Rishabh Pant © AFP
Rishabh Pant © AFP

Rishabh Pant ended Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on a high. Playing for Delhi Daredevils (DD) against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi, Pant shone for one last time, this time with a 44-ball 64. The innings took him to 684 runs in this season, the most by a wicketkeeper in a single edition of IPL. He also regained the Orange Cap from Kane Williamson. Pant went past the record set by Robin Uthappa, who had scored 660 for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in 2014.

Uthappa remains the only wicketkeeper to win an IPL Orange Cap. Pant will have to forego his, as DD have been eliminated but other teams stay in the hunt. One person who will eye the record is KL Rahul of Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), currently on 652 runs, all of them as wicketkeeper. Not only will Rahul get an outing tonight, there is also a chance, however slim, of KXIP making it to the Playoffs.

400 runs by a wicketkeeper in a single IPL season
Runs Batsman Team Season
684 Rishabh Pant Delhi Daredevils 2018
660 Robin Uthappa Kolkata Knight Riders 2014
652 KL Rahul Kings XI Punjab 2018
548 Jos Buttler Rajasthan Royals 2018
510 Dinesh Karthik Mumbai Indians 2013
495 Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers 2009
461 MS Dhoni Chennai Super Kings 2013
445 Quinton de Kock Delhi Daredevils 2016
438 Dinesh Karthik Kolkata Knight Riders 2018
430 MS Dhoni Chennai Super Kings 2018
436 Adam Gilchrist Deccan Chargers 2008
405 Robin Uthappa Pune Warriors India 2012
Note: KL Rahul and MS Dhoni have one match left in the league stage.

Note:

– Adam Gilchrist, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, and Uthappa feature twice on the table

– Karthik and Uthappa both feature for two sides

– 2018 has five representatives — Pant, Rahul, Jos Buttler, Dinesh Karthik, and Dhoni. Of them, Pant and Buttler will take no further part in the tournament, while Rahul will get at least one more match. Dhoni and Karthik will feature (and even lead) in the Playoffs.