IPL is the number one T20 league in the world, with thousands of players dreaming to earn a contract from one of the franchises in the league. Many cricketers have made it to the league and even achieved success. However, not all the successful IPL players have ended up winning the championship.
For example, back in the year 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli was at his peak and seemingly unstoppable. He scored more than 970 runs that season and yet his team fell short in the final match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While Virat Kohli’s team made the final in the 2016 season, here’s a list of three such instances when a batter fought like a one-man army, scoring 700 runs for his team and still that team did not finish in the Top 4 of the points table.
3. Chris Gayle – 708 runs in IPL 2013
Chris Gayle was in the form of his life when he joined the Royal Challengers Bangalore as a replacement for Dirk Nannes in the 2011 edition of the Indian Premier League. Gayle made an impact straightaway for RCB and helped the team qualify for the final that season. Two years later, he aggregated 708 runs in the tournament, but Bangalore finished outside the Top 4.
2. Faf du Plessis – 730 runs in IPL 2023
In the ongoing season, RCB captain Faf du Plessis aggregated 730 runs in the league stage for his franchise. However, the Bangalore-based franchise managed only seven wins in 14 matches and ended up in the sixth position in the points table.
1. Chris Gayle – 733 runs in 2012
Even the third name on the list is from RCB. Gayle had an even better season than 2013 in 2012, where he scored 733 runs. Yet, the Royal Challengers Bangalore did not qualify for the playoffs in that season. Gayle has now retired and works as a commentator.
