IPL History: 10 most valuable players from the first 11 seasons

The Indian Premier League is the most successful Twenty20 league in the world. At the end of each season, a plethora of awards is given away to the players, of which the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is one of the most prestigious ones.

MVP is a comprehensive award as it covers all aspects of the game - batting, bowling, and fielding. Players are awarded points for their performance in the field.

Batting rules: 25 runs = 2.5 points, strike-rate bonus, par score bonus.

Bowling rules: 1 unassisted wicket = 2.5 points, 1 assisted wicket = 1.25 points for each contributor, multiple wicket bonuses, economy rate bonus, par score bonus.

Fielding rules: 1 unassisted wicket = 2.5 points, 1 assisted wicket = 1.25 points for each contributor, multiple wicket bonuses, par score bonus.

In the first 11 seasons, 10 players won the award with Shane Watson being the only player to win it twice. In this article, we try to make a list of top 10 most valuable players in the history of the league by combing the MVP of all the seasons together.

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#10 David Warner - 1692.5 MVP points

Warner helped SRH lift their first IPL trophy

David Warner of Sunrisers Hyderabad is a completely different player from the David Warner of Delhi Daredevils. After shifting his base to Hyderabad from Delhi, he has performed consistently for SRH and led his side to their only IPL title in 2016.

In 9 seasons of the Indian Premier League, Warner accumulated 4014 runs at an average of 40.55. He hit a total of 401 fours and 151 sixes and has a strike rate of 142.14. In the last four seasons, ever since he got transferred to SRH, he scored in 528, 562, 848, and 641 runs in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 seasons respectively. He also won the Orange Cap twice, in 2015 and 2017.

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#9 AB de Villiers - 1701 MVP points

AB de Villiers has the ability to dispatch the ball to all parts of the ground

Mr.360 needs no introduction. He is a beast in himself dispatching the ball to all part of the ground. After playing his first three seasons for the Delhi Daredevils, he shifted to Bangalore. Since then, he has become a core member of the Royal Challengers Bangalore side and has single-handedly won them many matches.

AB de Villiers has been part of all 11 seasons of IPL and has scored 3953 runs. He has an average of 39.53 and an incredible strike rate of 150.94. In all the previous editions, he made a total of 28 half-centuries and three centuries with the help of 326 fours and 185 sixes.

#8 Shane Watson - 1715.5 MVP points

Watson is the only player to win the MVP award twice

Shane Watson was the winner of the first MVP award way back in the inaugural season. He took 17 wickets and 472 runs in the first season and helped Rajasthan Royals win the first ever IPL. Shane Warne was the captain of the Jaipur-based team but if not for Watson's excellence with the bat and the ball, Rajasthan would not have won the title.

Barring the 2009 season, he played in the remaining 10 seasons and has a total of 3177 runs to his name. He scored these runs at a strike of 141.20 with an average of 32.42. In addition to these, he has also picked up 92 wickets at a decent strike rate of 22.01.

Due to his age, Watson might not be bowling a lot in the 12th edition but his exploits with the bat will be key to CSK's success.

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#7 Piyush Chawla - 1778.8 MVP points

Chawla is still the highest wicket-taker for KXIP

Piyush Chawla is one of the most underrated players in the Indian Premier League. Despite being overshadowed by his teammates, he has been consistent with his performances. Barring the 2017 season in which he played just 6 matches, he has picked up at least 10 wickets in each and every season.

In the 144 matches that he was part of, he picked up a total of 140 wickets and is the second most successful Indian bowler in the tournament. He has a decent economy rate of 7.71 and has picked up wickets at a strike rate of 20.41. In addition to that, he also contributes to the team with handy knocks lower down the order.

#6 Robin Uthappa - 1790 MVP points

Uthappa won the orange cap in 2014

In 2014 season, Robin Uthappa became the second Indian batsman, after Sachin Tendulkar, to win the Orange Cap. Due to his consistent performances with the bat and behind the stumps, KKR went onto win their second title in 2014.

Uthappa is the fifth highest run-getter in the history of the tournament with 4129 runs to his name. He has scored these runs at a strike rate of 131.71 and with an average of 28.67. In addition to that, he has also taken 82 catches and affected 32 stumpings in the prestigious tournament.

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#5 Yusuf Pathan - 1846 MVP points

Pathan played a key role in KKR's success

Yusuf Pathan is the only player other than Shane Watson to score more than 3000 runs and pick up 40 wickets. It was the all-around contributions of these two players that helped Rajasthan win the inaugural edition of IPL.

The big-hitting all-rounder has hit a total of 261 fours and 151 sixes. He also scored a century off just 37 balls and is the fastest Indian to reach this landmark in IPL. In 11 seasons, he scored a total 3164 runs at a strike rate of 144.08 with an average close to 30. He also picked up 42 wickets with a good economy rate of 7.33.

#4 Dwayne Bravo - 1869 MVP points

Bravo won the purple cap on two occasions

Dwayne Bravo is the only player in IPL history to pick up more than 100 wickets and score more than 1000 runs. By winning the purple cap in 2013 and 2015, Bravo became the first bowler to win the award more than once. His 32 wickets in the 2013 season are still the highest number of picked up by a bowler in a single season.

Bravo contributed with the ball in 9 seasons and is the fourth highest wicket-taker in the league and has an excellent strike rate of 17.19. Considering the fact that he bowls most of his overs at the death, his economy rate of 8.44 is commendable. He also scored 1403 runs at a decent strike rate of 128.72. Bravo is also a superlative fielder and has 69 catches to his name.

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#3 Rohit Sharma - 1929.5 MVP points

Rohit Sharma hit a total of 185 sixes in IPL

Rohit Sharma, the third highest run-scorer in IPL history, is one of the only three players to win the trophy on four occasions. After winning the trophy with erstwhile Deccan Chargers in 2009, he led Mumbai Indians to title in 2013, 2015, and 2017. During his stint with the Hyderabad based franchise, he took a hat-trick against his current team.

In the 11 seasons, he scored a total of 4493 runs at a strike rate of 131.03 and has an average of 31.87. Rohit Sharma has been consistent in IPL scoring at least 300 runs in every season except the previous one (2018).

#2 Harbhajan Singh - 2038.5 MVP points

Harbhajan played for the Mumbai Indians for 10 seasons

Other than Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh and Ambati Rayudu are the two other players to win the league on four occasions. Harbhajan was with the Mumbai Indians side for the first 10 seasons before donning the rival yellow of Chennai.

Harbhajan is the most successful off-spinner in the league's history with 134 scalps to his name. He achieved this feat by conceding runs at a measly rate of 7.08. He is also a handy batsman down the order and has scored 828 runs at a strike rate of 138.69.

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#1 Suresh Raina - 2369 MVP points

Suresh Raina is the most consistent player in IPL

The name Suresh Raina is synonymous to consistency in the Indian Premier League. He scored more than 400 runs in 9 of the 11 seasons so far. Even in the remaining two seasons, he scored a 374 (2015) and 399 (2016) runs. As a result, the southpaw tops the list of the highest run-scorer in IPL with 4985 runs in 172 innings.

He scored these runs with a strike rate of 138.47 and at an average of 34.38. His role at the No.3 position is one of the major reasons for CSK being the most successful franchise in IPL. In addition to scoring close to 5000 runs, he has also picked up 25 wickets with an economy rate of 7.43.