The Five Best Finishers in IPL History 

In white ball cricket, it is a necessity for teams to finish their batting stints on a high and that is why the finishers play a key role. Each team now has a player designated as a finisher and they will be someone who can close out an innings effectively.

These players play a pivotal role in scoring rapidly at the end overs in T20 cricket (typically the last 4 overs) and thus helping their team secure wins while chasing or posting those extra 15-20 runs batting first. Apart from scoring quick runs, a finisher should handle pressure situations and maintain calm heads. 

In short, they are the ones who can change the tide of the game in their teams’ favor. These moments not only improve the team’s overall success, but their power-hitting gives the audience some of the best entertainment.

IPL cricket is no different and we have seen batters lighting up the tournament with their finishing acts. Here are our picks for the best finishers in IPL history.

MS Dhoni 

The word finisher & MS Dhoni are synonymous with one another and is widely regarded as one of the best finishers of all time. Dhoni has time and again proved his ability to unleash at the end overs. He is really good at exerting pressure back on the bowlers, maintaining calmness in dire situations and making it look simple.

In the IPL as well, the former CSK captain has done enough to be called the league’s best finisher. The stats also support this claim as in the last 4 overs of an innings, Dhoni scored the most runs. Batting 172 times at the death, Dhoni has amassed a whopping 2786 runs at a strike rate of 189.00 with 175 sixes in that phase. None of the other batters have scored more than 2000 runs in the last 4 overs.

AB de Villiers 

One of the finest hitters of the cricket ball joins in next in the list of best finishers, IPL has ever seen. The former RCB player has some breathtaking shots in his kitty and has done some amazing things you can see on the cricketing field with the bat in hand. 

He becomes dangerous once set and tears apart any bowling attack on his day, having the ability to turn the game on its head. In the IPL, de Villiers strike rate shoots up to 232.56 batting in the last 4 overs and he has hit 1421 runs during this phase in just 75 innings.

Kieron Pollard 

The strongly build batter from West Indies, represented Mumbai Indians in the IPL and has consistently produced impactful performances for his team in the end overs. Like Dhoni, Pollard strides to the crease towards the fag end of the innings and has ability to hit from the word go.

His muscular presence puts fear in the bowlers and Pollard has blunted many of the bowling attacks throughout his IPL career. Playing 117 innings in overs between 16 and 20, Pollard strikes at 181.50 scoring 1708 runs.

Andre Russell

Another West Indies player makes it to the list, and it is the Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell. Like Pollard, when Russell hits the ball, it stays hit and invariably fetches his side maximum.  No boundary for this big Jamaican and over the years, he has proved his worth as a match-winner for KKR.

Russell strikes at over 203 in the death overs in the 63 innings he has batted in this phase during his career and has scored 1065 runs.

Hardik Pandya 

One of the most punishing Indian batters when on flow, Hardik Pandya can change the course of the match in space of few deliveries. The Mumbai Indians skipper displayed some crazy hitting capabilities when he entered the scene but transitioned himself to be reliable finisher for the teams he has played.

In the last 4 overs, Pandya has scored 1126 runs at a strike rate of 183.98 with 82 sixes against his name.