Virat Kohli had enjoyed a comfortable position at the summit of the Orange Cap race after making a decisive impact with an 81 against the Gujarat Titans on Saturday. But the standings flipped dramatically on Sunday, with several big knocks reshaping the leaderboard so that Kohli slipped to fifth place by the end of the day.
The shake-up began earlier in the afternoon when KL Rahul surged to the top. Rahul delivered a breathtaking unbeaten 152 against the Punjab Kings, a knock that immediately sent him past the rest of the field. As the day moved toward evening, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi responded in style by taking over the lead with his second IPL century.
Yet the final twist arrived at night. Abhishek Sharma produced the breakthrough that mattered most, lifting the Orange Cap with a match-winning 57 against the Rajasthan Royals. With that innings, he ended the day as the new leader in the Orange Cap standings.
Abhishek Sharma is now the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2026 after his decisive fifty against Rajasthan. Across eight matches, he has collected 380 runs, posting an average of 54.29 and a strike rate of 212.29.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has moved into second place with 357 runs from eight games. After his standout century versus Sunrisers Hyderabad, he is averaging 44.63 while striking at an astonishing 234.87.
KL Rahul also sits on 357 runs after his unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings, but he is listed third. The deciding factor is Sooryavanshi’s superior strike rate, which places him ahead despite the identical run total.
Heinrich Klaasen occupies fourth spot with 349 runs in eight matches, maintaining a batting average of 49.86 and a strike rate of 149.79. Virat Kohli completes the top five with 328 runs, an average of 54.67, and a strike rate of 163.18.
Sunday’s Orange Cap race delivered a reminder of how quickly momentum can swing in the IPL—multiple performances in a single day were enough to change the order again and again, underlining the competitiveness and unpredictability of IPL 2026.
Top leading run scorers in IPL 2026:
- 1. Abhishek Sharma (SRH) — 380 runs in 8 matches (8 innings), strike rate 212.29, average 54.29
- 2. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) — 357 runs in 8 matches (8 innings), strike rate 234.87, average 44.63
- 3. KL Rahul (DC) — 357 runs in 7 matches (7 innings), strike rate 188.50, average 59.50
- 4. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) — 349 runs in 8 matches (8 innings), strike rate 149.79, average 49.86
- 5. Virat Kohli (RCB) — 328 runs in 7 matches (7 innings), strike rate 163.18, average 54.67
- 6. Ishan Kishan (SRH) — 312 runs in 8 matches (8 innings), strike rate 199.03, average 39.00
- 7. Shubman Gill (GT) — 297 runs in 6 matches (6 innings), strike rate 149.04, average 49.50
- 8. Sanju Samson (CSK) — 293 runs in 7 matches (7 innings), strike rate 179.00, average 58.60
- 9. Prabhsimran Singh (PBKS) — 287 runs in 7 matches (7 innings), strike rate 193.00, average 57.40
- 10. Shreyas Iyer (PBKS) — 279 runs in 7 matches (7 innings), strike rate 186.00, average 69.75
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