IPL 2018: 5 Indian batsmen who can win the Orange Cap this season

The 11th edition of the Indian Premier League started on 7 April, with the Chennai Super Kings defeating the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium by a very small margin, in the IPL 2018 opener.

With this, the fight to win the Orange cap has also begun, with Dwayne Bravo kicking things off for the Chennai Super Kings when he scored 68 runs in the very first match of the tournament.

There are plenty of batsmen who are capable of scoring plenty of runs and win the prestigious Orange Cap.

Let us look at the five Indian batsmen who might win the Orange Cap this season.

Stats accurate as of 13th April 2018

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#5 Rohit Sharma

One of the most talented batsmen of his generation, Rohit Sharma is one of the few players to have scored more than 4000 runs in the Indian Premier League.

He led the Mumbai Indians to glory in the IPL thrice (2013, 2015 and 2017) under his captaincy. Best known for his technique and power hitting, the former vice-captain of the Deccan Chargers has one century and 32 half-centuries to his name.

The MI captain scored 4233 runs with a strike rate of 130.56 and averages 32.31 runs per match.

Rohit Sharma didn't start very well this season and scored just 26 runs in his first two games. But we cannot rule out a batsman of his caliber as he can shift gears at any moment.

#4 Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina has scored the most number of runs in the IPL.

There are not many batsmen in the IPL who enjoys similar success with the bat like Suresh Raina. He is one of the most important players of the Chennai-based side and has lifted two IPL trophies with them.

The left-handed batsman is the top run scorer in the IPL with 4,558 runs and has a strike rate of 138.87. He averages 33.76 runs per match and has 31 half centuries along with one century to his name.

Suresh Raina must be frustrated to pick up an injury during the early stages of the tournament but he will back after missing two games, and has plenty of time to make an impact.

#3 Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir is off to a good start.

The DD skipper is back with his hometown franchise and is off to a good start by scoring a half-century against Kings XI Punjab.

Gautam Gambhir is among the elite batsmen in the IPL and has scored 4187 runs in the history of the tournament. The left-hander provides consistency in the team and has an average of 31.96 runs per match. He has scored the joint-most number of half-centuries (36) in the tournament and has the highest score of 93.

Delhi Daredevils struggled during their first two games of the tournament and failed to win any of them. But their captain looked in a good shape and will be hoping to continue his form in order to bring his team back on track.

#2 Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli will be looking to win his first IPl with RCB

Regarded as one of the most talented batsmen of his generation, Virat Kohli has performed consistently for RCB since the formation of the team in 2008.

The Delhi-born batsman is at the second spot on the list of the most run scorers in the IPL history and scored 4449 runs at an average of 37.38. He bagged four centuries in the IPL and has 30 half-centuries to his name.

The RCB captain scores at an impressive strike rate of 129.48 with 113 being his highest score. He won the orange cap in the 2016 edition and holds a record of scoring the most number of runs (973) in a single season.

#1 Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is leading the race for the orange cap.

The Indian opener, Shikhar Dhawan is among the most reliable batsmen in the IPL and can destroy any bowling attack on his day.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman has scored 3684 runs, which puts him at the 7th place on the list of the most scoring batsmen in the IPL history. He averages 33.49 runs per match and has a decent strike rate of 122.51.

However, he missed out on winning the Orange Cap in the last two seasons. Shikhar Dhawan started this year's IPL well and is already leading the race for the award. He scored 123 runs in just two games and will be hoping to continue his run-scoring form for the rest of the tournament.