With just the two league games left – both squeezed into Sunday’s double-header – the season-long races for top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker remain open, although a couple of familiar names still sit out in front.
Orange Cap – runs so far
Nothing changed at the very top on Saturday because Lucknow were without Mitchell Marsh. His 563 runs keep him seventh and, with no more outings, he is likely to slide. The leaders are still Gujarat’s B Sai Sudharsan (638) and Shubman Gill (616), followed by Sunrisers pair Heinrich Klaasen (606) and Ishan Kishan (569). Rajasthan’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (579) separates them, while Abhishek Sharma (563) completes the top six.
Punjab’s openers finally found some touch. Prabhsimran Singh cracked 69 from 39 balls, lifting himself to 510 runs and tenth place. His skipper Shreyas Iyer went one better, an unbeaten 101 off 51 that nudged him to 498 – still one shy of the top ten but a welcome return to form after a lean run.
Sooryavanshi, back in action against Mumbai on Sunday night, is the only batter inside the current top six who can still add to his tally before the play-offs.
Purple Cap – wickets so far
The bowling chart is similarly tight. Royal Challengers veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Gujarat’s Kagiso Rabada share the lead with 24 wickets each, Bhuvneshwar’s superior economy rate keeping him fractionally ahead. Chennai’s rookie quick Anshul Kamboj (21) follows, then Rashid Khan (19) and Sunrisers’ Eshan Malinga (19).
Lucknow’s revelation Prince Yadav drew another blank – none for 32 from three overs – his fourth wicketless outing on the trot, leaving him stranded on 16.
Two players outside that top five could yet gate-crash it. Rajasthan’s Jofra Archer and Kolkata’s Kartik Tyagi both sit on 18 wickets and both play on Sunday, giving them a realistic tilt at the podium.
What they said
Ambati Rayudu, in commentary, was impressed with Punjab’s opener: “Prabhsimran has stopped being impulsive.” A small change, he felt, but a significant one.
Mumbai coach Mark Boucher hopes his youngsters pay close attention to Shreyas Iyer’s example: “He can learn by batting with Shreyas,” Boucher said of his own middle-order prospects.
Quick numbers
• Best batting strike rates: Klaasen 178.4, Kishan 171.2
• Best economy rates (min 15 overs): Rashid Khan 6.87, Kamboj 7.14
• Most 50+ scores: Sudharsan 6, Gill 5
All that leaves everything poised. By late Sunday we will know whether Sudharsan holds off his chasing pack and whether Bhuvneshwar can fend off Rabada – or if one last surge from Archer, Tyagi or Sooryavanshi scrambles the leaderboards altogether.
