IPL 2026 Orange and Purple Cap Race Heats Up

New Delhi. Significant changes have occurred in the Orange and Purple Cap standings of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 after Wednesday's matches.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's star batter Virat Kohli has hit a spectacular ninth IPL century against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur. With Kohli's unbeaten century, Bengaluru successfully chased down a target of 193 runs.

With this, Kohli has moved up to third place in the list of highest run-scorers this season. Kohli has scored 484 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 165.75. He is now just behind Heinrich Klaasen, who is in the top position with 508 runs, and B Sai Sudharsan, who is in second place with 501 runs.

In the race for the Orange Cap, Sunrisers Hyderabad's Abhishek Sharma is fourth with 481 runs, Delhi Capitals' captain KL Rahul is fifth with 477 runs, and Gujarat Titans' captain Shubman Gill is sixth with 467 runs.

Just like in batting, there is a tough competition in the Purple Cap for bowling as well. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the winner of the Purple Cap in 2016 and 2017, has regained his form and solidified his grip on the top spot.

With 1 wicket for 34 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders, Bhuvneshwar's wicket count has reached 22. He has surpassed Kagiso Rabada, the winner of the 2020 Purple Cap. Rabada is in second place with 21 wickets.

In the bowling table, Chennai Super Kings' Anshul Kamboj is in third place with 19 wickets. Similarly, Lucknow Super Giants' Prince Yadav, Gujarat's Rashid Khan, Kolkata's Kartik Tyagi, and Hyderabad's Ishan Mallinga are in contention with 16 wickets each.