IPL Prediction 2020: Top 5 Contenders for Orange Cap

IPL Prediction 2020: The biggest T20 competition in the world, the Indian Premier League will be up and running from the 19^th of September. Unlike the previous seasons, most of the players are coming to the tournament after a 6 month long forced rest, enforced upon them due to the pandemic caused by coronavirus. So the superstars of the game will be hungry for runs and wickets much more than ever.

High scoring matches, fours, and sixes are the things that make the game more interesting for the normal audience. Over the years, the tournament has seen some tremendous batting performances from various players. The highest run-scorer of each season is awarded a prestigious gift, commonly known as the Orange Cap. Ever since its introduction in 2008, many legends of the game including the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Chris Gayle have donned this cap at the end of various seasons.

List of IPL Orange Cap Winners

• 2008 – Shaun Marsh, Kings XI Punjab, 616 runs at 66.84
• 2009 – Matthew Hayden, Chennai Super Kings, 572 runs at 52.00
• 2010 – Sachin Tendulkar, Mumbai Indians, 618 runs at 47.53
• 2011 – Chris Gayle, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 608 runs at 67.55
• 2012 – Chris Gayle, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 733 runs at 61.08
• 2013 – Michael Hussey, Chennai Super Kings, 733 runs at 52.35
• 2014 – Robin Uthappa, Kolkata Knight Riders, 660 runs at 44.00
• 2015 – David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad, 562 runs at 43.23
• 2016 – Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 973 runs at 81.08
• 2017 – David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad, 646 runs at 58.27
• 2018 — Kane Williamson, Sunrisers Hyderabad, 735 runs at 52.50
• 2019 — David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad, 692 runs at 69.20

IPL Prediction 2020: Top 5 Contenders for Orange Cap

Here we look at 5 possible contenders for IPL 2020 Orange Cap

5. Shubman Gill

This may surprise a few readers. But if there ever was to be a breakthrough season for the young Shubman Gill, it has to be this year. A highly talented batsman from Punjab, he has been considered by many as the future of Indian batting. Even though he got his IPL contract way back in 2018, he had been playing out of position for KKR for the past 2 years. With the former opener Chris Lynn being traded to Mumbai Indians, it is quite obvious that Shubman Gill is pairing with Sunil Narine at the top of the order. His promotion up the order is expected to pay huge dividends to the franchise as he averages close to 50 while opening the batting. He was fast-tracked into the national team for the recently concluded New Zealand series, but he failed to grab the opportunity. So he will be keen to grab the selector’s attention once again with an impressive IPL campaign. Watch out for him in IPL 2020.

4. Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler will be coming to the UAE after a successful English summer. Ever since cricket resumed after the forced COVID-19 break, Jos has been the man who has been creating headlines with his batting performances. He has accumulated 859 runs for the Rajasthan Royals in the last two seasons. All these have come at a stunning average of 47.72 and a staggering strike rate of 153. Unlike most of the openers in the IPL, Jos is not just a pinch hitter. His ability to take on the bowlers mercilessly in the power-plays and at the death along with his ability to play the anchor role in the middle overs makes him a valuable T20 asset. Considering the lack of quality domestic batsmen in the RR setup, don’t be surprised if he accumulates half of the total team runs in most matches much like what Warner did for the SRH last year.

5 Bold IPL 2020 Predictions ahead of the showpiece event

3. KL Rahul

The highest-ranked Indian batsman in International T20 cricket and the symbol of class, KL Rahul had been in the form of his life before COVID-19 forced everything to a halt. He is expected to continue the same form for Kings XI Punjab once he gets back to the cricket pitch. Ever since moving over to Kings XI Punjab, Rahul had been consistently piling up runs at the top of the order. In the 2018 edition of the IPL, he scored 659 runs at an average of 54.91 and a blistering strike rate of 158.41. He followed it up in the immediate next year with 593 runs coming in at an average of 53.90. With the added responsibility of captaincy in his shoulders, he is expected to continue the same form, and lead Kings XI Punjab from the front for hopefully one of their breakthrough seasons.

2. Virat Kohli

The run-machine Virat Kohli will be hungry for runs much more than ever. Having been forced to stay out of the game for more than 6 months, due to COVID-19, he will be eagerly waiting to smash each and every bowler out of the park once he hits the ground. Don’t be surprised if Kohli produces a replica of his 2016 unreal campaign. He is the leading run-getter in the history of the tournament with 5412 runs. All these have come at an average of 37.85 and a strike rate of 131.61. He has won the Orange Cap once in his career. It happened in 2016 when he scored a mammoth 973 runs at an unbelievable average of 81.08 and a stunning strike rate of 152.03. He also hit four centuries in that single season. Will the ever so consistent King Kohli once again don the orange cap? The chances are very high.

IPL 2020 Prediction: Opening pair for each franchise

1. David Warner

David Warner seems to have a deep love affair with the orange cap. The leader of the Orange Army had been holding onto that orange cap for quite some time now. He is also the only person in the history of the tournament to have won the orange cap thrice (in 2015 with 562 runs, in 2017 with 641 runs, and 2019 with 692 runs). He was also the second-best run-scorer in 2016 with 848 runs, when Kohli donned the orange cap having had an unreal season with the bat. He didn’t play in the 2018 edition of the IPL due to the ball-tampering ban imposed on him. So it is safe to say that, Warner has been the most consistent overseas batsman in the history of the tournament. He is more or less expected to continue his dominating form, as his recent performance in the first T20I between England and Australia suggests the same.

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