The IPL 2026 playoffs are close to their conclusion, as are the Orange & Purple Caps. Monday’s game between the Sunrisers Hyderabad & Chennai Super Kings added new drama to this leaderboard, as several players solidified their pushes for the Orange or Purple Cap as we get into the crucial stage of the tournament.
Heinrich Klaasen’s performance in his returning match after a six-day rest period after the gap between their last matches was a major factor in him taking over the lead for the Orange Cap from top batters. He has hit 47 runs from 26 balls, giving him 555 runs through his first 13 matches played. As such, he has returned to being the leader in runs scored during IPL 2026.
The closest competitors to Klaasen for the Orange Cap are B Sai Sudharsan from Gujarat Titans (554 runs) and Shubman Gill (552 runs) from the GT team at this point in the IPL 2026 season. All three are within three runs of each other at points for leads in runs scored during IPL 2026, making this potentially the closest finish ever for Orange Cap winners.
Virat Kohli has scored 542 runs at a strike rate of 164.74 with an average of over 54 and is currently in fourth place. KL Rahul of the Delhi Capitals has also performed well, finishing in the top five players with 533 runs, his highest score this season being an unbeaten 152.
Abhishek Sharma of SRH remains a significant performer and has now scored 507 runs after scoring 26 against CSK. Ishan Kishan of SRH has moved up to seventh on the list of run scorers with 490 runs after an impressive innings of 70 not out from 47 balls against Chennai.
In the race for the Purple Cap, Bhuvneshwar Kumar of RCB remains firmly at the top with 24 wickets in 13 matches. Kagiso Rabada of Gujarat Titans is second with 21 wickets.
Anshul Kamboj of CSK has become the third bowler this season to reach 20 wickets despite having an expensive outing against SRH. Meanwhile, Eshan Malinga of SRH has moved past Jofra Archer of Rajasthan Royals with 17 wickets after taking the wicket of Dewald Brevis. The race for the Purple Cap is heating up quickly.
Also Read: Virat Kohli’s Unbeaten Century Powers RCB to the Top of IPL 2026 Table
