The Indian Premier League is ready to return for another blockbuster season in 2026. Fans are still buzzing from the historic events of IPL 2025, where
the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their 18-year drought.
As teams regroup and strategies are redrawn for IPL 2026, the spotlight shifts to individual brilliance. Virat Kohli is by far the highest scorer in the IPL with 8,661 runs over the years. Rohit Sharma follows him as he has 7,046 runs. In the IPL, a total of 9 players have crossed the 5000 run mark over the years, and a few are close to crossing that.
Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav, and Jos Buttler are on the verge of joining the elite 5,000-run club this season. While all three of these phenomenal batters will take the field after an intense T20 World Cup, the race to 5,000 runs will be one of the key talking points of IPL 2026.
Sanju Samson (Chennai Super Kings)
Sanju Samson had a phenomenal T20 World Cup 2026 and will enter the arena as World Champion of the shortest format. From 2026 onwards, after being traded, he will play for the Chennai Super Kings. In IPL 2025, he etched his name in the history books by becoming the first batter to score 4,000 runs exclusively for the Rajasthan franchise. Over the years, the former RR captain has proven to be one of the most gifted stroke-makers in Indian cricket.
Total IPL Matches: 177
Total IPL Runs: 4,704
Highest Score: 119
Runs needed to reach 5000 IPL runs: 296 runs
Heading into IPL 2026, he only needs 296 runs to achieve 5,000 career runs. Given his consistency and his ability to anchor the top order, fans can expect him to comfortably reach this landmark in the first half of the new season.
Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians)
Suryakumar Yadav, affectionately known as "SKY," had an IPL season for the ages in 2025. Defying all odds from the middle order, he smashed a jaw-dropping 717 runs at an average of 65.18 and a massive strike rate of 167.92. He became the only middle-order batter in IPL history to cross 700 runs in a single season.
Total IPL Matches: 166
Total IPL Runs: 4,311
Highest Score: 103*
Runs needed to reach 5000 IPL runs: 689 runs
To reach the golden 5,000-run mark in IPL 2026, SKY will need exactly 689 runs. While scoring nearly 700 runs in a season is incredibly tough, his spectacular 2025 form proves that if anyone can do it, it is him. Mumbai Indians will heavily rely on him to push for the title this year.
Jos Buttler (Gujarat Titans)
One of the most dangerous white-ball batters in world cricket, Jos Buttler continues to be a nightmare for bowlers. After a long and highly successful stint with the Rajasthan Royals, Buttler shifted base and played for the Gujarat Titans in 2025, where he had a stellar campaign, scoring 538 runs in just 14 matches at a strike rate of 163.03.
Total IPL Matches: 121
Total IPL Runs: 4,120
Highest Score: 124
Runs needed to reach 5000 IPL runs: 880 runs
Buttler's career total now stands at 4,120 runs. He needs 880 runs in IPL 2026 to touch the 5,000-run barrier. Though scoring 880 runs in a single season is a monumental task (only Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill have scored more in a single year), Buttler's aggressive opening style means he can never be counted out of a record-breaking year.
