Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf Du Plessis has had a season to remember in the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The current orange cap holder has amassed 730 runs opening the batting at an average of 56.15 and a strike rate of 153.68.
Du Plessis’ run tally this season is his highest ever, exceeding the 633 runs he scored in the 2021 IPL season, where he finished second in the race for the Orange Cap behind then-teammate Ruturaj Gaikwad by two runs. The former South Africa skipper wasn’t dismissed for a single-digit score across any of the 14 innings this season.
But with RCB’s exit from the IPL at the league stage, the race for the Orange Cap is still on. Gujarat Titans’ Shubman Gill and Chennai Super Kings’ Devon Conway are still in contention to overtake his tally for the season after their respective teams qualified for the playoffs.
With both GT and CSK assured of playing at least two games in the playoffs owing to their top-two finish, Gill and Conway will look to capitalize on the extra games to push for their first Orange Cap.
While Gill is currently second on the run-scoring charts with 680 runs at an average of 56.67 and a strike-rate of 152.46, Conway is placed fifth with 585 runs at an average of 53.18 and a strike-rate of 138.62.
The Orange Cap looks more probable for Gill who has already hit two centuries in this campaign of the IPL. This has been his most productive season by a comfortable margin, with his previous best being the 480 runs he managed last year for the same franchise. His strike-rate has also seen a jump this year from the 132.33 he managed in 2022.
Conway’s chances though seem a little more improbable considering he has to make up a 145-run deficit to Du Plessis’ tally with a maximum of three games to be played. The Kiwi opener has had a solid season at the top of the order for CSK, faring much better than the 252 runs he managed in 7 innings last year.
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