IPL 2026: Virat Kohli reclaims Orange Cap with blazing 81, powers RCB to 2nd Spot

Virat Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the Orange Cap standings with a commanding knock of 81 runs while chasing a target of 205. He played at a blistering strike rate of 184.09, smashing 8 fours and 4 sixes in a match-defining innings. Kohli had an early scare, as he was dropped on zero by Washington Sundar off the very first ball of the chase, a costly miss for the Titans. He made the most of that lifeline and went on to script history, becoming the first player to register 800 fours and 300 sixes for a single franchise in IPL history.

He stitched together a dominant 115-run partnership for the second wicket with Devdutt Padikkal, who contributed a rapid 55 off 27 balls, effectively taking the game away from the opposition. Kohli was eventually dismissed in the 14th over, clean bowled by Jason Holder while attempting a pull shot, but by then he had already done the bulk of the work in the chase, something he is renowned for.

With this innings, Kohli now leads the Orange Cap race with 328 runs. The victory also propelled RCB to second place in the IPL 2026 points table, with 10 points from 7 matches.

Hot on his heels is Abhishek Sharma of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who has 323 runs from 7 matches. The left-hander has been explosive, boasting a staggering strike rate of 215.33 – the highest among the top contenders, along with an average of 53.83. His unbeaten 135 remains one of the standout knocks of the tournament.

SRH’s dominance in the batting charts continues with Heinrich Klaasen, who has scored 320 runs in 7 matches. With an average of 53.33 and a strike rate of 153.11, Klaasen has been a reliable middle-order enforcer, providing both stability and acceleration.

Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill has also been among the leading run-getters. In 6 matches, Gill has scored 297 runs at an average of 49.50 and a strike rate of 149.24, anchoring the innings with trademark composure.

Rounding off the top five is Sanju Samson, representing Chennai Super Kings this season. Samson has scored 293 runs in 7 matches, averaging a remarkable 58.60 – the highest among the top five, with a strike rate of 178.65. With two centuries already, he has been one of the most impactful batters of the campaign.

Rank	Player	Team	Runs	Matches	Innings	Strike Rate	Average
1	Virat Kohli	RCB	328	7	7	163.18	54.67
2	Abhishek Sharma	SRH	323	7	7	215.00	53.83
3	Heinrich Klaasen	SRH	320	7	7	153.00	53.33
4	Shubman Gill	GT	297	6	6	149.00	49.50
5	Sanju Samson	CSK	293	7	7	179.00	58.60
6	Vaibhav Sooryavanshi	RR	254	7	7	221.00	36.29
7	Yashasvi Jaiswal	RR	245	7	7	155.00	49.00
8	Rajat Patidar	RCB	238	7	7	211.00	39.67
9	Ishan Kishan	SRH	238	7	7	189.00	34.00
10	Sai Sudharsan	GT	235	7	7	156.00	33.57