Listing fastest overseas batters to 2,000 IPL runs (by innings)
What's the story
Sunrisers Hyderabad's explosive batter Heinrich Klaasen has crossed the 2,000-run mark in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The South African achieved this milestone with a match-winning 47-run knock against Chennai Super Kings at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Monday. Klaasen is already among the best middle-order batters in the league's history. On this note, we list down the fastest overseas batters to accomplish 2,000 IPL runs in terms of innings taken.
#3
Heinrich Klaasen - 58 innings
Klaasen takes the third spot on this elite list, having taken just 58 innings to reach the milestone. Overall, he has played 62 matches in the IPL, scoring a total of 2,035 runs at an average of 42.39. As per ESPNcricinfo, his strike rate is over 165.71, second only to Andre Russell (174.17) among overseas players with at least 1,600 runs in the tournament. The South African star has two centuries and 12 fifties to his name in this league.
#2
Shaun Marsh - 52 innings
Former Australian cricketer Shaun Marsh took just 52 innings to get past 2,000 runs in the league. The southpaw finished his IPL career with 2,477 runs across 71 games at a strike rate of 132.74. His tally included 20 fifties besides a ton. The veteran's average of 39.95 is still the third-best among overseas batters with at least 2,000 IPL runs. Marsh last featured in the tourney in 2017.
#1
Chris Gayle - 48 innings
The self-proclaimed Universe Boss, Chris Gayle, tops this elite list, as he needed just 48 innings to go past 2,000 runs. In a career spanning over a decade, the left-handed batsman amassed 4,965 runs from 142 matches at an incredible average of 39.72. He owns a strike rate of 148.96, having smashed six tons and 31 fifties. Gayle also leads IPL's six-hitting chart with 357 maximums under his name. Overall, only Sai Sudharsan has attained the 2,000-run mark faster than Gayle (47 innings).