IPL 2026 Orange Cap: Heinrich Klaasen overtakes Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli to reclaim top spot

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday booked their spot in the IPL 2026 playoffs with a five-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk. The chase was anchored by Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen, with the duo adding a match-winning 75 runs for the third wicket.Klaasen contributed a brisk 47 off 26 balls, striking two sixes and six fours. The knock took his tally to 555 runs from 13 matches, lifting the SRH batter to the top of the IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings, one run ahead of second-placed Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans.Klaasen has scored his runs at an average of 50.45 and a strike rate of 155.89, with five half-centuries to his name. Sudharsan’s 554 runs have also come from 13 matches and include one century and six fifties.GT captain Shubman Gill is third in the race with 552 runs, just three behind Klaasen, underlining how close the Orange Cap contest has become. Gill has also registered five fifties in 13 innings.Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru is fourth with 542 runs from 13 matches, scored at an average of 54.20 and a strike rate of 164.74, including one century and four fifties.KL Rahul of Delhi Capitals rounds off the top five with 533 runs from 13 matches. He has scored at a strike rate of 171.93, with one century and four fifties.With only 22 runs separating the top-ranked batter and the player in fifth place, the Orange Cap race remains one of the closest contests of IPL 2026.