Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has yet to put a foot wrong since he made his IPL debut last year. This season, he has already breached the 400-run mark, becoming the first batter to get there. At just 15, the youngster has put to rest any doubts of a second-season slowdown, continuing to dominate some of the best bowlers in the tournament. He had already shown glimpses of his ability last season, despite teams figuring out clearer plans to counter him. Many have tried to test him with short-pitched bowling, looking to unsettle him early. However, Sooryavanshi has looked well prepared, taking on the challenge with confidence. His use of late cuts, upper cuts, and his overall fearless approach have kept bowlers on the back foot, making him one of the most difficult batters to contain this season.
He has taken apart the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Arshdeep Singh from the word go, underlining his audacity against the very best. The youngster has shown no hesitation in taking on reputations, trusting his instincts and backing his range of strokes. Time and again, he has made it clear that he isn’t overawed by big names, focusing instead on the ball in front of him. That clarity has allowed him to play with freedom, unsettling even the most experienced bowlers and turning pressure situations in his favour with fearless intent.
He is currently leading the Orange Cap race with 400 runs in eight matches, but it will be interesting to see whether he will manage to keep it at the end of the season.
Sooryavanshi’s season so far has had a bit of everything, and the runs have kept coming at the top. He started with an explosive 52 against CSK, followed by 31 against GT and 39 versus MI. He then raised the bar with a brisk 78 against RCB. There was a brief stumble with a duck against SRH, but he responded with 46 at Eden Gardens, and suffered a dip again with a score of 8 against LSG. The highlight came in Jaipur, where he put together a superb 37-ball 103 against SRH, showing his range and control. He followed that up with 43 against PBKS in New Chandigarh, continuing his strong presence at the top of the order.
Looking at his pattern, Sooryavanshi has dominated the powerplay with his ultra-attacking approach, and the most balls he has faced in an innings this season are 37. On five occasions, he has played fewer than 20 balls, showing how brief his stays at the crease have often been. At this rate, he can still produce scores of 40-plus or even half-centuries, but it could make things tricky in the Orange Cap race as he hasn’t remained unbeaten so far. The competition has been tight this season, with the lead changing hands almost every match, and longer innings might count more as the tournament progresses.
His current average stands at 44.4, and with his team well placed in the IPL playoff race, if he plays 16 matches this season and maintains that average, he would finish with around 710 runs. That might still not be enough, though, given how freely runs have come this season. Totals of 220 and even 250 have not always been safe, indicating just how high scoring has been across games, giving players on other teams a chance to catch up with the teenage sensation.
His main rivals in the Orange Cap race at the moment are Abhishek Sharma (380 runs), Virat Kohli (351 runs) and Prabhsimran Singh (346 runs). KL Rahul (358 runs) is also in the mix, but given how his team has fared, their chances of making the playoffs look slim, which could hurt his prospects. Heinrich Klaasen, too, has been consistent with 349 runs, but batting in the middle order may limit his opportunities to push strongly for the Orange Cap.
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If you look at the scoring patterns of Abhishek, Kohli and Prabhsimran, they might have a chance to eclipse Sooryavanshi in the race because of the approach they play with.
Abhishek Sharma – The Fearless Opener
Abhishek, who had a mixed T20 World Cup, followed a similar pattern for a brief period in IPL 2026, but he now seems to have found his rhythm again, and his impact has been hard to miss. He started with 7 against RCB, followed by a steady 48 at Eden Gardens and a duck against LSG. He responded well with 74 against PBKS, before another setback with 0 against RR. From there, he picked up momentum, scoring 59 against CSK and then producing a superb unbeaten 135 against DC in Hyderabad, one of the standout knocks of the season. He followed it up with 57 against RR in Jaipur, staying firmly in the Orange Cap race.
Though he has stuck to his fearless approach, Travis Head’s lack of runs at the other end has pushed him to take on more responsibility in recent matches. He now seems intent on making his starts count, often aiming to reach at least a half-century. When he brought up his hundred, he batted through the innings for the first time in his IPL career. His 135 came off 68 balls, showing he can also adapt his game when needed. If he gets support from the other end, it only improves his chances of converting starts into big scores, and if he maintains his current average of 54, it won’t be tough for him to outscore Vaibhav.
Virat Kohli – The Run Machine
Now to Kohli: he is still at the peak of his powers and has added another gear to keep pace with the younger players and RCB’s all-out approach. He has shown clear intent at the top, but it hasn’t come at the cost of the consistency that has been his hallmark over the years. He began with an unbeaten 69 against SRH, followed by 28 against CSK and 32 versus RR. He then struck a 50 at the Wankhede against MI and added 49 against LSG, just missing another half-century. After a quieter 19 against DC, he responded with a fluent 81 against GT in Bengaluru. Most recently, he remained unbeaten on 23 against DC in Delhi, continuing to anchor the innings. It’s been a steady run, and if he keeps this up, a third Orange Cap is well within reach.
He has faced 30-plus balls in four innings this season, which boosts his chances of converting starts into fifties. The extra gear in his batting has also helped him score at a quicker rate, adding more to his tally. There’s no questioning his ability in chases; he knows exactly how to pace them and often stays till the end, which helps him pile on extra runs compared to others. He has already remained unbeaten twice this season.
Prabhsimran Singh – The Underdog
Prabhsimran is the real underdog in the Orange Cap race, and the consistency he has shown at the top could surprise many by the end of the season. The wicketkeeper began with 37 against GT and followed it up with 43 against CSK. He didn’t get a chance to bat against KKR in the rain-affected clash, but returned with a solid 51 against SRH and then produced a standout, unbeaten 80 at the Wankhede against MI. Despite a rare failure – a duck – against LSG, he quickly bounced back with 76 against DC in Delhi. Most recently, he added 59 against RR in New Chandigarh, continuing his strong run. He has four half-centuries in seven innings, and in two others he crossed 35, underlining his consistency. Apart from one failure, he has consistently delivered steady starts, scoring impactful runs for Punjab Kings.
Barring the duck, he has spent more than 20 balls at the crease in every innings, and on three occasions has crossed the 30-ball mark, converting each of those starts into fifties and making his time in the middle count.