IPL 2017: Orange Cap holders through the seasons
In India the month of April signifies two things: the onset of the summer season and the commencement of the new season of the Indian Premier League. The roller-coaster ride that each edition has proven to be, IPL 2017, which gets underway on the 5th of April when the defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad take on the mighty Royal Challengers Bangalore, will be an exciting affair.
T20 cricket is essentially considered to be a batsman’s game, the small sized boundaries and larger bat sizes only further tilting the balance in their favour. Every year batsmen make merry on Indian pitches which are dead after the long home season.
We see teams scoring incredibly quickly and posting huge totals on the scoreboard, in turn being overhauled by the chasing team. We have had stellar batting performances across the IPL and every edition has had some batsman or the other leaving his stamp on the entire tournament. To honour this achievement, the Orange Cap is annually awarded to the leading run scorer in the league.
Let us take a look at the winners of the Orange Cap through the history of the IPL.
#2008 Shaun Marsh, Kings XI Punjab
M: 11, Runs: 616, Avg.: 68.44, SR: 139.68
Shaun Marsh may not have been as consistent for the Australian team as he has been for his franchise Kings XI Punjab. His entry into the league was a bit delayed but he set the stage alight upon his arrival. Scoring a ton (115 vs Rajasthan Royals) and five half centuries, the Aussie was a reliable opener and became the fulcrum of the team’s batting.
His sound batting technique and ability to score swiftly without taking many risks helped him a great deal to excel at the top of the batting order. His IPL exploits proved to be the ideal platform for him to showcase his talent as it later helped him earn a call-up to the Australian team at the international level.