IPL Orange Cap Winners List: Every Season from 2008 to 2026 With Full Stats
The IPL Orange Cap is awarded to the highest run-scorer of each season and it has been claimed by some of the greatest batters the game has ever seen. IPL 2026 is now live and a new Orange Cap race has just begun. Check the full IPL 2026 match schedule to follow every innings as the run charts start building.
What is the IPL Orange Cap?
The Orange Cap is updated after every match during the IPL season and the batter with the most runs at any given point wears it. At the end of the tournament, the final holder keeps it as the season’s leading run-scorer. It is the batting equivalent of the Purple Cap and is one of the most watched individual races in the competition every year.
Virat Kohli holds the record for most Orange Caps with three, winning in 2016, 2024 and being the most consistent top-scorer across multiple seasons. David Warner is the next with three Orange Caps in 2015, 2017 and 2019, all for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Chris Gayle won back-to-back Orange Caps in 2011 and 2012, the only player to defend the title in consecutive seasons.
IPL Orange Cap Winners: All Seasons 2008 to 2025
| Season | Player | Team | Runs | Matches | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | B Sai Sudharshan | Gujarat Titans | 759 | 15 | 108 | 54.21 | 156.17 |
| 2024 | Virat Kohli | RCB | 741 | 15 | 113 | 61.75 | 154.70 |
| 2023 | Shubman Gill | Gujarat Titans | 890 | 17 | 129 | 59.33 | 157.80 |
| 2022 | Jos Buttler | Rajasthan Royals | 863 | 17 | 116 | 57.53 | 140.05 |
| 2021 | Ruturaj Gaikwad | CSK | 635 | 16 | 101 | 45.36 | 136.27 |
| 2020 | KL Rahul | Punjab Kings | 670 | 14 | 132 | 55.83 | 129.34 |
| 2019 | David Warner | SRH | 692 | 12 | 100 | 69.20 | 143.87 |
| 2018 | Kane Williamson | SRH | 735 | 17 | 84 | 52.50 | 142.44 |
| 2017 | David Warner | SRH | 641 | 14 | 126 | 58.27 | 141.81 |
| 2016 | Virat Kohli | RCB | 973 | 16 | 113 | 81.08 | 152.03 |
| 2015 | David Warner | SRH | 562 | 14 | 91 | 43.23 | 156.54 |
| 2014 | Robin Uthappa | KKR | 660 | 16 | 83 | 44.00 | 137.78 |
| 2013 | Michael Hussey | CSK | 733 | 17 | 95 | 52.35 | 129.50 |
| 2012 | Chris Gayle | RCB | 733 | 15 | 128 | 61.08 | 160.74 |
| 2011 | Chris Gayle | RCB | 608 | 12 | 107 | 67.55 | 183.13 |
| 2010 | Sachin Tendulkar | Mumbai Indians | 618 | 15 | 89 | 47.53 | 132.61 |
| 2009 | Matthew Hayden | CSK | 572 | 16 | 89 | 52.00 | 144.81 |
| 2008 | Shaun Marsh | Punjab Kings | 616 | 11 | 115 | 68.44 | 139.68 |
Records and Highlights in Orange Cap History
The numbers behind 18 seasons of Orange Cap history throw up some genuinely remarkable stats.
- Most runs in a single season: Virat Kohli’s 973 runs in IPL 2016 is the highest tally any batter has ever scored in one IPL season and remains one of cricket’s most extraordinary individual performances
- Most Orange Caps: Virat Kohli and David Warner both have three Orange Caps each
- Only back-to-back winner: Chris Gayle won in 2011 and 2012 for RCB, the only player to defend the Orange Cap in consecutive seasons
- Best average by Orange Cap winner: Virat Kohli’s average of 81.08 in 2016 is the highest ever recorded by an Orange Cap holder
- Best strike rate by Orange Cap winner: Chris Gayle’s 183.13 in IPL 2011 remains the highest strike rate among all Orange Cap winners
- Fewest matches to win Orange Cap: Shaun Marsh won the inaugural 2008 Orange Cap in just 11 matches with 616 runs, the fewest games any winner has played
- Gujarat Titans: Both Shubman Gill (2023) and Sai Sudharshan (2025) won Orange Caps for GT in alternate seasons
Most Orange Caps by Player
| Player | Orange Caps | Seasons |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | 3 | 2016, 2024 (and close in multiple others) |
| David Warner | 3 | 2015, 2017, 2019 |
| Chris Gayle | 2 | 2011, 2012 |
| KL Rahul | 1 | 2020 |
| Shubman Gill | 1 | 2023 |
Kohli and Warner are the defining Orange Cap story of the IPL’s history. Between 2015 and 2019 alone, Warner won three and Kohli won one, making the two of them the dominant batting forces of that entire era. Warner’s three titles all came for Sunrisers Hyderabad, making SRH the team most associated with Orange Cap winners in history.
Team-Wise Orange Cap Wins
| Team | Orange Cap Wins | Players |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrisers Hyderabad | 4 | Warner x3, Williamson |
| RCB | 4 | Gayle x2, Kohli x2 |
| Gujarat Titans | 2 | Gill, Sai Sudharshan |
| CSK | 2 | Hussey, Hayden |
| Punjab Kings | 2 | Shaun Marsh, KL Rahul |
| KKR | 1 | Robin Uthappa |
| Rajasthan Royals | 1 | Jos Buttler |
| Mumbai Indians | 1 | Sachin Tendulkar |
SRH and RCB are level at four Orange Caps each, the most by any franchise. RCB’s four have come from just two players, Gayle and Kohli, which underlines how dependent their batting has been on individual brilliance at the top. SRH spread theirs across Warner and Williamson but Warner accounts for three of the four. Browse the full IPL 2026 team squads and player details to see the batting rosters every franchise is working with this season.
Top Run-Scorers of Each Season at a Glance
| Season | Winner Runs | 2nd Place | 3rd Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Sai Sudharshan 759 | SKY 717 | Kohli 657 |
| 2024 | Kohli 741 | Gaikwad 583 | Riyan Parag 573 |
| 2023 | Gill 890 | Faf du Plessis 730 | Devon Conway 672 |
| 2022 | Buttler 863 | KL Rahul 616 | Quinton de Kock 508 |
| 2021 | Gaikwad 635 | Faf du Plessis 633 | KL Rahul 626 |
| 2020 | KL Rahul 670 | Dhawan 618 | Warner 548 |
The 2021 season produced the closest Orange Cap finish in IPL history. Ruturaj Gaikwad edged Faf du Plessis by just 2 runs across the entire tournament. Both finished on 635 and 633 respectively after 16 innings each. That kind of margin at the top of a 60-match tournament is remarkable.
Who Can Win IPL 2026 Orange Cap?
With IPL 2026 underway from March 28, the batting charts will start building fast. Based on recent form and squad compositions, these are the names most likely to be in contention. Track the live IPL 2026 points table and team standings throughout the season as match results shape individual tallies.
| Batter | Team | Why They Are a Contender |
|---|---|---|
| B Sai Sudharshan | GT | Defending Orange Cap holder, 759 runs in 2025 |
| Virat Kohli | RCB | Three Orange Caps, 657 runs in 2025, impossible to rule out |
| Suryakumar Yadav | MI | 717 runs in 2025, second highest that season |
| Shubman Gill | GT | 890 runs in 2023, one of the best in T20 cricket |
| Travis Head | SRH | 567 runs at 191 strike rate in 2024, explosive at the top |
| Yashasvi Jaiswal | RR | 625 runs in 2023 including a 124, generation-defining talent |
| Ruturaj Gaikwad | CSK | 2021 winner, consistently one of the highest scorers each season |
Virat Kohli at 37 remains the most consistent batter in IPL history. His 657 runs in 2025 despite not winning the cap shows he is still comfortably among the top three every season. Sai Sudharshan’s development into a genuine match-winner for GT makes him the one to beat going into 2026. Check all the latest IPL 2026 news and updates as the season develops and the Orange Cap race takes shape.
Kohli’s 2016 Season: The Greatest Orange Cap Performance Ever
Virat Kohli’s 973 runs in IPL 2016 stands in a category of its own. He scored four centuries and seven half-centuries across 16 matches at an average of 81.08. No batter in the history of T20 franchise cricket has come close to replicating that kind of volume and quality in a single tournament. What makes it even more remarkable is that RCB finished as runners-up that year so Kohli was carrying the side to within one game of the title almost entirely on his own batting. Watch all the action live through the IPL 2026 live streaming guide as the next generation of batters take aim at his record.
FAQs
Who has won the most IPL Orange Caps?
Virat Kohli and David Warner have both won the IPL Orange Cap three times each. Kohli won in 2016 and 2024, Warner won in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Who won the IPL 2025 Orange Cap?
B Sai Sudharshan of Gujarat Titans won the IPL 2025 Orange Cap with 759 runs in 15 matches, averaging 54.21 at a strike rate of 156.17 with a highest score of 108.
What is the highest number of runs by an Orange Cap winner?
Virat Kohli scored 973 runs in IPL 2016, the highest tally ever recorded by any Orange Cap winner and the most runs any batter has scored in a single IPL season in history.
Which team has produced the most Orange Cap winners?
SRH and RCB are tied at four Orange Cap wins each. SRH’s wins came through David Warner three times and Kane Williamson once. RCB’s came through Chris Gayle twice and Virat Kohli twice.
Who was the first IPL Orange Cap winner?
Shaun Marsh of Punjab Kings won the inaugural IPL Orange Cap in 2008 with 616 runs in just 11 matches at an average of 68.44, the fewest games any Orange Cap winner has played to claim the title.
Who has the best average among all Orange Cap winners?
Virat Kohli’s average of 81.08 in IPL 2016 is the highest average ever recorded by an Orange Cap winner across all 18 seasons of the IPL.
