Virat Kohli leads the most fours in IPL history with 844 boundaries from 283 matches — the only batter to cross the 800-four mark in the tournament’s 19-season run. He surpassed Shikhar Dhawan’s long-standing record during the IPL 2025 final, and then kept adding to it through an impressive IPL 2026 campaign. Here’s the complete all-time top 20 list, a fours-per-innings rate column you won’t find on competitor pages, and the single-season records that show just how differently great boundary-hitters operate.
Quick Answer
Virat Kohli (RCB) holds the record for the most fours in IPL history — 844 fours from 283 matches. He broke Shikhar Dhawan’s record of 768 during the IPL 2025 final and extended it through IPL 2026. Closest retired rival: Dhawan (768). Most active challenger: Rohit Sharma (~660+). Highest fours in a single innings: 19 — jointly held by Paul Valthaty (vs CSK, 2011) and AB de Villiers (vs MI, 2015).
Most Fours in IPL History — Top 20 All-Time
The table below includes a Fours Per Innings (4s/Inn) column — the stat competitors don’t show. It separates volume hitters from frequency hitters, and the contrast is sharper than you’d expect.
| Rank | Player | Team(s) | M | Inns | Fours | 4s/Inn | Span |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | RCB | 283 | 275 | 844 | 3.07 | 2008–2026 |
| 2 | Shikhar Dhawan | DD/DC/SRH/DEC/MI/PBKS | 222 | 221 | 768 | 3.47 | 2008–2024 |
| 3 | David Warner | DC/SRH | 184 | 183 | 663 | 3.62 | 2009–2024 |
| 4 | Rohit Sharma | MI/DC | ~270 | ~267 | ~655 | ~2.45 | 2008–2026 |
| 5 | Ajinkya Rahane | RR/RPS/DC/MI/CSK/KKR | 201 | 198 | 518 | 2.61 | 2008–2026 |
| 6 | Suresh Raina | CSK/GL | 205 | 200 | 506 | 2.53 | 2008–2021 |
| 7 | Gautam Gambhir | DD/DC/KKR | 154 | 152 | ~490 | ~3.22 | 2008–2017 |
| 8 | Robin Uthappa | RCB/RR/KKR/CSK/SRH | 205 | 197 | 466 | 2.37 | 2008–2022 |
| 9 | Suryakumar Yadav | MI/KKR | ~175 | ~168 | ~460 | ~2.74 | 2012–2026 |
| 10 | Dinesh Karthik | Multi | ~229 | ~209 | ~450 | ~2.15 | 2008–2024 |
| 11 | AB de Villiers | RCB/DD | 184 | 170 | 413 | 2.43 | 2008–2021 |
| 12 | MS Dhoni | CSK/RPS | 264 | 204 | ~390 | ~1.91 | 2008–2023 |
| 13 | KL Rahul | Multi | ~150 | ~149 | ~385 | ~2.58 | 2013–2026 |
| 14 | Faf du Plessis | CSK/RCB/RPS | ~160 | ~155 | ~375 | ~2.42 | 2012–2025 |
| 15 | Ambati Rayudu | MI/CSK | 187 | 168 | ~360 | ~2.14 | 2010–2023 |
| 16 | Virender Sehwag | DD/DC/KXI/PBKS | 104 | 103 | 334 | 3.24 | 2008–2015 |
| 17 | Sachin Tendulkar | MI | 78 | 78 | 295 | 3.78 | 2008–2013 |
| 18 | Brendon McCullum | KKR/RCB/RR/CSK | 109 | 107 | ~275 | ~2.57 | 2008–2014 |
| 19 | Chris Gayle | KKR/RCB/KXIP | 142 | 137 | ~265 | ~1.93 | 2008–2021 |
| 20 | Rohit Sharma (2008–2015) | DC/MI | — | — | — | — | — |
📊 What the Fours-Per-Innings Rate Reveals
Kohli’s 3.07 fours per innings is excellent for someone who has batted 275 times — but it’s not the highest on the list. Sachin Tendulkar posted 3.78 fours per innings across 78 IPL innings, the best rate among players with 50+ appearances. Shikhar Dhawan’s 3.47 is the most telling number: he hit almost as many fours as Kohli in 54 fewer innings, meaning per knock, Dhawan was the more prolific boundary-scorer. Warner’s 3.62 backs that up — the top-3 on the frequency table are all openers who attacked from ball one, not grinders who accumulated over long seasons. Kohli’s record is a volume record. Dhawan and Warner’s are frequency records. That distinction matters when you’re reading fantasy stats or assessing batting approaches.
Most Fours in a Single IPL Season — Top 5
| Rank | Player | Season | Fours | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1= | B Sai Sudharsan | 2025 | 88 | GT | 759 |
| 1= | David Warner | 2016 | 88 | SRH | 848 |
| 3 | Shubman Gill | 2023 | 85 | GT | 890 |
| 4 | Virat Kohli | 2016 | 83 | RCB | 973 |
| 5 | Sai Sudharsan | 2026 | 75 | GT | 722 |
🏆 The Most Surprising Entry on the List
Sachin Tendulkar at #17 with 295 fours — and a 3.78 per-innings rate that beats everyone above him on frequency — should reframe how fans remember his IPL career. He retired from the IPL in 2013 after just 78 matches, a fraction of the longevity Kohli or Dhawan built. Had Tendulkar played 200 IPL matches at that same rate, his career fours tally would sit comfortably above 700. The “Master Blaster” label came from Test cricket, but in 78 IPL innings he was the most prolific four-hitter, ball for ball, of anyone in the tournament’s history.
The Record-Breaking Moment — Kohli Passes Dhawan in IPL 2025 Final
The record didn’t fall quietly. Kohli entered the IPL 2025 final between RCB and Punjab Kings needing just one four to surpass Dhawan’s 768. He got it in the first over — a drive through covers off the first delivery he middled — to put himself alone at the top of the all-time list. The milestone came in his 259th innings, compared to Dhawan’s 221. That gap isn’t a knock on Kohli: it reflects the reality that Dhawan attacked from the top order in a more aggressive role, while Kohli often batted in conditions and situations that required controlled accumulation. Both approaches produced extraordinary four counts.
Records Closing In — Who Can Challenge Kohli’s All-Time Mark?
With 844 fours and RCB retaining him for ₹21 crore heading into IPL 2026, Kohli kept adding. He hit 73 fours in IPL 2026 alone — the record is a moving target, not a settled one.
The active challengers are thinner than you might think. Rohit Sharma sits in the 655 range, but at 38 and coming off multiple injury-affected seasons, the pace of accumulation is slowing. He would need roughly 200+ fours across four or five more seasons to close the gap — possible, not probable. Suryakumar Yadav (~460 fours, 35 years old) has the batting profile but lacks the longevity — his IPL debut was in 2012, giving him fewer seasons to accumulate. Shubman Gill (late 20s, 85 fours in 2023 alone) is realistically the only current player who could threaten Kohli’s all-time mark if he plays at peak level for another eight seasons.
Kohli’s record is safe — but it’s a different record than people think it is. He didn’t beat Dhawan by being a more aggressive boundary-hitter. He beat him by lasting longer and staying fit across 19 straight seasons for a single franchise. On a per-innings basis, Dhawan was the more prolific four-scorer, and Warner was close. Kohli’s genius was volume: turning up season after season, rarely missing a game, always finding gaps. That is its own kind of extraordinary.
What I’m watching now is Shubman Gill. He hit 85 fours in 2023, 62 in 2025, 73 in 2026. If he plays at that clip through his early 30s, we’re talking about a realistic challenger by 2031 or 2032. He’s the only one with the technique, the age, and the temperament to make this interesting again. Rohit is too far behind and too old; SKY too inconsistent. Gill is the bet.
Most Fours in IPL History — FAQs
Who has hit the most fours in IPL history?
Virat Kohli (RCB) holds the record with 844 fours across 283 matches, as of June 2026. He surpassed Shikhar Dhawan’s previous record of 768 during the IPL 2025 final and extended his lead through IPL 2026, hitting 73 more fours that season. Kohli is the only player to cross 800 career fours in IPL history.
How many fours does Virat Kohli have in IPL?
Virat Kohli has hit 844 fours in IPL history across 283 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2008–2026). He hit 73 of those in IPL 2026 alone. His fours-per-innings rate of 3.07 is strong but notably lower than former record-holder Shikhar Dhawan’s 3.47, meaning Kohli’s record is built on longevity and consistency more than raw attacking frequency.
Who hit the most fours in a single IPL match?
The record is jointly held by Paul Valthaty and AB de Villiers, both on 19 fours in a single innings. Valthaty hit 19 boundaries while scoring 120* off 63 balls for Kings XI Punjab against CSK in 2011. De Villiers matched the feat with 19 fours in his extraordinary 133* off 59 balls for RCB against Mumbai Indians on 10 May 2015 at Wankhede Stadium.
Who has the highest fours-to-sixes ratio in IPL?
Shikhar Dhawan holds the most extreme ratio: 768 fours to just 152 sixes — a 5:1 ratio. He is fundamentally a placement batter who scores through the outfield rather than over it. Virat Kohli’s ratio is around 2.7:1 (844 fours to 316 sixes), reflecting more balance. At the opposite end, Chris Gayle hit roughly 1:1.3 — more sixes than fours — making him the most dominant six-hitter relative to boundaries in the top twenty.
What is the most fours hit in one IPL season?
The single-season record is jointly held by B Sai Sudharsan (88 fours for GT in IPL 2025) and David Warner (88 fours for SRH in IPL 2016). Shubman Gill is third with 85 fours for GT in IPL 2023. Virat Kohli’s record-breaking 2016 season produced 83 fours across 16 innings — fewer than Warner that same year, even though Kohli scored 125 more runs, which highlights how much Kohli relied on singles and twos inside the field.
Bottom Line
Virat Kohli’s 844 fours is the most by any player in IPL history — a record built across 19 seasons, 283 matches, and one franchise. The fours-per-innings table tells a different story underneath the headline: Dhawan, Warner, and even Sachin Tendulkar hit boundaries at a higher per-innings rate than Kohli, which means the record is as much about Kohli’s astonishing longevity as it is about his boundary-hitting. Shubman Gill is the only realistic long-term challenger, but he still needs the better part of a decade at peak output to get close. Track Kohli’s IPL 2026 Orange Cap race for his ongoing tally, and pair this record with IPL’s all-time most sixes list for the full boundary picture.
