IPL 2021: Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after PBKS vs MI match (updated)

Delhi Capitals (DC) opener Shikhar Dhawan remains atop the IPL 2021 Orange Cap list with a tally of 231 runs. There wasn’t any change at the top of the Purple Cap list either, with Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) seamer Harshal Patel enjoying a 3-wicket lead with 12 scalps in his kitty.

Punjab Kings (PBKS) captain KL Rahul scored a match-winning 60 not out off 53 balls against the Mumbai Indians (MI) tonight, and moved up to 2nd in the IPL 2021 Orange Cap list. He has scored 221 runs in the tournament so far, just 10 runs adrift of leader Dhawan. His counterpart Rohit Sharma also broke into the top 3 after stroking a 52-ball 63.

Suryakumar Yadav is the other MI batter in the top 10 of the IPL 2021 Orange list. After scoring a steady 33 off 27 against PBKS, the middle-order mainstay furthered his league tally to 154 runs at a healthy average of 30.80.

MI's Rahul Chahar remains the lone spinner in the top 10 of the IPL 2021 Purple Cap list [Credits: IPL]

MI leg-spinner Rahul Chahar returned to the 2nd spot after returning figures of 1 for 19 tonight. The 21-year-old has taken 9 wickets at an economy rate of 6.85 in 5 matches so far. His teammate Trent Boult went wicketless tonight, but he remains at 6th having taken 6 wickets thus far.

PBKS too have two representatives in the top 10 of the IPL 2021 Purple Cap list – the pace duo of Mohammad Shami and Arshdeep Singh. Shami moved up to 8th after dismissing two MI players, while Arshdeep had one to his name. Both are tied on 6 wickets apiece, with the latter placed two slots above the senior pro owing to a lower economy rate.

The focus will again shift to Mumbai as the Rajasthan Royals (RR) take on the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday (April 22). While Kolkata opener Nitish Rana will want to regain his lost form and move closer to the top 3 leading run-getters, RR pacer Chetan Sakariya will aim for a spot in the top 3 of the IPL 2021 Purple Cap list.

---

Punjab Kings demolish defending champions with nine-wicket win

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle forged an unbeaten 79-run stand to take PBKS home [Credits: IPL]

A concerted bowling effort saw the Punjab Kings (PBKS) return to winning ways after beating defending champions Mumbai Indians (MI) by nine wickets in Match 17 of IPL 2021 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Friday (April 23).

The win, after three successive losses, took PBKS to fifth in the table, while MI remained fourth courtesy of a superior NRR (net run rate).

After KL Rahul won the toss and elected to bowl first, part-time off-spinner Deepak Hooda gave PBKS the perfect start by removing Quinton de Kock (3 off 5) in the second over. Ishan Kishan, promoted up to No. 3, had a tough stay in the middle before perishing to the leg-spin of Ravi Bishnoi for a 17-ball 6.

At 26 for 2 after seven overs, skipper Rohit Sharma (63 off 52) and Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 27) came together and resurrected the innings with a 79-run third-wicket stand. However, when Bishnoi (2 for 21) accounted for Yadav, MI had just 105 runs on the board with less than four overs left.

As we have witnessed so far in the tournament, it’s near impossible for batsmen to hit the ground running at Chepauk. And the PBKS pace duo of Mohammad Shami (2 for 21) and Arshdeep Singh (1 for 28) used the conditions to their advantage to restrict the reigning champions to a paltry 131 for six.

In reply, the Kings got off to a solid start, with captain KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal getting through the mandatory field restrictions unscathed and putting on 53 runs for the opening wicket.

However, there was a rusty period in between. With Mayank back in the hut, both Chris Gayle and Rahul struggled to put away the spin duo of Rahul Chahar (1 for 19) and Jayant Yadav (0 for 20).

But in the end, PBKS had wickets in hand and didn’t let the pressure get to them. Rahul (60* off 52) and Gayle (43* off 35) struck an unbroken 79-run stand that saw them get home with 14 balls to spare and rise to fifth in the IPL 2021 points table.