NEW DELHI: Kings XI Punjab’s KL Rahul has taken the Orange Cap from Rishabh Pant, surpassing the flamboyant Delhi Daredevils’ wicketkeeper-batsman’s tally of 582 runs on Wednesday. His team-mate Andrew Tye, with 24 wickets, increased the gap over Hardik Pandya to six wickets with a haul of 4/16 on Wednesday, which was his third four-wicket bag this season.
Rahul had a chance to grab the Orange Cap for most runs from on Monday when KXIP played Royal Challengers Bangalore, but could only add 21 to his tally. During KXIP’s narrow three-run loss to defending champions Mumbai Indians, Rahul hit 94 off 60 balls to take a 70-run lead over Pant.
Rahul – who this month earned a recall to India’s limited-overs squads – now sits above Pant (582), Jos Buttler (548), Kane Williamson (544), Ambati Rayudu (535), Virat Kohli (514) and Suryakumar Yadav (500), who became the first uncapped Indian batsman to touch 500 runs in any IPL season.
Pant when Kings XI Punjab face the eliminated Royal Challengers Bangalore in Monday’s IPL 2018 fixture at the Holkar Stadium in Indore, while his team-mate Andrew Tye will look to extend his lead on the bowling table over his nearest rival, Hardik Pandya.
Tye and Pandya had swapped places at the top of the season bowling charts following the Australian pace bowler’s successive four-wicket hauls for KXIP. Heading into Wednesday’s match Tye had 20 wickets to Pandya’s 18 and with the Indian allrounder going wicketless, Tye increased the gap.
Pandya had lost the Purple Cap to Tye last Wednesday after the latter had taken four wickets in KXIP’s loss to Rajasthan Royals. Jasprit Burma, Man of the Match in Mumbai’s win for taking three wickets, made a significant jump to fourth place on the bowling table and now has 16 wickets.
With RCB in action today, Umesh Yadav (17 wickets) has a chance to surpass Pandya and close the gap on Purple Cap holder Tye.
