IPL Countdown: 5 times the Orange Cap was won by a captain
The IPL is all set to enter its twelfth season in less than a month's time but the complete schedule is yet to be announced because of the dates clashing with the general elections in India. Also for the first time, the World Cup will be following the IPL, resulting in the absence of many key international players.
Despite all the hurdles, the IPL is sure to take the centre stage once the on-field action starts. Several records will tumble and many others will be made. Talking about on-field actions, one of the many interesting contests in the league every season has been the race to the coveted Orange cap.
Till date, Sachin Tendulkar in 2010, Robin Uthappa in 2014 and Virat Kohli in 2016 are the only Indians to win the Orange cap. Chris Gayle and David Warner are the only ones to win it twice.
Here we look at the five instances when the Orange cap was won by a captain.
#1 Sachin Tendulkar (2010)
2010 was the year when the Master Blaster announced his arrival to the IPL. After missing majority of the first season due to injury and a not-so-impressive second season, Sachin Tendulkar led his side from the front with his bat in the third season and took his side to the finals where they lost to Chennai Super Kings.
Tendulkar scored 618 runs in the season from 15 games at a strike rate of 132.61 and an impressive average of 47.53. His successful season with the bat included 5 fifties with a best score of 89*. This was the beginning of Tendulkar's stellar run in the IPL as he followed the 2010 success with his first and only T20 hundred in 2011.
By scoring the most runs in 2010, Tendulkar became the first Indian, first non-Australian and the first captain to win the Orange Cap.