Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma? Dinesh Karthik Picks Best The IPL Batter

Before the start of the 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the former Indian and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicket-keeper batter, Dinesh Karthik, has picked his best batter of the 20-over league, as he betrayed several quality batters, including MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma to choose Virat Kohli as the best in the list.

Karthik, who played the last three years for the Bengaluru side since 2022 and smashed 326 runs at a strike rate of 187.35, thanks to two half-centuries last year, has taken the mentor's role for the 2016-runners-up.

Dinesh Karthik picks Virat Kohli as the best IPL batter

In the first choice, between KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, Karthik went with the former West Indies opener, who is the eighth leading run-getter of the tournament with 4965 runs in 141 innings at an average of 39.72 and a strike rate of nearly 150, shouldering on 31 fifties and six centuries.

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Gayle won the battle against the five-time IPL winning captain, Rohit Sharma, before getting the better of Faf du Plessis and Robin Uthappa to be in the race for the best IPL batter, according to Dinesh Karthik. The Tamil Nadu batter changed his mind when Ab de Villiers, with 5162 IPL runs, arrived on the list.

But he was quick to flip the name after the inclusion of Suresh Raina. Mr. IPL is the tournament’s fifth leading run-getter with 5528 runs in 200 innings at an average of 32.51 and a strike rate of 136.73, shouldering on 39 fifties and one century.

He changed his mind again after Virat Kohli’s arrival but stayed with the name even when David Warner came on the list. The southpaw is the event’s fourth-highest run-getter with 6565 runs at a strike rate of around 140, thanks to four centuries and 62 half-centuries. Kohli went past Shikhar Dhawan and MS Dhoni in the battle.

None of Gautam Gambhir, Jos Buttler, and Shubman Gill could get the better of Kohli as the former Indian and RCB batter won the battle to be the best of the IPL.

Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rohit Sharma’s IPL performance

Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in IPL history with 8004 runs in 244 innings at an average of 38.66 and a strike rate of 131.97, having on 55 half-centuries and eight centuries at the best score of unbeaten 113 runs.

On the other hand, MS Dhoni is the tournament’s sixth-highest run-getter with 5243 runs in 229 innings at an average of 39.12 and a strike rate of 137.53, thanks to 24 half-centuries at the best score of unbeaten 84 runs against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

In the comparison of both the veteran’s captaincy, Dhoni is way ahead of Virat Kohli with five titles for the Chennai Super Kings. Kohli led the RCB side to the final of the 2016 season when they ended as the runners-up of the event against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

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Rohit is the third leading run-getter of the event with 6628 runs in 252 innings at an average of 29.72 and a strike rate of 131.14, thanks to 43 fifties and two centuries.

Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni - Who's the best IPL batter? @DineshKarthik names his choice, on Winner Stays On#IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/QVvpbxRXko

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 16, 2025

Virat Kohli to face MS Dhoni on March 28

With Dhoni's international retirement, both the veterans can only meet each other during the IPL. They will face each other on March 23 in the second encounter of both sides at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 28.

The reverse fixture of both sides will take place on May 03. Both players will take part in the competition only as players, as Rajat Patidar and Ruturaj Gaikwad will lead the respective sides.