Sanju Samson and Anshul Kamboj NEW DELHI: We are almost halfway through the league phase of IPL 2026, with 33 of the total 70 matches done and dusted. From the hordes of cricketers competing in this highly competitive tournament, players in form are slowly but surely starting to emerge.The competition for the top scorer and goal winner of the season – Orange Cap and Purple Cap – brings exciting and interesting competitions.
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IPL 2026 Akeal Hosein talking to media after 417 in CSK vs MIAfter Thursday’s IPL ‘El Clasico’ between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings – the two five-time champions – CSK pacer Anshul Kamboj won the Purple Cap with 14 scalps from seven games. The young pacer, who returned figures of 1/10, is now one wicket ahead of second-placed Lucknow Super Giants pacer Prince Yadav, who has 13 wickets from seven matches.CSK won ‘El Clasico’ by a massive 103 runs, posting an impressive total of 207/6, thanks to a brilliant unbeaten century from Player of the Match Sanju Samson (101* off 54 balls). It was the new CSK recruit’s second hundred in IPL 2026, after his unbeaten 115 against Delhi Capitals at home in Chennai.With two centuries, Samson jumped straight into the Orange Cap race and is now third with 293 runs from seven games. The chart is currently topped by two Sunrisers Hyderabad batsmen — Abhishek Sharma (323 runs from seven matches) and Heinrich Klaasen (320 runs from seven matches).Shubman Gill (fourth with 265 runs), Gujarat Titans skipper and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli (sixth with 247 runs) will have an opportunity to move up the Orange Cap order when the two teams meet in Bengaluru on Friday.Among the bowlers who feature in today’s RCB vs GT clash, Gujarat Titans pacer Prasidh Krishna (fourth with 12 wickets), RCB’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar (seventh with 10 wickets) and GT’s Kagiso Rabada (eighth with 10 wickets) will also have a chance to climb the Purple.
Here is the current Top 5 in the Orange Cap and Purple Cap races
IPL 2026 Orange Cap:RankPlayer RunsHSSR100s/50s1Abhishek Sharma (SRH)323135*215.331/22Heinrich Klaasen (SRH)32062153.110/33Sanju Samson (CSK)293115*178.652/04 (GT)26586151.420/35Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR)25478220.860/2IPL 2026 Purple Cap:RankPlayerWicketsBestEcon1Anshul Kamboj (CSK)143/228,952Prince Yadav (LSG)133/328,383Eshan Malinga (SRH)124/329,434Prasidh Krishna (GT)124/289,915/Archer9615 Jofra
