Abhishek Sharma leads Orange Cap with 380 runs after blistering 29-ball 57 against Rajasthan Royals.
In a span of barely 24 hours, Virat Kohli's 320-run lead vanished as Punjab Kings smashed 265 against Delhi Capitals while Sunrisers Hyderabad chased 229 against Rajasthan Royals. As darkness fell in Delhi, KL Rahul seized the top spot with a record-breaking unbeaten 152, the highest individual score by an Indian in T20 cricket, totaling 357 runs in seven innings. His reign lasted less than two hours before Jaipur witnessed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's explosive 37-ball 103, also amassing 357 runs but edging ahead on strike rate. An hour later, SRH opener Abhishek Sharma rocketed to the summit with a quickfire 29-ball 57.
Abhishek Sharma now sits atop the batting charts after his fourth half-century in eight innings, accumulating 380 runs—23 more than both Sooryavanshi and Rahul. Heinrich Klaasen also climbed into the top five by contributing 29 runs in SRH's victory, now holding 349 runs and sitting just ahead of Kohli in the rankings. Kohli's initial 320-run lead dropped to fifth place as multiple high-scoring matches reshaped the leaderboard overnight. Klaasen's consistency solidified his position in the top tier with this latest contribution.
Sri Lankan seamer Eshan Malinga from SRH claimed two wickets against Rajasthan Royals, finishing with figures of 2 for 38 and closing in on Chennai Super Kings' Anshul Kamboj. Both bowlers have collected 14 wickets each, but Kamboj retains the Purple Cap due to a superior economy rate of 8.95 compared to Malinga's 9.44. Malinga's scalps included Yashasvi Jaiswal and Donovan Ferreira as SRH defended their target. Despite Jofra Archer's hostile spell of 2 for 34, Rajasthan Royals fell short in the match.
Jofra Archer's match-winning figures of 2 for 34 weren't enough for Rajasthan Royals but elevated him to joint-third on the bowling leaderboard. He now shares the position with 13 wickets, alongside Lucknow Super Giants' Prince Yadav. Gujarat Titans seamer Prasidh Krishna rounds out the top five bowlers with 12 wickets to his name. Archer's key dismissals included Travis Head and Ishan Kishan, showcasing his match-turning ability despite the loss.
Rajasthan Royals opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, Donovan Ferreira, Travis Head, and Mumbai Indians' Ishan Kishan featured in dismissals across key matches. Punjab Kings scored 265 against Delhi Capitals while Sunrisers Hyderabad successfully chased 229. KL Rahul's 152 remains the highest Indian T20 score, while Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's 103 off 37 balls marked a teenage sensation's arrival. Heinrich Klaasen's 29 runs in SRH's win pushed him past Kohli in the run charts.