Here are 10 Indian batting stars in the IPL who have also had prolific domestic first-class careers.
Across-format batting at the highest level are rapidly becoming a shrinking set, especially if one looks at the extremities of Tests and T20Is. Yet, some Indians have become IPL stars while maintaining a reasonable record in first-class cricket.
Here is a list of such versatile batters. The list does not include capped Test cricketers like Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prithvi Shaw, Suryakumar Yadav, Rajat Patidar, etc.
Rinku Singh (Uttar Pradesh)
51 matches | 3,501 runs at 57.39, HS: 165*, 8 hundreds
A regular in the India T20I squad (who often features in the XI), Rinku strikes at an astonishing 205 in T20 death overs. However, he has also been a mainstay of the Uttar Pradesh middle-order in the Ranji Trophy. Among active cricketers, only Sarfaraz Khan and Kamindu Mendis have more runs at a higher average in first-class cricket.
Ayush Badoni (Delhi)
18 matches | 1,444 runs at 62.78, HS: 205*, 4 hundreds | 21 wickets at 20.76
Only 25, Badoni has been leading Delhi for some time, and has been amassing runs (and taking wickets!) for them. A double ton against East Zone in the Duleep Trophy brought him in India A contention, and he did get a “Test” and two “ODIs” against Australia A earlier this year. Once that was done, he routed Hyderabad was 6-73.
Tilak Varma (Hyderabad)
23 matches | 1,562 runs at 50.38, HS: 121, 7 hundreds
Pitted against Badoni in the last Ranji match was Tilak, who is now a regular for the Mumbai Indians and in the Indian T20I side. Tilak’s temperament as well as his ability to play shots around the wicket help him adapt to the longer formats from his early days. His off-breaks have been sparingly used in first-class level, but it is a handy skill. Seven of his 12 fifty-plus scores have been hundreds.
Ruturaj Gaikwad (Maharashtra)
41 matches | 2,994 runs at 44.02, HS: 195, 8 hundreds
Earmarked as a long-term prospect by the Chennai Super Kings, Gaikwad led India in their gold-winning mission at the 2023 Asian Games. His List A average (56.15) is the fifth-best in the history of the format, but Gaikwad also has an impressive first-class career.
Deepak Hooda (Baroda, Rajasthan)
61 matches | 3,823 runs at 44.97, HS: 293*, 13 hundreds
A long-standing middle-order bat for Baroda and now Rajasthan, Hooda briefly shone in the 2021 IPL, which earned him ODI and T20I caps. He continues to feature in the IPL as well as in the Ranji Trophy, where he started the 2025/26 season with 130 against Chhattisgarh. His off-breaks, however, are seldom needed in the format.
Vijay Shankar (Tamil Nadu, Tripura)
71 matches | 3,772 runs at 44.90, HS: 150*, 11 hundreds
A rare secondary skill – seam-up bowling – had boosted Vijay Shankar’s chances of a place in the India side in both limited-overs formats. He seldom bowls in first-class cricket, but he regularly scores big. Not even 35, he should have a few more years left in him – as of now, for Tripura.
Shahbaz Ahmed (Bengal)
34 matches | 1,892 runs at 43.00, HS: 116, 1 hundred | 103 wickets at 23.17
Shahbaz has been around for seven years, but his numbers – 43 with the bat, 23 with the ball – make him an incredible domestic batter. Unfortunately, he bowls left-arm finger-spin and bats left-handed, and the competition in India for these skillsets is fierce at the top level. The fifty-to-hundred (one out of 15) conversion ratio is a concern, though.
Shivam Dube (Mumbai)
25 matches | 1,541 runs at 44.02, HS: 121*, 4 hundreds | 58 wickets at 21.72
Often perceived as a T20 six-hitter, Dube has virtually cemented his place in the India T20I side. In domestic first-class cricket, his batting average matches that of several top-quality specialist batters. And unlike some others on this list, Dube bowls quite often in domestic cricket.
Lalit Yadav (Delhi, Goa)
20 matches | 1,164 runs at 44.76, HS: 213, 2 hundreds
An out-and-out Delhi cricketer (he plays for the Capitals as well), Lalit moved to Goa this season and celebrated his move with a double ton and four wickets against Chandigarh. A prolific scorer in domestic cricket, Lalit bowls off-breaks on a regular basis.
Manish Pandey (Karnataka)
118 matches | 7,973 runs at 50.78, HS: 238, 25 hundreds
Back in 2009, Pandey became an instant sensation by becoming the first Indian to score an IPL hundred. Sixteen years down the line, he has the third-most runs for Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy (6,695) – and he is only 431 runs behind Brijesh Patel, the top name on that list. The Test cap never came, but he has played for India in the two other formats.
