feared batters to bowl against in the death overs. The 40-year-old answered his critics in style in UAE in the 2021 season, as he led CSK to their fourth IPL title.