PHOTOS: The best of the Indian Premier League

With a day left for the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League to commence, it is time for total recall.

The fledgling tournament has seen a slew of impressive performances since its inception in 2008, and the upcoming edition promises more.  

In the first part of a series, rediff.com takes a look at the players who have scored the mosts runs in the lucrative Twenty20 extravaganza.

Suresh Raina (Chenai Super Kings)

A consistent feature in a remarkably consistent team, Suresh Raina has proven his worth in gold in each of the five seasons. 

The 26-year-old has aggregated 2254 runs from 81 matches thus far, and at an impressive strike rate (139) at that.

Chennai Super Kings will again rely heavily on him in their bid to regain the crown it lost to Kolkata Knight Riders last season.

Gautam Gambhir (Kolkata Knight Riders)

After a successful stint with Delhi Daredevils, Gautam Gambhir moved to Kolkata Knight Riders, taking over the captaincy from crowd favourite Sourav Ganguly.

He had big boots to fill, what with the passionate Kolkata fans not imaging anyone but Dada as captain. 

To his credit, Gambhir led from the front, scoring 407 runs, even as KKR won their maiden title. 

The left-hander, thus far, has scored 2065 runs from 72 matches and will have to play a crucial role for the team from Kolkata to defend its title.

Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai Indians)

When a batting list is being made, can Sachin Tendulkar's name be left out?

The big-spending Mumbai Indians may have flattered to deceive in each of the five editions. The Master Blaster, though, stamped his authority in the tournament, scoring 2047 runs from 64 matches. 

For the record, he also won the Orange Cap, awarded to the batsman with most runs in the tournament, in 2010 - scoring 618 runs from 15 matches.

Rohit Sharma (Mumbai Indians)

Long considered a promising talent, Rohit Sharma may have failed to live up to the expectations for the national team but when it comes to the IPL he is regarded as a marquee player.

After a supremely successful stint with Deccan Chargers (now Sunrisers), Sharma moved to Mumbai Indians and carried forward his good run since. 

The 25-year-old has so far scored 1975 runs in 78 matches, and at an impressive strike rate (129).

Jacques Kallis (Kolkata Knight Riders)

The only foreign player in the list, Jacques Kallis was Mr Dependable for both the teams he has played for. 

While he exceled in the colours of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the initial seasons, he moved to Kolkata Knight Riders and has been a vital cog in their scheme of things. 

An aggregate of 1965 runs, from 74 matches, highlights his success in the tournament. Besides, he also delivers with the ball.