Gayle piling on the runs in IPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Chris Gayle is the leading runscorer in the ongoing Indian Premier League and is on course to winning the orange cap for the second year in a row. With 572 runs in 12 games (Ave: 57.20, SR: 152.12), the popular Jamaican is well ahead of the next best batsmen Ajinkya Rahane of Rajasthan Royals (480 runs, Ave: 43.63, SR: 132.59) and Virender Sehwag of Delhi Daredevils (476 runs, Ave: 39.66, SR: 167.01). Gayle has also hit the tournament’s most sixes (43), clearing the rope more than twice as many times as Kevin Pietersen (20)—second on the list. His eight sixes during his 81 against Pune Warriors is the second best tally for a single innings while he has managed six sixes in an innings on four other occasions.

Among the other West Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders offspinner Sunil Narine is tied for third among the wicket-takers with 15 in 10 (Ave: 14.60), while his economy rate of 5.47 is the fourth lowest among bowlers with more than 10 overs. Narine’s match figures of 4-0-19-5 against Punjab are the second best behind Chennai’s Ravendra Jadeja’s 4-0-16-5 against Deccan.

Though Mumbai’s Kieron Pollard has been relatively quiet with the bat (144 runs, Ave 20.57, SR: 138.46), his 12 victims in 10 games (Ave: 21.25, Econ: 8.01) place him in seventh on the wicket-takers list. Dwayne Bravo is leading Chennai Supper Kings’ batting averages with 35.14 runs per innings (246 runs, SR: 130.85) while he has taken nine wickets at 37.66 apiece (Econ: 8.07). Before being injured, medium pacer Kevon Cooper proved himself as an asset for the Rajasthan Royals, grabbing 10 wickets in six games (Ave: 17.40, Econ: 7.25), while Marlon Samuels performed reasonably for Pune Warriors with 124 runs (Ave: 17.71, SR:100.81) and eight wickets (Ave: 27.00, Econ: 7.53).