IPL: Captains who have scored more than 700 runs in a single edition

A batsman's primary duty is to score runs and help his side to victories. With the imposition of field restrictions, bigger bats and smaller boundaries, it is the batsmen who have called the shots in shorter versions of the game.

Scoring 700 runs in a single season itself is a big achievement, but the additional burden of leading the side makes it a even more commendable feat. Several batsmen who have had great starts to a IPL season have faded away, failing to live up to their expectations over a period of time. The players who feature in this list were consistent throughout the tournament and showed tremendous ability to perform well under pressure, helping their sides emerge victoriously.

More often than not, when the skipper leads from the front, the teams have reached the final. Now let us have a look at the batsmen-captain who have achieved this feat across the eleven editions of IPL.

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#3 Kane Williamson - 735 runs in 2018

Kane Williamson has been in scintillating form.

Kane Williamson is one of the finest batsmen to have come out of New Zealand. Known for his elegant stroke-play and astute captaincy, Williamson was a vital member of the Sunrisers Hyderabad this season.

Had David Warner been in the squad, the chances of Williamson playing in the eleven would have been severely lessened. In his absence and the additional responsibility of leading the side, he absorbed the pressure and topped the run charts - enabling SRH to top the points table, winning nine of their 14 games in the league stage.

With almost every shot in his repertoire and his ability to play equally well against quality pace and spin bowling, he accumulated 735 runs at an average of 52.50 including eight fifties at a strike rate of 142. With age by his side, Kane Williamson will be a force to reckon with in the upcoming editions.

#2 David Warner - 848 runs in 2016

David Warner helped SRH to lift their first ever IPL title in 2016.

One of the most consistent batsmen in IPL history, David Warner has lent SRH the much needed stability at the top. Opening the innings with Shikhar Dhawan, he got his side off to great starts which enabled them to set mammoth totals and chase down targets with ease. Apart from his aggressive batting, his contribution to the side as a fielder is unmatchable.

The 2016 edition was David Warner's and SRH's most successful IPL season. SRH won 8 of the 14 games in the league stage, before winning all their remaining playoff games to lift their first ever IPL title. During this period, he scored 848 runs at an average of 60.57, including nine fifties at a healthy strike of 151.42. His exploits in the final, where he made 69 uns off 38 balls, helped SRH post a total in excess of 200 - allowing them to take control during the finals.

The franchise had to lose out on Warner's services just weeks before the 2018 campaign began, having been banned for a year by Cricket Australia over a ball-tampering scandal which took place in South Africa, though his influence to their success cannot be understated.

#1 Virat Kohli - 973 runs in 2016

Virat Kohli is the only batsmen to score four hundreds in a single edition of IPL.

One of the most exciting batsmen of the current generation, Virat Kohli is on a mission to conquer every batting record possible. His staggering numbers are testament to both his hard work and passion for the game too. The current Indian skipper has proven himself to be an integral part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore ever since the IPL's inception back in 2008.

At one stage, RCB had to win all their remaining four games in the league stage to ensure a playoff spot. The skipper's superhuman efforts single-handledly helped them into the 2016 edition finals.

His finest moment of the season came during a rain-curtailed game against Kings XI Punjab, where he played with eight stitches on his left hand, took on the bowlers and managed to score his fourth century of the season - allowing his team to post a mammoth total of 211 in 15 overs.

During this edition, "King Kohli" amassed 973 runs (IPL edition record) at a whopping average of 81.08 including seven fifties and four centuries at a strike rate of 152. Despite their inability to surpass SRH during the final two years ago, the 2016 campaign will rightly be remembered as Kohli's heroics for plenty of years to come.