IPL 2020: 5 dark horses who could win the Orange Cap for the first time

#4 AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers will be keen on replicating his 3TC form for RCB in the IPL

AB de Villiers is one of RCB's greatest players of all time and barring a poor season in 2017, has been incredibly consistent for the team. In the 2019 IPL, the South African scored 442 runs at an average of 44.20 and a strike rate of 154.00, which are both higher than his career averages in the tournament.

De Villiers seems to be ageing like fine wine and with RCB finding the UAE as a favourable venue, he and his team have the resources and drive to finally bring an IPL title home to the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Another thing that points to the former Proteas captain having an excellent season is his recent form in the ambitious '3TC' tournament conducted last month. The Eagles skipper scored a 24-ball 61 to win the Solidarity Cup for his team, and showed no signs of rust.

AB de Villiers will need to step up to the plate if Kohli's men are to mount a title challenge and the 36-year-old might just become the third RCB batsman to win the Orange Cap.

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#4 Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant's international record is a far cry from his IPL numbers

Rishabh Pant for India and Rishabh Pant in the IPL are two completely different entities, as the wicket-keeper splendid 2019 IPL season's suggested. In 16 games, the 22-year-old amassed 488 runs to finish as the season's 7th highest run-scorer.

Pant has lost his place in the Test side to Wriddhiman Saha and in the ODI side to Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) captain KL Rahul. With him having faced criticism from all corners of the cricketing fraternity, the southpaw will be keen on silencing his naysayers.

Under the captaincy of Shreyas Iyer at the Delhi Capitals (DC), Pant is one of the centrepieces of a team brimming with youth and experience. With a host of veterans to guide him, most notably coach Ricky Ponting, the Delhi man could have another record-breaking season in the IPL.

Pant has the freedom to express himself at DC, and he is one to watch out for in the upcoming IPL.