Every Indian Premier League (IPL) batsman dreams of winning the coveted Orange Cap, the award presented to the leading run scorer in that year’s competition. The Orange Cap winner wears the famous orange cap while fielding and is forever known as the IPL’s leading run scorer for that season.
Some of cricket’s superstars have won the Orange Cap since its creation in 2008. Shaun Marsh scored 616 runs in 2008 and clinched the inaugural Orange Cap. Since then, such luminaries as Matthew Hayden, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle, and Jos Butler have won the award, with Virat Kohli’s 973 runs in 2016 being the record total. During the 2023 IPL, several players contested the race for the Orange Cap, but only one man managed to walk away with the honor. Who was it? Keep reading to find out.
Shubman Gill – 890 runs
Shubman Gill is one of the hottest prospects in cricket, and his stock rose significantly when he finished the 2023 IPL as the leading run-scorer. Playing for Gujarat Titans, Gill was the favorite with online sportsbooks for California residents to top score in each match h played. Gill turned out 17 times during the 2023 IPL season, scored 890 runs, including a 129-high score, and an average of 59.33 from 564 balls faced. Those are incredible figures, to say the least.
The 23-year-old Gill has represented India in T20 international games six times, scoring 202 runs. Gill has also played 15 Test Matches for India since making his debut against Australia in December 2020. The future is bright for Gill.
Faf du Plessis – 730 runs
Faf du Plessis is 38 years old, but the South African turned back the clock during the 2023 IPL and finished the competition with 730 runs to his name, the second-most of any other batsman. The former South African test captain played 14 games for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and racked up an impressive 730 runs, including 36 sixes and 60 fours.
There is no doubt IPL teams will be keen on bringing de Plessis to their team when the 2024 season kicks off on March 29, 2024, despite him being 39 years old then.
Devon Conway – 672 runs
New Zealand’s Devon Conway was bought by the Chennai Super Kings in time for the 2022 IPL and stayed with them until the completion of the 2023 campaign. 2023 was a stand-out year for the wicket-keeper-batsman, as he scored 672 runs from 15 innings and from only 481 balls faced. Conway averaged 51.69 as he enjoyed 18 sixes and an impressive 77 fours.
Conway is keeping his game razor-sharp by competing in the inaugural season of Major League Cricket, where he will represent the Texas Super Kings. Here, Conway will team up with South African superstar Faf du Plessis in a formidable batting line-up.
Virat Kohli – 639 runs
Virat Kohli has legendary status in the game, and it is easy to see why when you look at his almost unbelievable batting statistics. Kohli smashed 973 runs in 2016, an IPL record, and came close to capturing the Orange Cap again in 2023, but ultimately had to make do with a fourth-place finish.
In 2023, Kohli scored 639 runs for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kohli scored an unbeaten 82 in the opening fixture of the 2023 IPL and became the first IPL player to cross 7,000 runs during the tenth match of the season. Kohli scored six half-centuries and two centuries, including a high score of 101.
Yashasvi Jaiswal – 625 runs
Yashasvi Jaiswal is another Indian cricketer with a bright and potentially illustrious future ahead of him. The 22-year-old plays in the IPL for the Rajasthan Royals, who paid ₹2.4 crore ($300,000) for his services in 2020, which turned out to be one of the bargains of the IPL.
Jaiswal, the youngest-ever player to score a double century in a List-A game, hit 26 sixes and 82 fours on his way to amassing 625 runs from a mere 382 balls faced. The youngster enjoyed five half-centuries and one century, the latter seeing him score 124 runs. Jaiswal is one to watch when the 2024 IPL kicks off next year.