Rohit Sharma leads Orange Cap race for first time in 18-year IPL career
Eighteen seasons, 275 matches and more than 7,100 runs. Rohit Sharma has done just about everything the IPL has to offer. Five titles as captain. A record-breaking knock against every franchise. Forty-nine half-centuries. But one thing had always eluded him: the Orange Cap.
A blistering start to IPL 2026
That changed in the opening week of IPL 2026. Rohit smashed 78 off 38 balls against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29, hammering six fours and six sixes as Mumbai Indians chased down 221 at the Wankhede. It was MI's highest successful run chase at home, and it ended a 13-year jinx of losing their opening match of the season. Their last opening-night win before this came against Chennai Super Kings back in 2012.
Rohit followed that up with 35 against Delhi Capitals on April 4, taking his tally to 113 runs from two innings. That was enough to push him past Punjab Kings' Cooper Connolly (108 runs) to the top of the Orange Cap standings.
The 148-run opening stand that set the tone
Against KKR, Rohit shared a 148-run opening partnership with South African Ryan Rickelton, who finished with 81 off 43 balls. The pair tore through KKR's bowling from the first over, and the chase never felt in doubt despite the size of the target. Mumbai got home by six wickets.
During that innings, Rohit also overtook Virat Kohli for the most runs scored against a single team in IPL history, reaching 1,161 runs against KKR across his career.
Orange Cap standings after the first week
The early standings behind Rohit tell their own story. Connolly sits second with 108 runs after Punjab Kings' strong start to the season, followed by KKR's Angkrish Raghuvanshi on 103. Ishan Kishan (94 for Sunrisers Hyderabad) and Rickelton (90) round out the top five.
It is early days, and the Orange Cap changes hands constantly through April and May. But for a player who has spent nearly two decades as one of the IPL's most prolific batters without ever leading the run charts, even a brief spell at the top feels like a milestone worth noting.
A different Rohit this season
Mumbai Indians head coach Mahela Jayawardene praised Rohit's approach after the KKR win, saying the 38-year-old had come into IPL 2026 with a clear plan and more intent than in recent seasons. The strike rate backs that up. His 78 against KKR came at a rate above 205, the kind of number more associated with finishers than openers.
Mumbai face two more matches this week, and Rohit's early form will be tested by tighter bowling attacks. But after 18 years of waiting, the Orange Cap finally has Rohit Sharma's name on it.
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