IPL 2025: Which Indian Players Have Played the Most IPL Matches?

MS Dhoni - 274 Appearances

When you think about the yellow jersey of the Chennai Super Kings, you inevitably picture it being donned by the unmistakable image of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The former India captain was the franchise’s first captain and has featured in every edition of the IPL since its inception back in 2008. 

Dhoni has made a total of 274 appearances in the 18 seasons he has played, and has scored 5,394 runs during that period. He was forced to move to the Rising Pune Supergiant in the two years that CSK was banned from the IPL for a betting a spot-fixing scandal involving the franchise’s owners. 

Now, at the age of 43, Dhoni has led the Super Kings to an incredible 10 IPL finals and won five, making them the joint-most successful franchise in the competition alongside the Mumbai Indians. Dhoni will be back in action on Saturday when his side face RCB, and you can check out our Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings prediction ahead of the toss. 

Rohit Sharma - 267 Appearances

While most will remember Rohit Sharma as one of the Mumbai Indians' greatest players when he eventually calls time on his career, his IPL journey actually began with the now-dissolved Deccan Chargers, with whom he won his first-ever title back in 2009. 

It was his performance for the Chargers that put him on the radar of MI, who snapped him up soon after and handed him the captaincy. Sharma led Mumbai to their first IPL title in his first year with the team and has gone on to become their highest run-scorer in the competition with 6,921 runs. 

With the ever-changing nature of the IPL and considering Dhoni’s career is likely nearing an end, Sharma could end his career with an incredible record, and one that will take some beating - he is the only player to have won the IPL six times!

Virat Kohli - 262 Appearances

Five matches behind Sharma in third place in the all-time appearances list is the poster boy of Indian cricket over the last decade, Virat Kohli. The one thing that sets King Kohli apart from anyone else on this list is that he has played all 18 seasons of the IPL for a single team - the Royal Challengers Bangalore. 

Of course, what that also means is that Kohli has not lifted the IPL title throughout his illustrious career, as RCB have never won the competition despite reaching the final on three occasions, in 2009, 2011 and 2016. 

Still, Kohli will likely go down as one of, if not the best batsman the Indian Premier League has ever seen. Over his 18 seasons, he has racked up an incredible 8,447 runs, more than 1,500 more than the second-highest run-scorer in the competition, Rohit Sharma. 

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