Top three orange cap winners who went unsold in IPL auction later

The 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway on March 22, with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Last year, Virat Kohli won the Orange Cap, amassing 741 runs from 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69. This was the second time he won the Orange Cap after his record-shattering outing in IPL 2016. Kohli is the first Indian player to win the coveted cap twice.

After the IPL 2025 auctions and the shifting of some players who have always been related to their past team, like Mohammed Siraj, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant, it will be exciting to see how they perform with their new teams. 

Let's take a look at three such Orange Cap holders who went unsold in IPL auction: 

3. Michael Hussey

Michael Hussey is one of the finest overseas players to have played in the IPL. He did not have a very long IPL career, but he managed to make a considerable impact. The Southpaw won the Orange Cap in IPL 2013, smashing 733 runs for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at an average of 52.35 and a strike rate of 129.50. He registered six half-centuries in the season, with a highest score of 95, which came against Kolkata Knight Riders in Chennai. The Men in Yellow reached the finals in that season, where they lost to arch-rivals Mumbai Indians by 23 runs.

Hussey went unsold in the IPL 2016 auction, having played only four games in the previous season. He is now serving as the batting coach of the Super Kings, working alongside head coach Stephen Fleming.