The race for the Orange Cap in IPL 2025 is heating up. On Monday night at the Wankhede Stadium, Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI) moved up to second place in the Orange Cap leaderboard despite his team’s loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).
Yadav scored 28 runs off 26 balls in a modest knock that wasn’t enough to carry MI across the line. However, his total tally of 199 runs from five innings brought him just three runs short of overtaking Nicholas Pooran of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), who leads the chart with 201 runs in four innings.
Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar Enter Top 10 but Miss Top 5
Two RCB batters — Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar — posted impressive half-centuries but still couldn’t crack the top five. Kohli’s 67 off 42 balls, laced with eight boundaries and two sixes, earned him the sixth spot. He was dismissed by MI skipper Hardik Pandya.
Patidar, on the other hand, delivered a fiery 64 off just 32 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes. He was eventually removed by Trent Boult in the second-last over. With this performance, Patidar climbed to seventh place in the Orange Cap race.
Tilak Varma’s Comeback Keeps MI Hopes Alive
Tilak Varma, who had struggled in MI’s earlier match against LSG and was even subbed out, made a solid comeback versus RCB. Batting at number five, he scored 56 runs off 29 balls, smashing four fours and four sixes. His innings helped MI stay in the game until the 18th over when he fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Varma now sits at the 10th position among the season’s top run-scorers.
IPL 2025 Orange Cap Standings (As of April 8)
| Position | Player | Runs | Innings | High Score | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nicholas Pooran (LSG) | 201 | 4 | 75 | 50.25 | 218.47 |
| 2 | Suryakumar Yadav (MI) | 199 | 5 | 67 | 49.75 | 150.75 |
| 3 | Sai Sudharsan (GT) | 191 | 4 | 74 | 47.75 | 150.39 |
| 4 | Mitchell Marsh (LSG) | 184 | 4 | 72 | 46.00 | 185.85 |
| 5 | Jos Buttler (GT) | 166 | 4 | 73* | 55.33 | 167.67 |
| 6 | Virat Kohli (RCB) | 164 | 5 | 67 | 41.00 | 138.65 |
| 7 | Rajat Patidar (RCB) | 162 | 5 | 64 | 40.50 | 174.19 |
| 8 | Shreyas Iyer (PBKS) | 151 | 4 | 66 | 50.33 | 143.50 |
| 9 | Travis Head (SRH) | 142 | 4 | 61 | 35.50 | 158.89 |
| 10 | Tilak Varma (MI) | 139 | 5 | 56 | 34.75 | 146.81 |
Double-Header Tuesday: Expect More Changes in the Leaderboard
April 8 brings a double-header in the IPL 2025, with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) facing LSG in the first match of the day. While KKR don’t have any batter in the top 10 yet, LSG has two strong contenders: Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh. Pooran will aim to widen his lead, while Marsh has a chance to climb from fourth to a top-three spot.
The second game features Punjab Kings (PBKS) versus Chennai Super Kings (CSK). PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer, currently in eighth position, could surge higher with a strong performance. CSK, however, don’t have any batters in the current top 10. Their highest run-scorer is Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has 121 runs in four innings.
Expert Take
According to cricket analyst Aakash Chopra, “This season’s Orange Cap race is more competitive than ever. With multiple players scoring at high strike rates, we could see the lead change hands several times over the next few matches.”
Stats from ESPNcricinfo and IPLT20.com support this dynamic shift, suggesting that power-hitting and consistency will both play a crucial role in determining the eventual Orange Cap winner.
