NEW DELHI: Shubman Gill’s sparkling 84 against Rajasthan Royals has thrown the IPL 2026 Orange Cap race wide open, with the Gujarat Titans skipper climbing to fourth in the standings after another captain’s knock on Saturday.Gill smashed 84 off just 48 balls and stitched a commanding 118-run opening partnership with Sai Sudharsan (55) to power Gujarat Titans to a massive 229/4. The total proved far beyond Rajasthan’s reach as GT completed a crushing 77-run victory.
The innings took Gill to 462 runs from 10 matches at an average of 46.20 and a strike rate of 160.41. The elegant right-hander is now only 32 runs behind current Orange Cap holder Heinrich Klaasen of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who leads the charts with 494 runs in 11 matches.Klaasen continues to enjoy a remarkable season, averaging 54.89 with five half-centuries. His SRH teammate Abhishek Sharma remains close behind with 475 runs, including a stunning unbeaten 135 and a strike rate above 210.Delhi Capitals batsman KL Rahul occupies third place with 468 runs from 11 innings, while Gill’s latest effort has brought him firmly into contention with the business end of the tournament approaching.Despite Rajasthan Royals’ heavy defeat, young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi continued his impressive campaign. His quickfire 36 helped him stay fifth in the Orange Cap standings with 440 runs at a breathtaking strike rate of 236.55 — the highest among the top run-scorers this season.With several league matches still remaining, the battle for the Orange Cap is shaping into a fierce contest between consistency and explosiveness. Gill’s return to top form could prove crucial not only for Gujarat Titans’ playoff push but also in the race to finish as the tournament’s leading run-getter.
