IPL 2019: 5 batsmen who could win the Orange Cap this year

The IPL is undoubtedly the biggest T20 cricket league in the world, and another exciting season is set to begin.

This will be 12th edition of the league, and the tournament will take place right before the Cricket World Cup. However, India might not host all the matches of the tournament due to the general election; a similar rescheduling had happened in 2009 and 2014.

Eight teams will participate in the IPL, and all the franchises seem to have done well in the IPL auction. The teams had already retained their key players in the trade window, but they strengthened their respective squads at the auction. All the eight teams bought a combined total of 60 players, and a sum of Rs. 106.80 was spent at the auction.

Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Chakravarthy were the costliest players at the auction; both players were sold for Rs. 8.4 crore. English all-rounder Sam Curran was the most expensive overseas player, with and Kings XI Punjab buying him for Rs. 7.2 crore.

The IPL is a long tournament. Several domestic players groom themselves in the competition by playing against top-notch international players. Some players have done well and proved their mettle in the league as well as international cricket, while others have faded away after promising starts.

Here, we look at five players who could be the top run-scorers in the IPL next year.

5) Rohit Sharma

The Hitman Rohit Sharma

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma is one of the legendary players of the IPL, and he has an impressive track record. The Mumbai franchise has won three IPL titles under his leadership, and he has also scored a lot of runs with the bat.

Rohit will be aiming to play big knocks in the IPL next season, which could help him build up good momentum for the World Cup.

Rohit is the third highest run-getter in the IPL, and he has beenn playing the tournament right from the first season. He initially played for Deccan Chargers, but Mumbai Indians bought him in 2011.

Rohit has played 173 IPL matches, and he has scored 4493 runs at an average of 31.86. He is a serious contender to be the Orange Cap winner next season.

4) Chris Lynn

Chris Lynn

The Australian is one of the most destructive batsmen in world cricket, and he is a huge asset to the Kolkata Knight Riders. Lynn is KKR's most expensive foreign player, having been purchased for Rs. 9.6 crore. He opens the innings for KKR and he can dismantle any bowling attack on his day.

Lynn was signed by the KKR in 2014, and he has played a pivotal role in their batting ever since. He played the whole tournament last season, but struggled with a minor shoulder injury. However, he is expected to be fully fit next season.

The right-handed opener has played a total of 28 IPL matches, and he has scored 875 matches at an average of 35.

3) Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant

The southpaw had an astonishing season in 2018 and he will be determined to continue his batting form next season.

Pant's performance last season helped him to secure a place in India's Test and ODI squads. He was one of three players who was retained by the Delhi franchise ahead of the 2018 auction.

Pant was the second highest run-scorer last season, and he fell just short of winning the Orange Cap. He scored 684 runs at an impressive average of 52.61, including an unbeaten 128 off 63 balls against Surisers Hyderabad, which is the highest individual score by an Indian in the IPL.

2) Kane Williamson

Kane Williamson

The New Zealand skipper was the stand-in captain of the Sunrisers Hyderabad last season and he did a commendable job. He led the Hyderabad franchise to the final, where they fell just short. Moreover, he had an incredible season with the bat, and he was the winner of the Orange Cap.

Williamson made his IPL debut in 2015 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. He has played a total of 32 IPL matches, and has scored 1146 runs at an average of 42.44.

He played 17 matches last season and scored 735 runs at an impressive average of 52.50.

1) Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

The RCB skipper is considered the best batsman in the world, and it is no surprise he is number one in this list.

Though RCB could not qualify for the playoffs last season, Kohli scored plenty of runs. He has been part of RCB since the inauguration of the IPL in 2008, and he is also the most expensive player in the league.

Kohli won the Orange Cap in 2016 when he scored a whopping 973 runs in 16 matches at an incredible average of 81.08. He played 14 matches last season and scored 530 runs.

Kohli is the top run-scorer in the history of the IPL. He has played 163 IPL matches, and he has scored 4948 runs at an average of 38.35.