IPL 2021: A look at the contenders for Orange Cap
What's the story
The Indian Premier League 2021 is all set to begin on April 9. Just like every other season, the cash-rich league will see some power-packed performances with the bat. After all, two of India's greatest white-ball batsmen, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, will lock horns in the tournament opener. We list out some players who could clinch the Orange Cap in the impending season.
Rishabh Pant
Match-winner Pant remains a front-runner
The flamboyant Rishabh pant is enjoying a purple patch since the Australian tour. He continued his sublime run against England as well. Pant, who will lead Delhi Capitals in Shreyas Iyer's absence, is one of the front-runners to win the Orange Cap this time. Although Pant didn't fare well in 2020, he can certainly defy the odds with his present form.
Kohli
Kohli could bounce back in style this season
There has been a lot of "chatter" regarding Virat Kohli's extinct international hundreds. Even then, he was named the Player of the Series for the five-match T20I series against England (231 runs). Kohli has already stated that he will open in the impending IPL season. Notably, he went on to smash a record-breaking 973 runs the last time he did so (2016, entire season).
Rahul
Rahul gears up for another emphatic season
India's KL Rahul endured a string of low scores in the England T20I series. However, he made a turnaround in the ODIs. Rahul, who will lead Punjab Kings for the second straight season, has dominated the runs tally in the IPL lately. He bagged the Orange Cap in 2020 (670) besides finishing at number two (593) and three (659) in 2019 and 2018 respectively.
Warner
Will Warner continue his assault?
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner has won the Orange Cap most number of times in the IPL. He turned out to be the highest run-scorer in 2015, 2017, and 2019 respectively. In 2020 too, he finished with third-most runs (548 at 39.14). Although injury issues and inconsistency marred his plight in the home series against India, Warner has the backing of his IPL credentials.
Others
A look at others who can clinch the Orange Cap
Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav, who recently made their international debuts, are well prepared to seal the deal. Delhi Capitals opener Shikhar Dhawan, who finished with second-most runs in 2020 (618), can also win the accolade. Meanwhile, the likes of Devdutt Padikkal, AB de Villiers, Jonny Bairstow, and Nicholas Pooran are among the others in the fray.