Qualifier 2 of the IPL 2026 delivered yet another twist in both the Orange Cap and Purple Cap battles, with Gujarat Titans defeating Rajasthan Royals on Friday to book a final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Even though Rajasthan’s run ended at Qualifier 2, teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi kept his Orange Cap grip intact with another eye-catching innings, while Gujarat’s chase inspiration—anchored by Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan—set up the title showdown and kept the race for the most runs wide open.
Key takeaways
- Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 to qualify for the IPL 2026 final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stayed on top of the Orange Cap standings with 776 runs, made up by a 96 off 47 balls.
- Shubman Gill’s century in Qualifier 2 moved him to second place with 722 runs, while Sai Sudharsan’s fifty lifted him to third with 710.
- Kagiso Rabada led the Purple Cap charts after taking 2/35 in Qualifier 2, reaching 28 wickets from 16 matches.
- Rabada heads into Sunday’s final with a two-wicket advantage over RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Orange Cap: Sooryavanshi holds firm as Gujarat’s duo closes in
Despite Rajasthan Royals being eliminated from the tournament, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued to influence the season’s leading-run tally. The 15-year-old produced another thrilling knock in New Chandigarh, hitting 96 off 47 deliveries, which pushed his cumulative total to 776 runs across 16 matches this campaign.
However, the stand-out effort still wasn’t enough to take Rajasthan into the final stage. The pressure on Sooryavanshi remains intense, with Gujarat Titans’ opening partnership of Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan again delivering in the most crucial moment—especially during the chase that defined Qualifier 2.
Gill struck a remarkable century in Qualifier 2, enabling him to climb into second place in the standings. He now sits on 722 runs. Sudharsan also played a decisive knock, posting a fluent half-century that helped him move up to third, collecting 710 runs.
With Gujarat set to face RCB in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Gill and Sudharsan each get one last chance to overhaul Sooryavanshi and finish as the tournament’s highest run-scorer. The final match could therefore prove decisive in settling the Orange Cap race, particularly given that the top spots are clustered tightly enough to allow movement on the final day.
The current top five run-getters list is being largely driven by players from teams that have reached the playoffs. Sunrisers Hyderabad batters Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan occupy the fourth and fifth positions respectively, with 624 and 602 runs to their names. Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s batting icon Virat Kohli remains in contention as well, sitting sixth on exactly 600 runs and still capable of mounting a late surge during the championship match.
Orange Cap standings after the GT vs RR clash:
- Vaibhav Sooryavanshi — 776 runs (16 matches), 1648.50 SR, 237 balls faced, 30 fours, 5 sixes
- Shubman Gill — 722 runs (15 matches), 1548.13 SR, 163 balls faced, 31 fours, 3 sixes
- Sai Sudharsan — 710 runs (16 matches), 1477.33 SR, 159 balls faced, 11 fours, 8 sixes
- Heinrich Klaasen — 624 runs (15 matches), 148.00 SR, 160 balls faced, 16 fours, 0 sixes
- Ishan Kishan — 602 runs (15 matches), 1420.13 SR, 182 balls faced, 18 fours, 2 sixes
- Virat Kohli — 600 runs (15 matches), 1388.00 SR, 160 balls faced, 7 fours, 6 sixes
Purple Cap: Rabada takes charge again with two wickets in Qualifier 2
The Purple Cap race also shifted after Qualifier 2, with Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada delivering another influential performance. Rabada picked up 2/35 against Rajasthan Royals, taking his wicket tally to 28 in 16 matches and moving him to the top of the wicket-takers list.
Heading into Sunday’s final, the South African quick now leads RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar by two wickets. Bhuvneshwar is placed second with 26 scalps, which gives him a direct opportunity to narrow the gap — and potentially overtake Rabada — during the title clash.
Rajasthan Royals’ fast bowler Jofra Archer ended his campaign in third spot, collecting 25 wickets from 16 matches. Chennai Super Kings pacer Anshul Kamboj occupies fourth position with 21 wickets, while Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eshan Malinga completes the top five with 20 wickets from 15 games.
Purple Cap standings after the GT vs RR clash:
- Kagiso Rabada — 28 wickets (16 matches), 20.78 avg, 7.89 economy, 43 maidens
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar — 26 wickets (15 matches), 18.15 avg, 8.58 economy, 0 maidens
- Jofra Archer — 25 wickets (16 matches), 22.36 avg, 9.31 economy, 0 maidens
- Anshul Kamboj — 21 wickets (14 matches), 25.23 avg, 9.10 economy, 5 maidens
- Eshan Malinga — 20 wickets (15 matches), 25.35 avg, 9.33 economy, 7 maidens
Final match could decide both awards
With just one game remaining in the IPL 2026, the Orange Cap and Purple Cap races are still far from settled. The championship match between Gujarat Titans and Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday promises a high-stakes finish, with both the leading-run and leading-wicket charts positioned to swing based on performances in Ahmedabad.
