IPL: Consistency is a key for Orange and Purple Cap holders

Virat Kohli scored a whopping 973 runs and almost single-handedly carried the Royal Challengers Bangalore to the final of IPL 2016. In 2013, Dwayne Bravo scalped a staggering 32 wickets to help the Chennai Super Kings play their 5th IPL final in 6 years.

And it has been a trend over the 12 completed editions of the cash-rich league that the players who finished at the top of the pile were torchbearers for their sides in that particular season. The same has been seen in IPL 2020, where KL Rahul (Orange Cap holder) and Kagiso Rabada (Purple Cap holder) moved to the summits early in the tournament and have maintained their leads ever since.

The rest of the players in the top 10 of both charts have more or less been regulars as well. And the sole reason for that is consistency. Consistency can be in patches, but one has to keep ticking the same boxes for an extended period of time – much like HDFC Life’s insurance plans, a brand that now sees them celebrate their 20th year of helping out families during dire situations.

Shikhar Dhawan is an embodiment of that, as the southpaw started IPL 2020 on a slow note before cementing the second position on the IPL 2020 Orange Cap list with 3 fifties and 2 centuries in his campaign. Mumbai Indians’ Jasprit Bumrah, too, was slow to get out of the blocks. But the speedster is now the closest competitor to Kagiso Rabada.

Consistency not only helps someone accomplish personal milestones, but it also gets them to acquire the stature and reliability in the long run. This is exactly why Rashid Khan is a top contender to win the Purple Cap before the start of every IPL season, and why David Warner turns to him every time he needs a breakthrough.

And Rashid Khan has proved his worth in IPL 2020 as well. Even though he occupies 7th position, the Afghan leggie is just 2 wickets away from breaking into the top 3 of the IPL 2020 Purple Cap list.

The Kings XI Punjab’s campaign was in disarray after they lost 5 matches on the trot. But the only reason why they came back strongly has been their captain KL Rahul's form, and his unrivaled performance can be compared to HDFC Life Click 2 Wealth.

Going ahead with the plan is a long-term option that will offer the investor high returns, similar to the way KXIP have reaped the rewards of investing in KL Rahul’s talent. Rahul’s consistent performance with the bat earned him the Orange Cap and, in the process, almost earned KXIP a spot in the playoffs.

Just like the way the HDFC Life Click 2 Wealth plan hands out a way for youngsters to invest and build on their potential to carve out a glittering career for themselves, Rahul’s case is a perfect example of KXIP investing in fresh talent to reap maximum rewards.

Rahul, Rabada lead the race to finish as top performers in IPL 2020

Kagiso Rabada (middle) celebrates the fall of a wicket with his teammates

The right-hander led from the front with 670 runs at an average of 55.83 and is the only batsman to have crossed 600 runs in the tournament so far. KL Rahul batted 11 times in IPL 2020 and scored below 20 on just 3 of those occasions – 17 vs MI, 11 vs SRH, and 15 vs DC.

On the IPL 2020 Purple Cap list, Kagiso Rabada is also on the track to go all the way, but one shouldn’t discount the 4 fast bowlers who have been performing consistently and are below Rabada in a congested queue.

It is an unwritten rule that cricketers seeking to win the Orange and Purple Caps have to get the momentum going for a long period of time in what is a fast-paced and long tournament. But whether the consistency has any role to play in the final outcome remains unanswered by the likes of Kohli and Bravo.