IPL 2016 Orange Cap: Highest Run Scorers in IPL 9| Virat Kohli wins by a country mile
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With the bat doing the talking nowadays in cricket, hard hitting batsmen are in plenty. Boundaries have become shorter and bats lighter. This year’s IPL witnessed a run-fest as fielders ended up picking the ball from beyond the boundary more often than not. Virat Kohli, captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore has won the prestigious Orange Cap in 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League which is awarded to the leading run-scorer of the tournament.
RCB have dominated the Orange Cap prize since the inception of the IPL. Chris Gayle has won the prize twice in 2011 and 2012 and also previously held the record of the most number of runs in a single edition with 733 runs.
David Warner of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who got to wear the cap for a year since winning it in 2015 has had pass it down to the fantastic Kohli who has had a dream run in 2016. Other winners have featured fellow Australians Shaun Marsh, Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey. Only Robin Uthappa and Sachin Tendulkar have been the Indian holders of the cap before this edition.
IPL 2016 has seen 7 centuries scored by batsmen out of which Virat Kohli has scored 4. The other centurions have been fellow Royal Challenger, AB de Villiers, DD wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock and RPS’s Steven Smith.Virat Kohli easily ran away with the Orange Cap with 973 runs to his name, more than any other batsman from any edition of the IPL.
David Warner ranked 2nd , playing by example as he took Sunrisers to the finals. Partner in crime, AB Devilliers pleased the crowd with his range of shots which included a front foot cover drive in one ball followed by a reverse sweep for a six in the next as he took 3rd spot. Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma filled the 4th and 5th position respectively.
King Kohli wins by a country mile
Kohli’s achievements in IPL 2016 have been unparallel . Adjectives would fall short to describe the performances he has put in, demolishing opponents at ease. He has scored a whopping 973 runs which includes 4 centuries. He has hit fours and sixes all over the park and scored those humongous amount of runs with frightening consistency. However, his 54 in the final bore no fruit as he failed to guide RCB home.
No other batsman has scored as many runs in a single edition as India’s Test team captain has. If IPL 2016 gave something to remember it by, it was Kohli’s outstanding batting skills and temperament at the display which has very few equals in world cricket at the moment.
David Warner, the silent assassin
Sunrisers Hyderabad have had one of the most stable bowling lineups in this years IPL. They have performed consistently and managed to restrict their opponents to comfortable scores more often than not.
With the bat, David Warner has been a beast, leading from the front and conquering opponents with ease with the help of the traps his bowling line-up has set, scoring 848 runs in the process.
His most memorable performance came in the Qualifier 2 against Gujarat Lions where he single handedly won the game for his team by finishing with a score of 93 after opening the batting and seeing as many as 6 batsmen perish at the other end. Chasing a score of 162, he held strong and helped his team go over the line in the penultimate over.
His quickfire 69 in the final was just as important as he guided SunRisers to the coveted IPL trophy.
ABD show floors all
Few sportspersons have graced the cricketing pitch who are as talented as AB deVilliers. Impeccable concentration and ability to read bowlers’ mind has made AB one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket.
ABD has scored a whopping 687 runs with a high score of 129 not out, a match where he struck a 200-plus run partnership with Kohli, the highest ever in IPL.
AB de Villiers was the hero of the match against Gujarat Lions as he took RCB out of the grave at 29 for 5 and chased down 158 with a little help from another ABD, Iqbal ABDullah. What was most frightening in this seasons IPL was that ABD and Kohli played for the same team, and wrecked havoc on every balling attack that stood in their path.
Here is the list fof the highest run scorers in IPL 2016:
| Serial | Player | Matches | Runs | 100/50 | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Virat Kohli | 16 | 973 | 4/7 | 152.03 |
| 2 | David Warner | 17 | 848 | 0/9 | 151.42 |
| 3 | AB de Villiers | 16 | 687 | 1/6 | 168.79 |
| 4 | Shikhar Dhawan | 17 | 501 | 0/4 | 116.78 |
| 5 | Gautam Gambhir | 14 | 501 | 0/5 | 121.89 |
| 6 | Rohit Sharma | 14 | 489 | 0/5 | 132.88 |
| 7 | Ajinkya Rahane | 17 | 480 | 0/6 | 126.64 |
| 8 | Murali Vijay | 14 | 453 | 0/5 | 124.45 |
| 9 | Quinton de Kock | 13 | 445 | 1/3 | 136.08 |
| 10 | Suresh Raina | 15 | 399 | 0/3 | 127.88 |
The battle between bat and ball is no more a battle at all. IPL, which is a perfect mixture of cricket and entertainment has succeeded in showcasing a treat for the fans. The hard hitting batsmen have been the chief contributors in the show and have been aptly rewarded with the Orange Cap, Virat Kohli being the latest recipient.