5 Leading Candidates For Orange Cap in IPL 2026

The 2026 IPL season is just a week away, with all eyes set on the team that will go on to secure the title after a gruelling two-month-long campaign. Every season brings a lot of excitement, with the upcoming season being all the more special for defending champions, RCB. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Punjab Kings in the 2025 IPL final by a narrow margin of six runs, to clinch their maiden title. IPL Batting has also taken a drastic shift, ever since the Impact Player rule was introduced in the league.

Over the last three seasons, batsmen have enjoyed the upper hand, with breathtaking sixes, nerve-wracking finishes, and superior strike-rates taking center-stage.

Amidst the spectacle, the race will also be on for the Orange Cap, which is awarded to the player who scores the most runs in a single season. Gujarat Titans’ Sai Sudharsan won it last summer after scoring 759 runs, at an average of 54.21 and a strike-rate of 156.17. Sudharsan was followed in the Orange Cap list by Suryakumar Yadav (717 runs), Virat Kohli (657 runs) and Shubman Gill (650 runs). 

SAI SUDHARASAN WITH THE ORANGE CAP IN IPL 2025 💪 pic.twitter.com/SEDcH6qJMG

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) April 12, 2025

Historically, David Warner, Kohli, and Chris Gayle are the only players who have secured the Orange Cap title multiple times (twice each). By analyzing the 2026 squads, it is straightforward to identify the top contenders for the Orange Cap.

Virat Kohli (Royal Challengers Bengaluru)

On top of this list is RCB icon Virat Kohli, who is the leading contender to win the Orange Cap. Marking his return to the pitch after a two-month break, the 37-year-old is the all-time highest run-getter in the competition’s history. Kohli is just 339 runs short of in fact, becoming the first player to score 9,000 runs in the Indian Premier League.

The 2025 IPL season was all the more special for Kohli, as he finally broke an 18-year trophy drought. He finished as the team’s highest run-getter, scoring 657 runs at an average of 54.75, and a strike-rate of 144.71. Even in the final against the Punjab Kings, Virat Kohli scored a much-needed 43 runs off 35 balls, while forging three crucial partnerships.

Sanju Samson (Chennai Super Kings)

A player who experienced a redemption like no other, Sanju Samson is another leading candidate for the 2026 IPL Orange Cap. The 31-year-old, however, will play for Chennai Super Kings, following a blockbuster trade deal from the Rajasthan Royals. Samson’s move to Chennai saw veteran all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja move the other way to Jaipur. 

The reason he is tipped to win the Orange Cap is because of the near-perfect campaign he had with the Indian team at the recently concluded T20 World Cup. Samson won the Player of the Tournament award for scoring 321 runs in just five innings at an average of 80.25, including consecutive match-winning scores of 97*, 89, and 88 up to the final. 

Ishan Kishan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Another player who enjoyed a stellar 2026 T20 WC campaign, Ishan Kishan is also among the leading Orange Cap contenders. He finished as the Men in Blues’ second-highest run-getter with 317 runs in nine innings, at an average of 35.22 and a strike-rate of 193.29. The best of Kishan was on display against Pakistan in the group stages, where he scored 77 runs off just 40 balls.

Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, Ishan Kishan scored 354 runs in 14 IPL matches last summer. He then went on to finish the year on a high, captaining Jharkhand to its first-ever Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title. He even shone with the bat during the 2025 SMAT season, scoring 517 runs in ten matches at an average of 57.44, and a strike-rate of 197.32. 

Aiden Markram (Lucknow Super Giants)

South African T20I captain Aiden Markram could also win the IPL Orange Cap, and he is all prepared to play for Lucknow Super Giants. Having forged a brilliant opening pair with Mitchell Marsh in IPL 2025, Markram’s form in the shortest format of the game has been at an all-time high. At the 2026 T20 WC, he finished with 286 runs to his name in a total of eight games. 

In IPL 2025, the 31-year-old had scored 445 runs in 13 matches, and a strike-rate of 148.82. Not only does Markram provide stability, but he also possesses an attacking instinct, which was surely on display during the Proteas’ run to the T20 World Cup semi-final. Prior to that, he had scored 309 runs in seven innings in the 2025-26 SA20 season, for Durban Super Giants. 

Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Rajasthan Royals)

14-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi might turn out to be the surprise package, given he is all prepared to play for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2026. He has been making waves with his electrifying power-hitting. In a victorious U-19 World Cup campaign for India, the young left-hander scored 439 runs at an average of 62.71, including a record-breaking 175 off 80 balls in the final vs. England.

Apart from them, several others could also win the Orange Cap. Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dewald Brevis, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler, Finn Allen, Nicholas Pooran, Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head, Heinrich Klaasen, Shreyas Iyer, Phil Salt, Shimron Hetmyer, and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the other contenders. 

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