Orange Cap is one of the most prestigious awards in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over the years, 14 players – 7 Indians and 7 overseas – have won the Orange Cap. In a format like T20, it is not easy for batters to consistently score big. That’s why the likes of David Warner, Virat Kohli, and Chris Gayle deserve plenty of plaudits, as these three are the only batters to win the Orange Cap multiple times.
This blog will look at five players who could win the Orange Cap in the IPL 2026 season.
The Orange Cap History
The Orange Cap was part of the inaugural edition of the IPL. Australia’s Shaun Marsh is the first winner, while legendary Sachin Tendulkar is the first Indian to win it. The most Orange Cap winner is former Australia international David Warner. He won it in the 2015, 2017, and 2019 seasons.
In 2021, Ruturaj Gaikwad became the first Indian uncapped player to win the Orange Cap. The Chennai Super Kings’ opening batsman scored 635 runs in 16 matches. Since Jos Buttler bagged the award in 2022, only Indian batters have managed to win it – Shubman Gill (2023), Virat Kohli (2024), and Sai Sudharsan (2025).
The IPL 2026 Orange Cap Contenders
In the history of IPL, an opening batter has won the Orange Cap in all 18 seasons. The likes of Gill, Kohli, Sudharsan, Buttler, etc., can pace their innings well and eventually score big. The consistency is rewarded with the Orange Cap at the end of the season.
Here are our five players who could be in contention for the Orange Cap race in the IPL 2026 season.
- Shubman Gill
Gill will be keen to set the record straight in this season’s IPL after being dropped from the 2026 T20 World Cup squad. He had an excellent IPL 2025 campaign, scoring 650 runs at an average of 50 and a strike rate of 155.88.
With Gill involved in more than ten 50+ partnerships last season, he is expected to play long innings this time around, too. Once he is settled down, the Gujarat Titans captain can torment bowlers at his will. That makes him one of the most prominent contenders for the IPL 2026 Orange Cap.
- Abhishek Sharma
No batter like Abhishek Sharma has taken the T20 format by storm in the last two years. He has given bowlers nightmares in the IPL and in the international arena. The left-handed batter has scored over 900 runs at a strike rate close to 200 from the last two seasons.
Though he is not known for playing for long knocks, he can do the damage in the opening powerplay. His lone IPL hundred came in just the 13th over of the match. Playing such knocks consistently could put him in the race for the Orange Cap in the 2026 edition.
- Ruturaj Gaikwad
After a hairline fracture cut short his IPL 2025 campaign, Ruturaj Gaikwad will be raring to go this season. The Chennai Super Kings captain has scored over 500 runs in the 2021, 2023, and 2024 seasons. He would be keen to repeat the heroics of the 2021 edition, where he won the Orange Cap and his team lifted the trophy.
Gaikwad would also be delighted that he doesn’t have to shoulder the responsibility alone, thanks to the arrival of Sanju Samson and Dewald Brevis’ presence in the middle order. With more freedom and ease of pressure, Gaikwad is another candidate for the prestigious batting honour.
- Sai Sudharsan
Like his Gujarat Titans teammate, Sai Sudharsan has a point to prove in this IPL season. The left-handed batter had a torrid time in the Test series against South Africa and hasn’t featured for team India in the white-ball format since 2024. He will be keen to score consistently in a league where he has been nothing short of outstanding in the last editions.
The 24-year-old had a stellar IPL 2025 season, winning the Orange Cap after amassing 759 runs at a strike rate of 156. The ability to play the anchor role and accelerate when required are some of the qualities that make Sudharsan a prized asset for the Titans. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Sudharsan becomes the second player after Chris Gayle to win the Orange Cap in consecutive seasons.
- Virat Kohli
At 37, not many players are in contention for the Orange Cap. But Kohli is built differently. Age may slow down even the best, but Kohli continues to rewrite records. Despite quitting T20I and Test cricket, the former India captain has remained prolific. He scored over 50+ scores in two out of his three outings for Team India in 2026.
Kohli is the IPL’s highest run-scorer and has made 600+ in the last three seasons. That itself is enough to make him one of the leading contenders to bag the IPL 2026 Orange Cap, which could be a third for him. He has always set the bar high, and we might see him become the first player to cross 1000 runs in an IPL season. Yes! Everything is possible when Kohli is around.
There are plenty of world-class batters in the IPL who are capable of delivering terrific performances with the bat. However, the above five have proven before that they can do the damage consistently in the world’s most competitive cricket league. And that’s why they are our IPL 2026 Orange Cap contenders.