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Top 10 Contenders to Win Orange Cap in IPL 2024

Former Australia opener Shaun Marsh was the first player to win the Orange Cap for leading the batting unit of Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings) in the inaugural IPL season.

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Mathew K
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Yashasvi Jaiswal & Ruturaj Gaikwad (Source: X)

With the curtain raiser of the 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) less than a month away, the hype and thrill for the mega event is building among fans. The Orange Cap for the tournament's top scorer and the Purple Cap for the highest wicket-taker are the two most prestigious individual accolades in the cash-rich league. 

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Former Australia opener Shaun Marsh was the first player to win the Orange Cap for leading the batting unit of Kings XI Punjab (Punjab Kings) in the inaugural IPL season. Meanwhile, India's young opener Shubman Gill is the latest player to enter the elite club for his remarkable performances for Gujarat Titans in the 2023 season.

Also Read: Top Five must watch games for first schedule of IPL 2024

With IPL 2024 just around the corner, let's take a look at the top 10 players who can win the Orange Cap in the upcoming edition. 

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#10. Virat Kohli 

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The Indian batting stalwart has already won this prestigious award in the 2016 IPL. Virat Kohli's consistency and exceptional talent led to four centuries and an astonishing record of 973 runs, helping him win the Player of the Tournament award despite RCB's loss in the final. The 35-year-old is likely to open the innings this time as well and has been in fine form. Notably, he was the top-scorer in the 2023 ODI World Cup. It will also be important for him to secure his place in the T20 World Cup 2024, so we can see Kohli turn on his beast mode again. 

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#9. Shubman Gill

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Shubman Gill, the current holder of the Orange Cap, has the second-highest-ever score in an IPL season - 890 runs at an average of 59.33 for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023. Gill has both class and mass in his ranks and won't be surprised if he wins the award again this time. Notably, the 24-year-old will be leading the 2022 champions in the upcoming edition and he will aim to lead from the front. 

#8. Jos Buttler

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England skipper Jos Buttler has been in excellent form for Rajasthan Royals in recent years. He won the orange Cap in IPL 2022 after accumulating 863 runs at an average of 57.53. The veteran opening batter is one of the top contenders to win the award in the 17th edition of IPL. 

#7. Yashasvi Jaiswal

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The young sensation of Team India Yashasvi Jaiswal had an impressive outing in the last season. He scored 625 runs while giving Rajasthan Royals a blazing start in almost every match. The 22-year-old has been in red-hot form across formats and we might see him continue the momentum in the upcoming IPL. 

#6. Ruturaj Gaikwad

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Chennai Super Kings (CSK) talented opener Ruturaj Gaikwad won the Orange Cap in IPL 2021 after scoring 635 runs. The right-hander is a slow starter, but once he finds his rhythm, he shows no mercy to the opposition bowlers. He is expected to lead the charge this time as well and might don the 'cap' once again. 

#5. Quinton de Kock

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Quinton de Kock is known for his explosive batting in limited overs and he has shown that in the past seasons. The Lucknow Super Giants opener smashed 508 runs in the 2022 edition, including a superb unbeaten century against the Kolkata Knight Riders. The Proteas batter is currently focused only on the shorter format and we might see him unleash his batting exploits in the IPL 2024. 

#4. KL Rahul 

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KL Rahul is synonymous with consistency. The wicketkeeper batter often plays the role of an anchor but is also known for his aggressive batting while on song. He won the Orange Cap in the 2020 edition for scoring 670 runs for Punjab Kings. Team India's senior cricketer is one of the top contenders to win the award this time. 

#3. Sai Sudarshan 

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Many may be surprised to see Sai Sudarshan's name on this list. The youngster proved his mettle for Gujarat Titans last season with some remarkable performances at the business end of the tournament. The southpaw has a good chance of winning the award if he continues his fine form this time as well.

#2. Rohit Sharma

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Despite being known for his power hitting, Rohit Sharma has never won the Orange Cap. The veteran opener has scored over 6000 runs in the cash-rich league, but every time his captaincy brilliance overshadows his batting heroics. However, he will play as a pure batter in the upcoming edition and may witness the 36-year-old dominating with the bat. 

#1. David Warner 

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David Warner holds the record for winning the most number of Orange Caps - three times. The star opener, who retired from ODIs and Tests recently, had a poor outing with the bat in the IPL 2023. However, he turned the table around with some impressive knocks for Australia. If he manages to continue the form, we might see Warner donning the cap for the record fourth time.

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