Graeme Smith IPL career from 2008 to 2011 was defined by fearless left-handed batting that produced 739 runs in 29 innings, striking at 110 runs per 100 balls. Opening the innings for Rajasthan Royals in 2008, 2009 and 2010 before finishing with Pune Warriors in 2011, the South African captain turned every 7.3 deliveries into either a boundary or a maximum, carving 94 fours and 9 sixes in total. Four half-centuries, topped by an unbeaten 91, showcased the same aggressive mindset that had already made him a global leader. With no bowling overs recorded, Smith’s sole focus was anchoring or exploding at the top, and his 739-run tally tells the story of a batsman who combined power with placement, guiding teams through the power-play and beyond.

Chris Gayle IPL story: 13 seasons, 4 965 runs, 357 sixes and one unforgettable 175. The self-styled “Universe Boss” walked into IPL 2009 with Kolkata Knight Riders, but it was at Royal Challengers Bengaluru from 2011-2017 that he became a global T20 icon—belting 404 fours and 357 sixes overall at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 148. In 141 innings he cleared the rope once every 9.3 balls and produced 31 half-centuries plus six blistering hundreds, the most famous being his record 175* off 66 balls at the Chinnaswamy in 2013. After his Bengaluru fireworks, Gayle took his power game to Punjab Kings, turning up in orange from 2018 to 2021 and continuing to pepper boundaries with the same ruthless ease. While he rolled his arm over occasionally—18 wickets in 38 bowling innings—his narrative is written in soaring sixes and match-winning hundreds that re-defined T20 batting forever.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.