IPL 2023: 5 front-runners to bag Orange Cap this season

Given the way the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 has unfolded over the last couple of weeks, it has been witnessed that batters have dominated the tournament with their explosive shows. Players such as Rinku Singh, Nicholas Pooran, Shardul Thakur, Marcus Stoinis and Harry Brook have delivered sensational match-winning knocks to their respective teams and grabbed headlines in the bygone weeks.

While some batters have displayed their efficiency by delivering big runs to bail their respective sides out, some others have consistently pulled off exemplary innings to help their teams fare well in the tournament. Going by their exceptional shows thus far, it can be safely said that their teams would heavily rely on them to advance to the next stage. On the other side, these batters would look forward to continuing their form so that they could hand the IPL trophy to their respective teams and culminate the run by clinching the prestigious Orange Cap at the end of the tournament.

Discussing more, here are five top contenders of Orange Cap in IPL 2023:

5. Venkatesh Iyer

Venkatesh Iyer recently scripted history by being the only second Kolkata Knight Riders player to notch up a century ever since Brendan McCullum's fiery knock on the inaugural match of the opening season played against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Venkatesh has been carrying a rich vein in the ongoing tournament, slamming back-to-back match-winning knocks. 

In the first match of the competition, he chipped in with a 34-run innings after being called in as the Impact Player. Following a pale innings against RCB, he returned with an impactful innings against Gujarat Titans, scoring 83 runs off just 40 deliveries to help his team register a three-wicket victory. 

The swashbuckling left-hander exuded confidence in the next game against Mumbai Indians too, where he put up a brilliant century to own the aforementioned record. Courtesy of his knock, KKR managed to post a total of 185/6, albeit on a losing cause. However, the knock would only boost his confidence to deliver more such performances for KKR, ensuring the culmination of their run in the ongoing tournament with the possession of the silverware on 28 May, 2023. Courtesy of Iyer's golden run in the tournament, he finished the second week of action at the zenith of the Orange Cap holders' chart.