IPL history: 3 players who have surprisingly never won the Orange Cap
IPL 2019, the cash rich league which is followed all over the world with great joy, begins today. This year as always the tournament promises some great and superbly entertaining encounters.
The IPL rewards great players who perform well and entertain the crowd throughout the league. Successful batsmen are rewarded with the 'Orange Cap' to signify their good run with the bat in the tournament.
But although there have been some players who have performed stupendously throughout the course of a season, they have still failed to bag the prestigious award.
In this segment, we look at 3 players who have never won the reputable cap:
#3 AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers, also known as Mr. 360, shocked the world by announcing his surprise retirement in early 2018. He has never won the Orange Cap in the 11 years of the tournament.
Known for his ability to play any kind of shot on a cricket ground, De Villiers has scored 3953 runs in the 129 IPL innings he has played. He played for Delhi Capitals in his initial years at the IPL, but tasted success when he joined RCB in 2011. Since then he has been an important member of the franchise.
This year, with the pressure of national and World Cup performances of South Africa off his shoulders, De Villiers would be as fresh as ever. He will look to seal the cap in 2019 and in the process help RCB lift their maiden title.
#2 Rohit Sharma
Rohit Sharma, the vice-captain of India who captains Mumbai Indians in the IPL, has never won the Orange Cap. That is quite astounding to say the least, considering that Rohit is such a successful player in the tournament - having lifted the trophy four times.
Rohit is known to time the ball quite well and on his day can destroy any bowling lineup. But he has been a tad inconsistent in the IPL, which is probably why he has never been in the running for the Orange Cap.
Another probable reason why he has never won it may be that Rohit used to frequently bat at No. 4 for his franchise. But this year he is going to open the innings for MI, which might also open his chances of winning the Orange Cap.
#1 Suresh Raina
Suresh Raina, also known as 'Mr. IPL', is probably the most surprising name on this list. Raina holds the record for most runs in the IPL, and he will likely be the first to score 5000 runs in the cash-rich league.
Raina, who has never missed a single match for Chennai Super Kings, has been the most important player for his team since the start of the tournament.
He has been given the 'Mr. IPL' nickname due to his consistent show in the tournament, but that still hasn't been enough for him to win the cap. He has never scored 600-plus runs in the tournament, and nowadays with all the hard-hitting players around, it is quite easy for players to score 700-plus runs every year.
Due to the presence of so many powerful youngsters, it seems quite unlikely for Raina to win the cap. But you never know when the veteran shines and leaves the young guns far behind.