Since its launch in 2008, India’s top T20 cricket league has been called the Indian Premier League (IPL). One of the main individual awards in the competition is the IPL Orange Cap, which is given to the highest run scorer each season. The highest scorers from each season are included on the IPL orange cap winners list, which was first released on April 25, 2008. When fielding, a player dons a temporary orange hat, which is replaced once a certain amount of runs are scored in a season. On the last day of the season, the winner is announced and given a unique prize. The players on the list are from 2008 to 2023.
2008 – Shaun Marsh
Shaun Marsh, a former cricketer from Australia, won the IPL’s orange cap after scoring 616 runs in the inaugural season. He missed the first four games, but in Punjab’s last IPL match against Rajasthan Royals, he hit a century to send them to the semifinals. With a strike rate of 139.68 and an average of 68.44, Marsh’s outstanding effort propelled Punjab to the semifinals.
2009 – Matthew Hayden
With 572 runs in 12 innings in 2009, Matthew Hayden—a former Australian opener and two-time ODI World Cup winner—won the orange crown. Hayden made it to the semis with top-tier performances, even though he retired from the international squad. With a strike rate of 144.81 and an average of 52, he amassed 572 runs in 12 games.
2010 – Sachin Tendulkar
The 2010 Indian Premier League saw the famous cricketer Sachin Tendulkar crowned player of the season. He led Mumbai to the championship game while captaining the squad for four games. Tendulkar beat Shaun Marsh’s record with 618 runs in 15 matches, despite Shaun needing three more innings. In addition, he was awarded the coveted Orange Cap, which goes to the finest hitter. Tendulkar became one of the best batters of all time with his outstanding performance, which included a strike rate of 132.61.
2011 – Chris Gayle
Two-time T20 World Cup champion Chris Gayle was selected as Royal Bangalore Challengers’ player of the 2011 Indian Premier League. He led Bangalore to the championship game with his 608 runs in 12 innings, but he was out for a duck. At fifty-two, Gayle also managed the most sixes of that season. With Gayle amassing 608 runs in 12 games and an average of 67.55, both players were dominant in the 2011 Indian Premier League.
2012 – Chris Gayle
Despite missing the season’s opening due to injury, Chris Gayle made a comeback to the IPL orange cap list. With a strike percentage of 160.74, he amassed 733 runs throughout his stellar season. In addition, Gayle scored 59 sixes, which broke the previous record for most sixes in a single IPL season. He averaged 61.08 while scoring 733 runs in 15 games for Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2012.
2013 – Michael Hussey
During the 2013 IPL season, Australian cricket player Michael Hussey of the Chennai Super Kings (CS) was given the Orange Cap. In two playoff games against the Mumbai Indians, he amassed 733 runs from 16 innings, matching Chris Gayle’s record. However, Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga’s outstanding bowling performances destroyed his team’s aspirations of winning a third IPL crown. Hussey received the honour for his outstanding performance.
2014 – Robin Uthappa
Throughout the first half of the competition, Robin Uthappa—the first player on the IPL orange cap list to be a member of the winning squad in the same season—made a big impression. Uthappa was elevated to begin the innings with Kolkata skipper Gautam Gambhir despite his lacklustre first-stage performance, setting a T20 record of 40+ scores in eight straight games. At the time, this was an IPL record. In the 2014 Indian Premier League, Uthappa was a standout player for the Kolkata Knight Riders, amassing 660 runs at an average of 44 and a strike rate of 137.78 across 16 matches.
2015 – David Warner
David Warner became the fourth Australian on the list of IPL orange cap winners in 2015 after winning the T20 World Cup for Australia in 2021. Despite his leadership, Sunrisers Hyderabad was unable to make it to the playoffs. Warner won the Orange Cap thanks to his 562 runs in 14 games at a 43.23 average and 156.54 strike rate.
2016 – Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli had an incredible IPL season in 2016, breaking the record for most runs in a single season with 973 runs. He led his side to the final and hit four centuries, one of which came against Punjab Kings. With an average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03, Kohli’s outstanding performance created a new mark for the most runs scored in an IPL season.
2017 – David Warner
Prolific IPL scorer David Warner advanced Sunrisers Hyderabad to the playoffs with a masterful 641 runs in 14 innings, earning a spot on the IPL orange cap winners list. With a strike rate of 141.81 and an average of 58.27, he amassed 641 runs in 14 games, leading the Sunrisers to the postseason.
2018 – Kane Williamson
In the 2018 IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Kane Williamson became the first player from New Zealand to earn the orange cap, with 735 runs in 17 innings. Shane Watson’s century proved to be the difference between the squad and the Chennai Super Kings, despite his effort helping the team go to the final. Williamson received the Orange Cap for his outstanding performance.
2019 – David Warner
With an average of 69.20, David Warner, the only player on the IPL orange cap list to win the cap three times, amassed 692 runs for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 12 innings. Against Kolkata, he also amassed a century. Warner left the competition after its scheduled duration to join Australia’s World Cup preparation camp.
2020 – KL Rahul
KL Rahul, who opened the 2020 Indian Premier League with 670 runs, was a key member of the Punjab Kings team. They were able to get to the playoffs despite their difficulties. Rahul’s efforts were noticed, and he started to feature more frequently in the Indian T20 team. In the Test and ODI series against South Africa, he also took on the role of interim captain. Rahul topped the UAE batting statistics in 2020, with 670 runs at an astounding average of 55.83 and a strike rate of 129.34 in 14 matches.
2021 – Ruturaj Gaikwad
An uncapped Indian player named Ruturaj Gaikwad was added to the IPL orange cap list the previous year. Chennai’s fourth IPL championship was won because of his 635 runs in 16 innings, which included his first century against the Rajasthan Royals. With an average of 45.35 and a strike rate of 136.26, Ruturaj earned the rising player title and returned the Chennai Super Kings’ faith by winning the Orange Cap in the 2021 Indian Premier League.
2022 – Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler, the Rajasthan Royals opener, took home the Orange Cap for the 2022 campaign with an average of 57.53. He amassed 863 runs, four of which were fifty-five runs, and four hundreds. Buttler led his side to the playoffs for the first time in 14 years with a strike rate of 149.05.
2023 – Shubman Gill
Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill had a fantastic 2023 season that helped the squad win the Orange Cap and advance to the finals. He amassed 890 runs at an average of 59.33, almost matching Virat Kohli’s 2016 record. He also got three hundred. Gill’s strike rate of 157.80 and his outstanding effort helped his side win.
Conclusion
KL Rahul, David Warner, Rohit Sharma, and Ruturaj Gaikwad are on the list of IPL orange cap players. In the 2022 Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli is anticipated to start as Bangalore’s opener. The four players with the most Orange Cap victories are David Warner, Chris Gayle, Sachin Tendulkar, and Shaun Marsh. But only two players have ever carried the IPL title and the Orange Cap at the same time: Robin Uthappa and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
