Legends of cricket like AB de Villiers and Tom Moody have suggested new add-ons for picking the ‘Orange Cap’ winner in Indian Premier League (IPL), as they consider the top-order batters dominating the highest run scorers list in the league.
Meanwhile, in IPL 2023, Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Shikhar Dhawan is at the top of the chart in the ‘Orange Cap’ category with 225 runs, and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) opener, Ruturaj Gaikwad follows him in the list.
According to two legends of the game, AB and Moody along with runs, strike rate should also be looked at while choosing the ‘Orange Cap’ winner in IPL.
Tom Moody shared his views on Twitter, and AB de Villiers replied in support-
“The highly sought after Orange Cap should be judged with S/R in mind. I believe runs + S/R combined are more valuable/relevant in #T20. This would also include middle-order batters who are rarely in contention. What that formula is, I’ll leave to the experts,” said the former Australian cricketer.
Earlier, before the 16th edition of IPL kicked off, things were abuzz owing to the new rules, with the likes of ‘Impact Player’ DRS on wide and no-ball calls and announcement of playing XI after the toss, add-on features. So, this new rule for announcing the ‘Orange Cap’ winner can also be implemented in future, as currently the top four in the highest run scorers list in IPL 2023 are all opening batters of the different franchises.
“Been saying this for ages. No brainer. It’s a comp between 1,2 and possible/rarely number 3 batters,” replied the Ex-South African skipper to Moody.
Been saying this for ages. No brainer. It’s a comp between 1,2 and possible/rarely number 3 batters
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) April 11, 2023
Since the first edition of the IPL, the Orange cap is awarded to a player who finishes as the highest run-scorer at the end of every season. Some notable players to win ‘Orange Cap’ are Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle and Shaun Marsh, while David Warner has won it maximum times with his tally of three (2015,17 & 19), while in IPL 16, the cap was briefly held by Warner. He has scored 209 runs in four innings at an average of 52.25 and a below-par strike rate of 114.83.
2️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ runs in 3️⃣ matches. ?
Current Orange Cap holder. ?Sadda Skipper is cookin' in the #TATAIPL! ??#JazbaHaiPunjabi #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings @SDhawan25 pic.twitter.com/lNlC1bVyjg
— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 10, 2023
This debate of new add-ons accelerated after Delhi Capitals (DC) lost straight four games this season despite Warner scoring runs, however, his knocks with the bat haven’t helped DC to win matches which subsequently sparked the debate around changing the criteria for the award.
Meanwhile, CSK will take on Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 12 at Chennai for the 17th match of the season 16.