Several top batters at the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season have their sights set on the coveted Purple Cap. The highest-scoring batsman gets this special recognition at the end of every season as a reward for prolific stroke-play.
The race to clinch this prestigious individual award is in full swing, with top hitters displaying their impressive skillset across ongoing games in the IPL 2026 group stage. Let’s explore some probable contenders for the award and see how they could achieve one of Indian franchise cricket’s top honours.
1. Yashasvi Jaiswal
Raajsthan Royals (RR) opener Yashasvi Jaiswal looks keen to clinch his first-ever Orange Cap after coming close to achieve the feat in previous seasons. He already has 184 runs after 4 games and with a decent strike rate (163) and batting average (91.5), Jaiswal could clinch the honour this time around.
2. Shubman Gill
Gujarat Titans (GT) captain and opener Shubman Gill is having a slow start to batting life this season; however, he can’t be ruled out of contention for the Orange Cap just yet. Gill has been one of India’s most consistent heavy-hitters in different competitions, and he usually requires few games to string several high-scoring performances together.
3. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The youngster was not on the cards of many analysts ahead of IPL 2026, but Vaibhav’s start to this season places him firmly in serious Orange Cap conversations. Vaibhav currently leads the Orange Cap standings (200 runs after 4 innings) and could spring an upset among experienced veterans and talented youngsters this season.
Aakash Chopra Predicts Likely IPL 2026 Orange Cap Winners
Former Team India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul are top Orange Cap contenders for IPL 2026:
“The Orange Cap is generally on an opener’s head, to be very honest. I am thinking that this might be a bumper season for Yashasvi Jaiswal, the bumper season you are waiting for. So I am extremely inclined to go towards him. The second guy could be Shubman Gill because he might be the hungriest,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“The third is, of course, Virat Kohli, because he does not play cricket for long periods these days. So Virat Kohli could be that Orange Cap winner. One of these three is what I am thinking and hoping for. If Delhi progresses, it could be on KL Rahul’s head as well,” Chopra added. He also believes whoever wins the Orange Cap this season will need to score at least 600 runs to stand a chance:
“Score 600-650 runs. If you score that many runs, people will stand up and take notice.,” he concluded.
Ravi Ashwin Agrees with Aakash Chopra IPL 2026 Orange Cap Predictions, Hails RR Youngster
Ravi Ashwin seems to agree with Chopra’s main Orange Cap predictions for IPL 2026; however, his admiration for young RR batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi grabbed more headlines in recent days:
“Yashasvi Jaiswal is a strong contender to win the Orange Cap with a good strike rate this time. I will also put Shubman Gill in the same line, but he has obviously missed one game, so Yashasvi Jaiswal has a slightly better chance,” he said.
“Knowing Shubman and having seen him from close quarters, he likes batting a lot. And making runs is a hobby for him,” Ashwin added.
He’s not from earth – Ashwin heaps praise on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
The boundary lines are probably 200m long on his planet, and the sub-100 distances on earth are nothing for him,” the veteran spinner jokingly said.
“We keep praising Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, but he doesn’t know any of them,” Ashwin said further.
Also Read: IPL 2026: Jadeja Shares Thoughts After CSK Exit
Race to IPL 2026 Orange Cap – Current Standings
| Rank | Player | Team | Runs | Matches | Innings | Strike Rate | Average |
| 1 | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | Rajasthan Royals | 200 | 4 | 4 | 266.66 | 50.00 |
| 2 | Yashasvi Jaiswal | Rajasthan Royals | 183 | 4 | 4 | 163.00 | 91.50 |
| 3 | Dhruv Jurel | Rajasthan Royals | 176 | 4 | 4 | 181.00 | 58.67 |
| 4 | Sameer Rizvi | Delhi Capitals | 160 | 3 | 3 | 162.00 | 80.00 |
| 5 | Angkrish Raghuvanshi | Kolkata Knight Riders | 155 | 4 | 4 | 158.00 | 51.67 |
| 6 | Heinrich Klaasen | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 145 | 3 | 3 | 148.00 | 48.33 |
| 7 | Rajat Patidar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 142 | 3 | 3 | 200.00 | 71.00 |
| 8 | Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 129 | 3 | 3 | 179.00 | 64.50 |
| 9 | Devdutt Padikkal | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 125 | 3 | 3 | 202.00 | 41.67 |
| 10 | Ajinkya Rahane | Kolkata Knight Riders | 124 | 4 | 4 | 155.00 | 41.33 |
| 11 | Rohit Sharma | Mumbai Indians | 118 | 3 | 3 | 169.00 | 39.33 |
| 12 | Jos Buttler | Gujarat Titans | 116 | 3 | 3 | 157.00 | 38.67 |
