IPL 2022: Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after CSK vs KKR match (Updated)
After months of buildup and hype, the IPL 2022 got off to an anti-climactic start on Saturday as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) cantered to a six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a low-scoring encounter at the Wankhade Stadium.
The Ravindra Jadeja-led side could only score 131-5 in their 20 overs on a batting-friendly pitch, with Shreyas Iyer's KKR hunting it down with nine balls to spare.
MS Dhoni, playing his first season for CSK without the captain's armband, though, got off to a fiery start in IPL 2022. Coming to bat at 61-5, he scored a brilliant unbeaten 38-ball 50 which included seven fours and a maximum. He looked rusty at the start but got progressively better and concluded as the match's highest scorer.
He now leads the batting charts and dons the iconic Orange Cap, awarded to players with the most runs after every season.
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Closely following him in the race are two other veterans of Indian cricket - Ajinkya Rahane and Robin Uthappa - in second and third, respectively. Rahane top-scored for KKR with a 44 (34) on his debut for the franchise. Uthappa, the 2014 Orange Cap winner, scored a counter-attacking 28 but got out playing one shot too many.
Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Billings, who scored 26 and 25 respectively from the same No. 5 position, cap the top-five contenders after the season opener.
Only five bowlers picked up wickets on Saturday and CSK's legendary all-rounder DJ Bravo found himself in familiar territory at the top of the wicket-taking charts.
The 2015 Purple Cap winner was one of the few shining lights for CSK with three wickets at a brilliant economy rate of 5. He also became the joint-highest wicket-taker in IPL history with 170 scalps, matching Lasith Malinga's record.
Only Umesh Yadav came close to him as the right-arm pacer knocked out both CSK openers to give KKR the perfect start to the season. Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Mitchell Santner each took a wicket and so did Andre Russsell.
IPL 2022: Who won the Orange Cap and Purple Cap last year?
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CSK's young sensation Ruturaj Gaikwad won the Orange Cap in IPL 2021 with 635 runs. He was dismissed for a four-ball duck by Umesh Yadav at the battery's home ground on Saturday. Royal Challengers Bangalore's Harshal Patel garnered 32 wickets last season to take the Purple Cap. He'll be in action on Sunday, playing against the Punjab Kings at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai.