We’re almost at the end of the IPL 2026 league stage and, as ever, the batting and bowling charts are shuffling right to the wire.
Orange Cap – runs on the board first
Gujarat Titans’ openers still occupy the top two spots: B Sai Sudharsan on 638 and Shubman Gill on 616. That pair have been there or there-abouts since week three and remain hard to shift.
Friday night, though, belonged to Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Heinrich Klaasen. His brisk 51 from 24 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru took him to 606 runs and straight up to No. 3. Former Australia captain Aaron Finch, on television duty, was impressed: “Absolutely the best we’ve seen Klaasen bat.” Simple, to the point.
Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sits fourth with 579, while Klaasen’s team-mate Ishan Kishan jumped to fifth after a lively 79 off 46. Five men, 69 runs apart – one big innings could still swing the cap.
Purple Cap – wickets in the bag
Bhuvneshwar Kumar drew a rare blank against RCB yet keeps the cap. He remains level with Titans quick Kagiso Rabada on 24 wickets, his tighter economy (8.07 to 9.18) giving him the edge for now. The Purple Cap rewards wickets first, economy second – handy if you’re wondering why it hasn’t swapped heads.
Chennai Super Kings left-armer Anshul Kamboj (21) follows, then the spinners Rashid Khan and Eshan Malinga locked on 19. Rashid’s 8.71 economy nudges him above Malinga’s 9.27.
The numbers that might matter
• Sudharsan, Gill, Klaasen all striking north of 150 – pressure from ball one.
• Rabada’s strike rate with the ball (12.2) remains the best of the top ten bowlers.
• Kishan has four fifties in his last six knocks, so momentum is with him.
Two group games each remain for most sides. One outstanding spell or a whirlwind half-century and both caps could yet change hands. That, really, is the charm – and the agony – of an IPL run-in.
