Which Indian players played the most number of IPL matches?

The Indian Premier League is one of the most lucrative leagues in terms of money for players, and sometimes for fans, because they get to watch their favorite cricketers at the home grounds. In some cases, players get to watch them playing in the league only as the league demands limited commitment, making it easy for the players to participate.

One of the primary players in the list is MS Dhoni, the legendary face for the Tamil Nadu-based franchise Chennai Super Kings. For Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja, fans get to watch them playing in the format in the league only. Well, here are five Indians who have played the most number of IPL matches. Notably, all the top five players took part in the league since its inaugural year, 2008.

Top 5 players with most number of IPL matches

1 | MS Dhoni- 278 matches

MS Dhoni is among the most successful figures in IPL history. He led Chennai Super Kings to five titles, a joint record. Dhoni has played a record 278 IPL matches, captained 229 games, won 134 as captain, reached playoffs 12 times, and holds the most wicketkeeping dismissals with 201 in league history. As a batter, he has  5,439 runs in 242 innings at an impressive average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45 and is still one of the biggest crowd-pullers at the age of 44.

2 | Rohit Sharma- 272 matches

Rohit Sharma has won six IPL titles, including five as Mumbai Indians captain in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020, and one with Deccan Chargers in 2009. He has played 272 matches, scored 7,046 runs (the third highest in the league) in 267 innings, averages 29.73 with a strike rate of 132.10, hit two centuries, 47 half-centuries, 640 fours, and 302 sixes.

3 | Virat Kohli- 267 matches

Virat Kohli is the highest run-scorer in IPL history with 8,661 runs. He has played 267 matches and batted in 259 innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru since 2008. Kohli averages 39.55 with a strike rate of 132.86, scoring eight centuries and 63 half-centuries. He captained RCB in 143 matches from 2013 to 2021 and was part of their IPL title win in 2025.

4 | Dinesh Kartik- 257 matches

Dinesh Karthik has played 257 IPL matches across six franchises. He scored 4,842 runs in 234 innings, with a highest score of 97*. His best season came in 2013 with the Mumbai Indians, scoring 510 runs and winning the title. As a wicketkeeper, he recorded 174 dismissals, including 137 catches and 37 stumpings, second only to MS Dhoni.

5 | Ravindra Jadeja- 254 matches

Ravindra Jadeja has played 254 IPL matches since 2008. He has scored 3,260 runs, taken 170 wickets, and completed 109 catches. Jadeja is the only IPL player with 1,000-plus runs, 100-plus wickets, and 100-plus catches. His best bowling figures are 5/16. He captained CSK in eight matches in 2022, winning two.