IPL 2026 Orange Cap Winner: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finishes on top, beats Shubman Gill & Sai Sudharsan

The race for the IPL 2026 Orange Cap remained alive until the final, but in the end, Rajasthan Royals youngster Vaibhav Sooryavanshi finished at the top of the batting charts. The teenage sensation enjoyed a remarkable campaign and ended the season as the tournament’s highest run-scorer.

The 15-year-old had set a massive benchmark during the league stage and playoffs, leaving the chasing pack with a mountain to climb in the final. Gujarat Titans batters Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan were the only players with a realistic chance of overtaking him, but both fell short during the title clash.

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Sooryavanshi finishes on top

Sooryavanshi’s breakthrough IPL season was one of the biggest stories of the tournament. The young opener played a key role in Rajasthan Royals’ journey to Qualifier 2 and delivered match-winning performances throughout the campaign.

He finished IPL 2026 with 776 runs in 16 games at a excellent average of 48.50. His season included one century and five half-centuries.

What made his run tally even more remarkable was the fact that he missed out on several bigger scores. The youngster was dismissed in the 90s on three occasions, including once in the Eliminator and again in Qualifier 2.

Gill and Sudharsan fall short in Orange Cap race

Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill entered the final with an outside chance of winning the Orange Cap but could not make a significant impact. He scored 10 runs off eight balls before being dismissed and ended the season with 732 runs from 16 matches at an average of 45.75.

Gill’s campaign included one century and six half-centuries.

Sai Sudharsan also needed a big score in the final to challenge for the award. However, the left-hander managed only 12 runs and finished the season with 722 runs at an average of 45.12. He registered one century and eight fifties.

Notably, Sooryavanshi, Gill and Sudharsan were the only batters to cross the 700-run mark this season.

Six-hitting record adds to incredible season

Apart from piling up runs, Sooryavanshi entertained fans with his fearless strokeplay. He smashed a record 72 sixes during the season and finished with a outstanding strike rate of 237.30.

His aggressive approach made him one of the most dangerous batters in the tournament and a nightmare for opposition bowlers.

Sooryavanshi’s tally of 776 runs is now the fifth-highest by any batter in a single IPL season.

Most runs in a single IPL season

973 runs by Virat Kohli (2016)
890 runs by Shubman Gill (2023)
863 runs by Jos Buttler (2022)
848 runs by David Warner (2016)
776 runs by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (2026)
759 runs by Sai Sudharsan (2025)

Sooryavanshi, at just 15 years of age, has already had one of the finest batting seasons of IPL history, a campaign that will be remembered long after IPL 2026 ends.