IPL 2026: Virat Kohli reclaims Orange Cap with blazing 81, powers RCB to 2nd Spot
Virat Kohli has reclaimed the Orange Cap lead with a match-winning 81, becoming the first player to achieve 800 fours and 300 sixes for a single franchise. His innings, coupled with a strong partnership, propelled RCB to second place. Abhishek Sharma, Heinrich Klaasen, Shubman Gill, and Sanju Samson are close contenders in the run-scoring charts.
Virat Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the Orange Cap standings with a commanding knock of 81 runs while chasing a target of 205. He played at a blistering strike rate of 184. 09, smashing 8 fours and 4 sixes in a match-defining innings.
Kohli had an early scare, as he was dropped on zero by Washington Sundar off the very first ball of the chase, a costly miss for the Titans. He made the most of that lifeline and went on to script history, becoming the first player to register 800 fours and 300 sixes for a single franchise in IPL history. He stitched together a dominant 115-run partnership for the second wicket with Devdutt Padikkal, who contributed a rapid 55 off 27 balls, effectively taking the game away from the opposition.
Kohli was eventually dismissed in the 14th over, clean bowled by Jason Holder while attempting a pull shot, but by then he had already done the bulk of the work in the chase, something he is renowned for. With this innings, Kohli now leads the Orange Cap race with 328 runs. The victory also propelled RCB to second place in the IPL 2026 points table, with 10 points from 7 matches.
Hot on his heels is Abhishek Sharma of Sunrisers Hyderabad, who has 323 runs from 7 matches. The left-hander has been explosive, boasting a staggering strike rate of 215. 33 - the highest among the top contenders, along with an average of 53.