5 players who can win the Orange Cap in IPL 2021
The Orange Cap is the most prestigious award for the batsmen in IPL. The highest run-getter among the eight IPL franchises gets the honor of taking the Orange Cap home.
The batsman who scores the most runs after every team plays at least one league match is the first player to receive the Orange Cap. As the season progresses, the players who aggregate runs consistently rise higher on the table.
If a batter scores heaps of runs, his team should do well. However, the same has not been the case in the IPL. In 13 seasons, only once has the Orange Cap winner been a part of the IPL-winning squad. That occasion came in 2014 when Robin Uthappa won the title with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Last year, KL Rahul was the most successful batsman in the IPL. Here are the top five contenders for the Orange Cap prize in 2021.
5. Rohit Sharma can win his first Orange Cap
Rohit Sharma is the only IPL skipper to have won the tournament five times. After taking over Mumbai Indians' reins from Ricky Ponting, Sharma has guided his franchise to the championship in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.
The Mumbai Indians captain has been very successful in T20I cricket. He is the only batsman with four T20I centuries. Even in the IPL, Rohit Sharma is one of just five batsmen to have aggregated over 5,000 runs. However, the Orange Cap has eluded Sharma.
He missed a few games because of injury issues in IPL 2020. However, Rohit is in great shape ahead of IPL 2021. Fans can expect him to lead MI from the front this season.
4. Shubman Gill
Shubman Gill has made his ODI and Test debut for the Indian cricket team. However, he is yet to receive his maiden T20I cap.
After seeing Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav's recent heroics, Gill will be inspired to perform consistently in IPL 2021, thereby strengthening his candidature for a spot in the Indian T20I squad.
Gill has played three seasons for the Kolkata Knight Riders team so far. His total aggregate in IPL is 939. His batting average is close to 35, with his strike rate being 125.20.
The right-handed batsman had his best IPL season last year. Batting in the top-order for KKR, Gill amassed 440 runs in 14 innings.
If he plays a few more big knocks in IPL 2021, he could become the second KKR batsman to win the IPL Orange Cap 2021.