The toughest T20 league of the world is back! As the IPL fever hits the skies, we dive deep into trivia to know the list of cricketers who played every IPL season since the inception of the league. The IPL launched back in 2008, and the league never had to look back since then. A platform where international stalwarts share the stage with our desi heroes and play the game we love the most – IPL is a carnival that one just can’t afford to miss. So far, 902 players have featured in the marquee but only a very few have managed to nature in all these years. Here are the 7 cricketers who have played every IPL season so far.
The List of cricketers who played every IPL season since 2008
Robin Uthappa
The Orange Cup winner of 2014, Robin Uthappa is amongst the most underrated batters of the cash-rich league. His exquisite stroke-play makes his batting a delightful sight plus his sturdy wicket-keeping skills have come in handy for several franchises. Uthappa has so far played for 6 franchises – MI, RCB, PWI, KKR, RR, and his present team CSK. In 193 matches, the modish batter has amassed 4722 runs at a remarkable average of 27.94 and a strike rate over 130. It was stellar form with the willow back in 2014, that steered KKR to its 2nd IPL trophy.
His ability to play at any position in the batting line-up makes him a flexible choice for his team management. Despite his form dipping down in the last few years, Uthappa rediscover his mojo back in 2021 when he was instrumental especially in the playoffs, taking CSK to their 4th IPL title. The 36-year-old will eye for another superb season ahead for CSK in their quest to retain the championship.
Dinesh Karthik
Dinesh Karthik is another unsung hero of the IPL who has been the crusader behind many incredible victories both with the bats and gloves. The former KKR captain has seen lots of ups and downs in his long T20 career. He usually batted in the middle order and often had to be the aggressor with the bat. His huge range of shots was a headache for opposition bowlers. Starting off from DD, Karthik moved bases to KXIP, MI, RCB, GL, and KKR. Back in 2014, the Delhi Daredevil signed Karthik for a whopping sum of Rs 12.5 Crore INR and he thereby became the most expensive player of that year’s auction.
His only IPL victory came for MI in 2013. With 4046 runs in 213 games, the wicket-keeper batter remains a match-winner. In 2022, he will once again don the colors of RCB. The franchise acquired the seasoned campaigner to bring in more experience in the dressing room and will look forward to sealing their maiden title in IPL 15.
Manish Pandey
The flamboyant top-order batter was the first Indian ever to score a hundred in the IPL. The Karnataka skipper is known for his unorthodox shots and is undoubtedly amongst the best fielders of the marquee tournament. He entered the IPL as a young sensation and has over the years grown to be a game-changer. He has been a part of MI, RCB, PWI, KKR, SRH and will be playing in the brand new franchise LSG in the upcoming edition of the IPL. Pandey’s best-ever IPL knock came in IPL 2014’s summit clash when KKR were chasing under pressure chasing a mammoth total of 200. Pandey was a savior for the Knights as he hammered the KXIP bowlers all around the park to lead his team to a mega triumph. In 154 matches, he has aggregated over 3560 runs with 21 fifties and a ton.
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Shikhar Dhawan
The swashbuckling opener is another star addition to this club of cricketers who have played every IPL season so far. Dhawan was picked for his home side Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural edition of the IPL. He then shifted to MI but had a disastrous run of 2 seasons for them. The classy southpaw spread his wings for Deccan Changers and then Sunrisers Hyderabad to become one of the leading run-scorers of the league. After a long successful stint with SRH, Dhawan was bought back by Delhi Capitals in 2019.
The pair of Dhawan-Shaw turned out to be an exciting opening partnership as the blend of youth and experience paid DC in rich dividends. Dhawan has amassed 5784 runs in 194 matches at a staggering average of 34.84. In 2022, Dhawan will be seen in his new team, Punjab Kings, and will eye for another stellar season with the bat so that he can seal his spot in Team India’s WT20 squad.
Virat Kohli
The highest run-scorer of the league, Virat Kohli’s flabbergasting IPL numbers show why he is regarded as the best batsman of his generation. When RCB signed the 2008 U-19 winning captain, the franchise barely knew what a long-term priceless asset the promising talent will turn out to be. In 2013, Kohli took over the reins of the team from Daniel Vettori with an uphill task to lead the side to glory. The run-machine was not just a prolific run-scorer but a leader who led from the front. His “never give up” spirit united the team and its fans even in the toughest times.
The trinity of Gayle-Kohli-De Villiers was a haunting nemesis for opposition teams. In 2016, King Kohli smashed 4 centuries and scored 973 runs – the most (by far) by any batter in a single season. In 207 games, at an average of 37.40, Kohli has aggregated 6283 runs with 42 fifties and 5 tons. Despite being from Delhi, the IPL gifted his second home in Bengaluru. Kohli announced last season, that he will hang up his boots as a skipper after IPL 2021. IPL 15 will still see the modern-day legend once again go all out for RCB so that the team’s wait for the coveted trophy finally comes to an end.
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Rohit Sharma
The most successful captain in the history of IPL, Rohit Sharma is amongst the biggest superstars of the global T20 spectacle. One of the unsung heroes of India’s 2007 maiden WT20 triumph, Sharma set out in his IPL career for Deccan Chargers. A consistent run-scorer for the franchise, Sharma even took a hat-trick for the Chargers but his full potential was yet to be unleashed.
Prior to 2013, Mumbai Indians were a star-studded team with the biggest names of the game but surprisingly could never win the title. It was in 2013 when the team management decided to promote a young Rohit Sharma to the helm of affairs, and one of the greatest scripts of the IPL began. In 8 seasons, MI were crowned the champions on 5 occasions, and are the only side to have done so. The charismatic leadership of Sharma was more of Midas’s touch for MI. And not to forget the Hitman’s batting heroics, he amassed 5611 runs in 213 matches with a 130 plus strike rate.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Pundits often say that it was India’s historic WT20 victory in 2007 that lead the foundations of IPL. Back in 2008, when each of the franchises were eyeing to have the then Indian captain playing for their side, it was the Chennai Super Kings who finally won the intense bidding war. Captain Cool became the Thala of Chennai as CSK flourished as the most consistent team of the league. Dhoni led CSK to 11 playoffs, 9 finals, and 4 titles in 12 seasons.
After the betting scandal banned CSK for 2 seasons, Dhoni played for RPS but could not replicate the magic of CSK in his new team. IPL’s greatest finisher ever, Dhoni’s caliber as a destructive power-hitter gifted CSK some unbelievable victories in the marquee league. In 220 matches, MSD scored 4746 runs at an average close to 40 and a strike rate of over 135. In 2022, Dhoni’s troops will enter the arena to retain their title and fans will hope the yellove to reignite the champion’s mantra once again.
