Cricket as a sport went through a phase of a complete transformation with the advent of the Twenty20 format. That transformation came to a head with the beginning and subsequent success of the Indian Premier League. For the last 15 seasons, the IPL has provided viewers worldwide with some of the most entertaining cricket they’ve ever seen, largely due to the scope to score the big runs. So here’s a list of the ones who made those big numbers, aka the Orange Cap Winners in IPL history:
1. Shaun Marsh – 2008
In the very first season of the IPL, Shaun Marsh made his presence felt when he made 616 runs with an average of 68.44. Playing for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), the Aussie batsman hit 5 half centuries and a magnificent 115. At a strike rate of 139.68, he was bound to beat contemporaries and legends like Sanath Jayasuriya and Gautam Gambhir to win the Orange Cap of the season. His batting made the already intriguing event of the IPL even more exciting.
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2. Mathew Hayden – 2009
In the second season of the IPL, Hayden was the second Aussie to win the Orange Cap. Mathew Hayden’s second year with the Chennai Super Kings ended in him becoming the highest run scorer of the series. His average came up to 52 and his total runs at the end of the tournament were an impressive 572. Hayden’s five half-centuries and the highest on his scorecard was an 89 against Kings XI Punjab. With a strike rate of 144.81, his splendid performance is quite easy to imagine.
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3. Sachin Tendulkar – 2010
Do we really need to spell this one out? Sachin Tendulkar being the Orange Cap Winner of 2010 seems like such an obvious fact. The Master Blaster made a whopping 618 with an average of 47.53. He hit five impressive half-centuries through the season, with the highest score of 89. Tendulkar’s strike rate was a brilliant 132.61. He wowed the crowds with his batting in the shortest form of the game and quite deservedly took home the Orange Cap that season.
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4. Chris Gayle – 2011
Here come the big guns! Chris Gayle’s first Orange Cap win was an experience of a lifetime for fans. Watching that history plays out in real time was truly fascinating. He made 608 runs in the season with three half-centuries and 2 hundreds, with his highest being a 107. He was in superb form through the season and almost single-handedly took the RCB out of precarious matches and to victories. With an average of 67.55 and a strike rate of 183.13 – the highest in any season at the time – Gayle was the undisputed champ of the season in his red and gold colors.
5. Chris Gayle – 2012
The only person to have won the title twice consecutively, and deservedly so. Gayle upped his game and took his personal score up to an astounding 733 at a strike rate of 160.74. He also earned the distinction of scoring the highest individual score by a player in an IPL game – a 128 against the Delhi Daredevils. At an average of 61.08 with 7 half centuries and the above mentioned hundred, no one else deserved the Orange Cap more than Gayle in 2012.
6. Michael Hussey – 2013
Aussie batsmen clearly love a challenge and know their way around it too. With a total score equal to his predecessor – an insane 733 – Hussey took home the Orange Cap in 2013 with his 6 classy half-centuries. His highest in a game was a 95 playing for the Chennai Super Kings against KKR – the team that went on to win the season. He was a dependable option with the bat for his skipper and that shows in his strike rate of 129.5 and average of 52.35. Watching Hussey fearlessly hit the ball all over the grounds was a cherished joy throughout the season.
7. Robin Utthappa -2014
A member of the defending champions and a treat to watch on the field, Uthappa made 660 individual runs through the season and earned the Orange Cap for the year. With an average of 44, he was a reliable match-winner for skipper Gautam Gambhir in every game. He proved himself with a strike rate of 137.78, hitting 5 half-centuries. His individual highest was an 83 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore. He remained a ray of hope for his team and the fans for that season and those to come as someone who would fight their hardest to take the team over the line.
8. David Warner – 2015
Here we go with the baggy greens again! David Warner was a site to behold through the 8th season of the IPL, with a total of 592 runs to his name and an individual highest of 91. His 7 half centuries dazzled the crowds and made him a dependable and feared player of the Sunrisers Hyderabad squad. With a strike rate of 156.54 and an average of 43.23, Warner was bound to be the wearer of the Orange Cap at the end of the season. Little did we know that this journey wasn’t close to being done yet.
9. Virat Kohli – 2016
A list of Orange Cap Winners in the IPL without this player seems incomplete. There’s a reason the former skipper of the Indian side is known as the king of cricket, and part of that is his ability to hit the ball in any way he pleases to get the results he wants. Virat Kohli made a historic 973 in the 9th season of the IPL and there wasn’t even a close second choice as to whom the Orange Cap should go to. His four glamorous centuries left the crowd in awe of his skill and his style, as did the seven half centuries. His captain’s knock of 113 in just 50 balls against Kings XI Punjab won them the match and restored their fans’ ardent faith in them. An average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.32 almost obviously meant that he’d take home the honour.
10. David Warner – 2017
And the saga continues! Warner was only the second player to have been awarded the Orange Cap twice, alongside Chris Gayle. With an individual total score of 641 runs, Warner didn’t leave any doubt as to who was winning the coveted Cap. His four half-centuries and a century were the most prominent additions to this score, that came at a strike rate of 141.81 and an average of 58.27. His best individual performance of the season was a brilliant 126 against Kolkata. You might think this is it for the start of the season for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but there is more for you to wait and find out!
11. Kane Williamson – 2018
The universally loved New Zealand skipper was heaped with more praise and appreciation in the 11th season of the IPL where he won his first Orange Cap. With a total individual score of 735 at an average of 52.5, he showed true character both on and off the field, leading his team with dignity and skill. His astonishing 8 half-centuries brought such joy to fans globally, to watch him play in his element and blossom so well. He made a personal best of 84 that season with a strike rate of 142.44 through the season. This man is class, style and skill all rolled into one and then some!
12. David Warner – 2019
Record breaker, trendsetter, classy hitter. There’s no one quite like David Warner in the tournament and we’ve established that with this list of Orange Cap Winners in the IPL. His total of 692 runs at an average of 69.2 is a feat few others can boast of. His only century of the season came against RCB, along with 8 brilliant half centuries. This was the third consecutive year for an SRH player to be crowned with the Orange Cap, and two of them went to the same head. His strike rate of 143.87 is all the proof you need to know what a fierce presence he is on the pitch. He’s the only player yet to have won the title thrice and he very much deserved it every single time.
13. KL Rahul – 2020
The young Indian face donning the Orange Cap is a point of pride for fans everywhere, notwithstanding team allegiance. KL Rahul’s win in the turbulent year of 2020 brought back that joy for the fans. As the Kings XI Punjab skipper, he made 670 through the season at an average of 55.83. He also broke Chris Gayle’s record highest score of 128 in 2012 and raised him to a 132* against Gayle’s own former team RCB. This magnificent century was accompanied by 5 half centuries and a strike rate of 129.34. He was a true force to reckon with through and even after the season in his country’s colours.
14. Ruturaj Gaikwad – 2021
Consistency is something every CSK player is known to have. This is why people were so intrigued by the young uncapped batsman they picked in the 2019 auction. He soon proved his worth when he became one of the youngest Orange Cap Winners in the IPL in 2021. He made a total of 635, which includes 4 impressive half-centuries and a 101* against Rajasthan Royals. With a strike rate of 136.26, he’s sure to have been noticed by viewers and selectors alike and it’s likely that we’ll see him in a blue cap soon too. His average of 45.35 only adds to the fans’ hopes that that happens soon.
15. Jos Buttler – 2022
The 15th season of the IPL has been exceptional for the Rajasthan Royals, and in particular for Orange Cap winner Jos Buttler. His total score of 863 runs seconds only Virat Kohli in 2016 on the list of the highest personal totals at the end of the season. With a strike rate of 149.05 and an average of 57.53, it’s hard to imagine anyone coming close to what he achieved this season. His four magnificent half centuries and another four centuries – the highest of which was a whopping 116 – were instrumental in bringing his team to the finals this year. Buttler’s performance this season has enriched the sport and the tournament immensely.
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Orange Cap Winners in the IPL each have a certain class and panache with the bat. Each person on this list checks both those boxes and so much more with their brilliant batting and match-winning capabilities. They make viewership so much more entertaining and engaging for fans of the game and the teams, and add to the excitement of each game.
Also read: List of All Purple Cap Winners in the IPL History