Let’s begin with Virat Kohli—because, of course, it’s Virat Kohli. But more importantly, he’s the first among this season’s top five run-scorers to return to action.
Orange and Purple Cap Races Heat Up as IPL 2025 Resumes
As IPL 2025 resumes for its final 17 matches, the race for both the Orange and Purple Caps is wide open again—especially after the runs scored by Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya in the abandoned PBKS vs DC game were removed from the official records. That means it’s back to square one for the top performers, and there’s everything to play for.
🔶 Orange Cap Update: Kohli Eyes Top Spot Again
Let’s begin with Virat Kohli. Naturally. Not just because of his name, but also because he’s the first among this season’s top-five run-scorers to return to action as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) face off against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) tonight.
Kohli’s last match saw him smash 62 off 33 balls against CSK—his seventh half-century this season—taking his total to 505 runs. That places him at No. 4 on the leaderboard, just behind Mumbai Indians’ Suryakumar Yadav (510), GT’s B Sai Sudharsan (509), and Shubman Gill (508). Jos Buttler isn’t far behind either with 500 runs.
That means just six more runs tonight, and Kohli reclaims the Orange Cap. But knowing Kohli, he’ll want a lot more than that, especially in front of a roaring home crowd at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Fans are also expected to show love for the legend following his recent Test retirement announcement.
PBKS’ Prabhsimran Singh (437 runs) will be back on Sunday vs Rajasthan Royals. Gujarat Titans’ trio of Sudharsan, Gill, and Buttler get their shot against DC soon after. And don’t forget Nicholas Pooran (410 runs), who could make a strong comeback for LSG against SRH on Monday if he finds his rhythm again.
🟣 Purple Cap Update: Prasidh and Noor Lead the Pack
On the bowling front, Prasidh Krishna (GT) and Noor Ahmad (CSK) are leading the Purple Cap chart with 20 wickets each. Prasidh edges ahead with a better economy and average.
RCB’s Josh Hazlewood and MI’s Trent Boult follow with 18 wickets, but Hazlewood has been out injured since April 27, and Boult won’t be in action until Wednesday. That gives Prasidh (playing Sunday) and Noor (playing Tuesday) a window to consolidate their lead.
Watch out for KKR’s Varun Chakravarthy (17 wickets), who plays tonight, and PBKS’ Arshdeep Singh and KKR’s Harshit Rana (16 wickets each), who also have opportunities this weekend. A strong performance from any of them could shake up the Purple Cap standings just as dramatically as the Orange Cap chase.
