Chennai Super Kings are sitting on top of IPL 2024 points table with four points from two matches.
New Delhi: Punjab Kings skipper Shikhar Dhawan and his Lucknow Super Giants counterpart Nicolas Pooran made significant gains in the race for Orange Cap in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. While Dhawan’s 70 off 50 balls helped him jump 17 places to third, Pooran gained 14 spots to fifth with a 21-ball 42 to join the likes of Heinrich Klaasen and Virat Kohli and Riyan Parag in the top five.
Starting the day on 64 from the first game, Pooran was at his absolute best as the stand-in-captain plundered three fours and the same number of sixes during his stay at the crease as LSG put on 199/8 on board. In reply, the 37-year-old Dhawan also showed why is he still one of India best openers in the circuit as he forged a century stand for the opening wicket alongside Jonny Bairstow.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) Virat Kohli tops the list with 181 runs from three games. Sunrisers Hyderabad’s middle-order batter Heinrich Klaasen occupied the second spot with 143 runs. Rajasthan Royals’ Riyan Parag is fourth with 127 runs. This is just the initial days of the tournament and a lot will change as the days go by.
The likes of Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma and DInesh Karthik have all the ability to give a contest to the top five as they too have entered the race with quality knocks for their respective teams. Meanwhile, among wicket-takers, the Punjab Kings pace duo of Kagiso Rabada (third) and Sam Curran (fourth) too entered the top five in a race for the Purple Cap.
While Curran took three wickets on the day for 28 runs in his four overs, Rabada gave away 38 runs for a wicket. Chennai Super Kings’ Bangladeshi recruit Mustafizur Rahman is currently the Purple Cpa holder with six wickets from two games. Kolkata Knight Riders’ Harshit Rana (five wickets) and Andre Russell (four wickets) do find themselves at second and fifth spots respectively.
As far as the standings are concerned, CSK, KKR and Rajasthan Royals, all have four points each but are placed one, two and three respectively because of their net run rates. Sunrisers Hyderabad, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Punjab Kings, LSG and Gujarat Titans, all have two points each. Delhi Capitals and five-time champions Mumbai Indians are yet to open their account.