Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
There have been several players of the tournament in IPL history whose whirlwind performances have birthed a culture of excellence and pure grit. There have been some dazzling names, some rising talents and some accomplished match winners who have been part of the winners list when it comes to the famous player of the tournament in IPL history. Some talents are definitely Indians and then, there are, actually speaking no fewer than three different West Indians, and different Australian talents who have made the famous franchise-based T20 competition such a joy to watch. They have entertained, enthralled and blazed a trail for many to follow. As the recent season of the known Indian Premier League came to an end in 2025 a few weeks ago, let us rewind to appreciate some dazzling additions who from the onset of the IPL's inception till its very last season become glowing additions to the player of the tournament in IPL's history.
Player of the Tournament in IPL history
In IPL 2025 season
Player Name: Suryakumar Yadav
Team: Mumbai Indians
With 717 runs in the 17 matches he played in the IPL 2025, SKY, as he's famously called, earned the big IPL Player of the tournament and made history in earning his first ever venerable IPL decoration and this was thoroughly deserved. His easy going mannerisms and the ability to whack the white ball enterained fans from around the world tuning into the IPL.
In IPL 2024 season
Player Name: Sunil Narine
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
This was the third time that the famous T20 icon player, actually an icon in his own right, won the IPL player of the tournament award. Back in 2024, the famous Trinidadian claimed 17 wickets and hit 488 runs and bowled at an economy under 7 to win the famed crown. Previously, Narine had won the precious crown in 2012 and the 2018 IPL editions.
In IPL 2023 season
Player Name: Shubman Gill
Team: Gujarat Titans
A batting giant in the works, a highly admired cricketer and currently, not just the captain of the Test team in England but also of his decorated Gujarat Titans team in the IPL, in 2023, it was all about Shubman Gill who scored 890 runs from 17 matches. He hit various centuries and earned worthy praise for his outstanding batting. He was thus one of the most respected and well liked names in the player of the tournament in IPL's history.
In IPL 2022 season
Player Name: Jos Buttler
Team: Rajasthan Royals
One of the famous names in the great player of the tournaments in IPL's history is Buttler, who with his staggering batting and ability to hit and score freely in the 2022 season made him the standout IPL star.
The stylish right hander thudded 863 runs and he did that at a scoring rate of 149, his average touching 58.
This was the time when there was no big talent in their camp such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi.
In IPL 2021 season
Player Name: Harshal Patel
Team: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
In the IPL 2021 season, a vital name added to the player of the tournament list in IPL history. It was Harshal Patel from the RCB camp, which was Patel's team back then. He was known for his impressive economical spells and he captured 32 wickets that season. In so doing, he even broke the great Bumrah's record for most wickets in a single IPL season.
In IPL 2020 season
Player Name: Jofra Archer
Team: Rajasthan Royals
Archer is today a critical member of the rising English side in the one-day arena, a format where despite winning the World Cup back in 2019, they sort of lost some rhythm. But again, England in ODI set up are a force to reckon with and are getting there in terms of being counted among the top three ODI sides at present.
Archer in 2020 was a great name to the IPL player of the tournament and captured 20 wickets at an oustanding average of 18. Moreover, he conceded just 6.55 runs an over. Impressive, right?
In IPL 2019 season
Player Name: Andre Russell
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
The man described as "Muscle Russell" was clearly the most powerful name in the player of the tournament list in IPL history back then. He was a force to reckon with and compiled 510 runs and that too, from just 14 games at a strike rate that was north of 204. He was also skilled with the white ball, taking 11 wickets. The burly Jamaican was the key IPL player that time.
In IPL 2018 season
Player Name: Sunil Narine
Team: Kolkata Knight Rider
Once a Trinidadian, always a star! Such a sobriquet sort of does justice to the great man Sunil Narine, especially keeping in mind his IPL heroics and the general T20 heroics, a format in which he is a bonafide legend. Back then, the famous left-hander fired 357 runs and at an astonishing strike rate of 189 and he also took 17 wickets back then.
In IPL 2017 season
Player Name: Ben Stokes
Team: Rising Pune SuperGiant
Ben Stokes' England helps them to get up higher in terms of their collective team performances. He's that kind of a legend really! And back in the 2017 edition of the tournament, the blazing left-hander with the bat who bowls right arm medium pace, struck 316 runs for the then RPS side from 12 games and also claimed 12 wickets, including a 3-for. He also carved a century in that tournament.
In IPL 2016 season
Player Name: Virat Kohli
Team: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The kings do it differenlty, don't they? Kohli, who scored 973 runs in that edition of the IPL, thus leading the charge by an example, was still not able to win the precious IPL title but still was the beautiful and amazing Player of the tournament of IPL award winner. And boy, did he deserve that! He averaged 81 with the bat back then.
In IPL 2015 season
Player Name: Andre Russell
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
The big Jamaican struck in the 2015 season, 326 runs along with 3 fifties and was clearly the go-to batsman of his team in that season particularly for his lambasting ways with the willow. He also picked 14 useful wickets with his right arm medium pace back then.
In IPL 2014 seaon
Player Name: Glenn Maxwell
Team: Punjab Kings
That was the era of Maxwell's big show, rather the murderous streak in which Maxwell thumped bowlers of all IPL teams. He scored in the 2014 IPL season, 552 runs from 16 matches and helped his Punjab side to reach the final. Thus becoming a great name added to the list of the player of the tournament in IPL's history.
In IPL 2013 season
Player Name: Shane Watson
Team: Rajasthan Royals
Majestic, always glorious, and so good to watch, both with the white ball and the bat in hand, Watto, as he is still famously called, was in his own element back in the 2012 edition of the famed IPL. He scored 462 precious runs for his Rajasthan side and that too, from just 16 matches in which he also struck a mega 61-ball-century, resulting in 101 runs in a single innings. He was truly at his dominant best back then for RR.
In IPL 2012 season
Player Name: Sunil Narine
Team: Kolkata Knight Riders
Narine was truly fabulous back in the 2012 season of the IPL in which he captured 24 wickets from just 15 matches and took a great fifer in there as well. Clearly, a standout spinner then, not that a lot has changed about his herculean talent now.
In IPL 2011 season
Player Name: Chris Gayle
Team: Royal Challengers Bengaluru
The Gayle force, the one maverick rather lion of a batsman with the bat that one can and could see all the time, the Jamaican scored in 2011 scored a massive 608 runs in the famous tournament, thus topping the charts. He even struck 2 centuries and finished with a colossal batting average of north of 67. There were 44 sixes and 57 boundaries smashed back then. What a feat!
In IPL 2010 season
Player Name: Sachin Tendulkar
Team: Mumbai Indians
The great maestro, the legend, the master and the best that Mumbai Indians have ever seen as a batter; in some ways Tendulkar thumping the IPL scoring charts in 2010 was a firm reminder of his genius talent and the will to adapt to the game's briefest format.
He made from 15 games, 618 whirlwind runs and that was truly a phenomenal part. Oh, how one misses those great grand IPL times, isn't it?
In IPL 2009 season
Player Name: Adam Gilchrist
Team: Deccan Chargers
A total and true blue cricketing legend, a bonafide hero of Australian cricket, Gilly, as he is lovingly called, was the star in everyone's mind when it came to the 2009 season. He scored 564 mega runs in that particular edition of the tournament and became the second Australian captain to win an IPL crown. A mighty fine feat, wouldn't you agree?
In IPL 2008 season
Player Name: Shane Watson
Team: Rajasthan Royals
A young Shane Watson back then, who by the way, still looks ready and seriously up for a challenge, despite having retired was the vital contributor to the title won under the legendary Shane Warne's captaincy. That season, Watson struck a brilliant tally of 472 runs and contributed majorly to his team's fortunes alongside names like Warne, himself and the fine bowler Sohail Tanvir.
