Cricket
21 Apr, 2025
The 2025 IPL has already kicked off, and the race for MVP is heating up quietly but intensely. This article brings you a professional data-driven analysis to predict who is most likely to become the 2025 IPL Most Valuable Player, and explains how the MVP is chosen.
We’ll cover which stats matter most in the MVP race, and also introduce other awards and prizes given in the tournament. Let’s dive in!
Each IPL season comes with five main awards, and among them, the most prestigious are: Orange Cap, Purple Cap, and Most Valuable Player.
Orange Cap: Awarded to the top run-scorer of the entire season.
Purple Cap: Given to the leading wicket-taker
Most Valuable Player (MVP): Selected based on cumulative performance points
The IPL MVP award was first introduced in 2008, originally named "Player of the Season." In 2013, it was officially renamed to "Most Valuable Player."
This award is based on a point system, where players earn points for various performances throughout the match.
Sounds familiar? That’s because the scoring system is the same as the one used in Fantasy Cricket, and currently, the award is officially known as the My11Circle Most Valuable Player, since they sponsor it.
The most direct stats that affect the IPL MVP score are, of course, the ones that actually earn points — like: Fours, Sixes, Wickets, Dot balls, Catches, Stumpings, etc.
But to truly evaluate a player’s performance and predict their MVP points, we need to look at advanced metrics too.
There are two important bowling statistics to consider:
Strike Rate and Economy Rate — both stats are key to understanding how effective a bowler is and how many MVP points they might rack up.
When it comes to batting, there are also two key metrics to look at:
SR (Batting Strike Rate) and Ave (Batting Average).
IPL MVP contenders are not always the most famous power hitters or star bowlers — instead, they are often all-rounders who contribute in both batting and bowling.
That’s because the MVP point system highly favors all-rounders, "a pure batter can’t take wickets or bowl dot balls" and "a pure bowler rarely hits sixes or fours". So, all-rounders usually have the best shot at winning the award.
So who are the top contenders for the Most Valuable Player in the 2025 IPL? Keep reading to find out!
Sunil Narine was last year’s MVP and is considered a top-tier all-rounder.
In the last season, he delivered:
While none of those stats were the highest individually, his consistent all-around performance helped him secure the MVP title.
Abhishek Sharma is one of the most highly anticipated young power hitters to watch. He can also support his team as a spin bowler, which gives him even more ways to earn MVP points. While most of his points come from batting, his occasional bowling adds bonus value — making him a strong MVP contender.
Shreyas Iyer was signed by the Punjab Kings on a max contract, and his performance in the opening match proved the team made the right call — he scored an impressive 97 runs.
The Punjab Kings are expected to build their batting lineup around him in upcoming games. Even though he doesn’t bowl, his current form and the trust the team has placed in him make him a serious contender for MVP this season.
Nicholas Pooran is an ultra-efficient attacker, having already delivered a phenomenal Batting Average of 62.37 last season — a top-tier level by any standard.
With Rishabh Pant currently out of form, the pressure is on Pooran to shoulder a greater share of the team's batting responsibilities — giving him a strong platform to accumulate MVP points.
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Other IPL 2025 Awards Besides the IPL MVP, there are several other major awards — just as prestigious and competitive. These include: Orange Cap, Purple Cap, Most Sixes Award and Emerging Player of the Year.
The Orange Cap goes to the top run-scorer of the entire season — including playoffs. The player who scores the most runs takes home the cap and a prize of Rs. 15 lakh. Last season’s Orange Cap winner was Virat Kohli.
The Purple Cap is awarded to the bowler who takes the most wickets during the entire season, including the playoffs. The winner receives the Purple Cap and a prize of Rs. 15 lakh. Last season’s Purple Cap winner was Harshal Patel.
The Most Sixes Award is given to the batter who hits the most sixes throughout the season. The winner takes home a prize of Rs. 10 lakh. Last season’s Most Sixes Award winner was Abhishek Sharma.
This award goes to the most outstanding young player of the season.
To qualify as an “emerging player,” a player must:
The winner is selected by an official judging panel and receives Rs. 20 lakh in prize money. Last season’s Emerging Player of the Year was Nitish Kumar Reddy.
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The award was established in 2008, initially called "Player of the Season" and renamed in 2013.
Shane Watson won the first MVP award in 2008 while playing for Rajasthan Royals.
Yes, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, and Shane Watson have all won the MVP award twice.
Sunil Narine set the highest-ever MVP points total with 450 points in 2024, leading by over 100 points.
Technically yes, but it has never happened before. Emerging Player of the Year is awarded to the best newcomer, who rarely achieves MVP-level performance in their first season.
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