5 Orange Cap Contenders in IPL 2024
The hoopla around the Indian Premier League is now back. The biggest question ahead of the new season is: Who could be the highest run-scorer or the Orange Cap Winner? This blog will look at the five contenders for Orange Cap.
5 Orange Cap Contenders in IPL 2024
Orange Cap is one of the prestigious awards in IPL. Shaun Marsh, roped in by Kings XI Punjab in the 2008 IPL auction, was the first player to win the award, while Shubman is the latest player to join the prestigious club. Legendary left-handed duo Chris Gayle and David Warner are the only players to have won the award multiple times.
Looking at their present form and their IPL track record, we have closed in on these five players who could win the Orange Cap award in 2024:
- Shubman Gill
- Quinton de Kock
- Cameron Green
- KL Rahul
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
Shubman Gill
In the 2023 season, Shubman Gill amassed 890 runs in just 17 games with three hundreds and four fifties. Gill has a tremendous front stride and usually hits the ball on the up, making his stroke play look pleasing to the eyes. The opening batter played his first IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2018, and by the time he left the franchise in 2021, he had turned himself into one of the most formidable batters.
KKR would have kicked themselves as they saw Gill amass 483 runs in 2022 and close to 900 runs the following season. He was the Orange Cap winner in the 2023 edition. In 2024, Gill will likely enhance his flawless striking on the docile Indian pitches, which are tailor-made for batting. There is a high chance that he will retain the Orange Cap.
Quinton de Kock
De Kock might have played his debut season in 2013, but he had a breakout season in 2016, where he accounted for 445 runs for the Delhi Daredevils. He never looked back, as he amassed 529 and 503 runs for the Mumbai Indians in the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
In 2022, he moved to the Lucknow Super Giants, accounting for 508 runs, including a superb unbeaten century against the Kolkata Knight Riders. De Kock has great front-foot play and executes perfect shots through the leg side. Already done with Test and ODI formats, De Kock will be free from his burdens and look to continue his excellent run in the IPL.
Cameron Green
Bought for a whopping ₹17.5 crore by the Mumbai Indians, Cameron Green proved he is total value for money. The Aussie all-rounder already has a century in his maiden IPL campaign, where he helped his team chase down a 200-run total against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Wankhede Stadium.
Green was an asset for Mumbai at number three and, in all likelihood, will keep batting in the top order for Royal Challengers Bangalore, who bought him for the five-time champions a few days ahead of the IPL 2024 auction. His consistent scores and ability to get big scores make him the biggest contender for the Orange Cap next season.
KL Rahul
No cricketer in the history of the IPL has been as consistent as KL Rahul. He debuted in IPL in 2013, but his best came in the subsequent years. He amassed a 600-plus run tally on four occasions starting in 2018 when he moved to the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab). For the Mohali-based franchise, he scored 659, 670, and 626 runs in the 2018, 2020, and 2021 seasons. Rahul then registered 616 runs in his first season at Lucknow Super Giants.
Although his run tally dropped in 2023, fans know Rahul is consistent and perhaps the biggest contender for the Orange Cap when IPL comes calling in 2024, where he will lead the Lucknow-based franchise.
Yashasvi Jaiswal
The fifth person on our list is Yashasvi Jaiswal, who smashed the fastest fifty in IPL history in 2023 off just 13 balls! Jaiswal, who was part of the India U19 World Cup Squad in 2020, had a great time in the 2023 season, where he amassed 625 runs with one century and five half-centuries to his name. Jaiswal, a master on the off-side, can pierce the field at will. He also doesn’t shy away from picking up the length ball and thrashing it through the leg side.
Thanks to his IPL 2023 exploits, he got a call from the Indian team and smashed a maiden Test century soon on his debut. He went on to get 171 runs in the first Test innings. The left-handed batter enters IPL 2024 as a major Orange Cap contender.
Concluding Thoughts
Among the five-mentioned names, one is bound to turn the heat with the bat in the upcoming edition of the IPL. Four of the five batters listed here open the batting and will get ample opportunity to score freely during the fielding restrictions. The likes of Jaiswal and Gill are already in good form, while the likes of Rahul and De Kock have been consistent throughout the IPL. Now, it needs to be seen how these players perform in one of the most popular tournaments on the planet.
