Last Updated on 3 years by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: 5 leading contenders for the IPL 2022 Orange Cap | Looking at 5 leading contenders for the Orange Cap in IPL 2022
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is synonymous with wonderful batting performances, and the tournament will once again be stacked with some of the most talented batsmen in the world.
Both the top Indian and overseas talent will grace the league, with a number of contenders for the Orange Cap. Ruturaj Gaikwad pipped former teammate Faf du Plessis, who is now at Royal Challengers Bangalore, by two runs last season.
Now, with the IPL Mega Auction seeing stars move to new franchises, a number of players will be looking to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact. Here are five leading contenders for the IPL 2022 Orange Cap.
Also read: 2nd most valuable company after Apple now sponsor of IPL Orange and Purple Caps
Who will win the IPL 2022 Orange Cap? 5 leading contenders
1. KL Rahul
KL Rahul, who will lead the new Lucknow franchise, has been one of the most prolific players in the past few years. The keeper-batsman has struck 1,889 runs at an average of 57.24 and strike rate of 134.26 since the beginning of IPL 2019, and he will no doubt be in the running for the Orange Cap once again this season.
However, eyes will be fixed on whether Rahul can improve on his strike rate. If he can produce anything like his magnificent 42-ball 98* against CSK last season, we will be in for a treat.
2. Ruturaj Gaikwad
Chennai Super Kings are one of the contenders for IPL 2022 owing to a long batting lineup headed up by Ruturaj Gaikwad. The opener had a breakout season in 2021, finishing with 635 runs, just two runs in front of Faf du Plessis.
Gaikwad’s ability to score quickly whilst playing traditional cricketing shots is a pleasure to watch. Given CSK’s batting lineup, Gaikwad will be enabled to play with freedom, which should see the runs flow.
3. Faf du Plessis
Like a fine wine, Faf du Plessis gets better with age. The South African had a stellar 2021 season with an outstanding 86 off 59 balls in the Final to lead CSK to the Title.
This season, he joins RCB with a huge role to play. It seems like RCB will rely quite heavily on their top four, so du Plessis will need to provide as many strong starts as possible. Given his recent form, which includes a century in the BPL in February, he is very much capable of doing so.
4. Shikhar Dhawan
Punjab Kings landed the coup that is Shikhar Dhawan, and all signs point to another strong season for the opener. He scored the fourth-most runs in IPL 2019 (521), the second-most in 2020 (618) and fourth-most again in 2021 (587) at an overall average of 39.23 and strike rate of 134.63 in this period.
On what should be good batting surfaces in Mumbai and Pune, Dhawan has what it takes to have another very strong season with the bat.
5. Ishan Kishan
The bidding war for Ishan Kishan in the IPL Auction is reflective of his immense potential. He is likely to open the batting for Mumbai Indians, and has a magnificent record as an opener in IPL cricket, with 555 runs in 13 innings at an average of 55.50 and strike rate of 155.90.
Kishan was superb in IPL 2020 (516 runs) and is a danger player at the top of the order with more time at his disposal. Don’t be surprised if Ishan Kishan finishes top of the tree among run-scorers in 2022.
Also read: 2nd most valuable company after Apple now sponsor of IPL Orange and Purple Caps
