Virat Kohli to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: How top batsmen rank in IPL 2026 ‘fake shots’ charts

In today’s fast-scoring T20 cricket, batsmen are happy to get runs in any way possible. While cleanly timed shots and big sixes remain the most enjoyable strokes for the batsman, the aggressive nature of the format often forces players to fake shots. Yet some batsmen have managed to combine attacking cricket with remarkable control.KL Rahul has been one such batsman for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026. The opener has scored 593 runs in 14 matches at an average of 45.61 and a career-best strike of 174.41. His season included a century, a record 152 not out against the Punjab Kings – the first 150-plus score by an Indian in IPL history – and five fifties.Rahul has also hit 31 sixes this season, the second highest by a DC batsman after Rishabh Pant who hit 37 sixes in the 2018 season.Despite the high strike rate, Rahul has the lowest fake shot percentage this season at 12.1, according to CricViz, as quoted by news agency ANI. That means nearly 88 percent of his shots connected correctly.His closest players include Rajasthan Royals’ Dhruv Jurel and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen, both with a fake shot percentage of 12.6.Jurel scored 458 runs in 14 matches at a success rate of over 149, including five fifties, while Klaasen scored 606 runs in 14 matches at a success rate of over 159 with six fifties.Rajasthan Royals batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi also showed impressive control despite his attacking style. The 15-year-old scored 583 runs in 14 matches at an average of 41.64 and a strike of over 232, including a century, three fifties and 53 sixes. His fake shot percentage is 17.8, same as Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.On the other hand, some batsmen managed strong numbers despite committing more errors. Punjab Kings’ Cooper Connolly has the highest fake shot percentage this season at 25.6. He still scored 491 runs in 13 innings at an average of 44.63 and a strike of 163.12, including a century and two fifties.Orange Cap holder Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans has a fake shot percentage of 18.1. He scored 638 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 157.92, with a century and seven fifties, and managed to make the most of his scoring opportunities despite a higher error rate.