IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap rules 2026: what they track
The Orange Cap tracks the leading batter by runs, while the Purple Cap tracks the leading bowler by wickets. IPL 2026 begins on Sat Mar 28, 2026, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at 7:30 PM IST in Bengaluru.
These are official season awards listed on the IPLT20 stats-and-awards page. This is a rules explainer, not a live leaderboard update, because the season has just begun on Mar 28, 2026.
| Award | What it tracks | Who is eligible to lead it |
|---|---|---|
| Orange Cap | Leading run-scorer | Batters |
| Purple Cap | Leading wicket-taker | Bowlers |
Opening-week fixtures that can start shifting the cap races
These seven fixtures are the first chances for batters and bowlers to move the cap races from day one.
| Match | Date | Time IST | Teams | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Sat Mar 28 | 7:30 PM | Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru |
| Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Sun Mar 29 | 7:30 PM | Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai |
| Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Mon Mar 30 | 7:30 PM | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings | Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur |
| Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | Tue Mar 31 | 7:30 PM | Punjab Kings vs Gujarat Titans | IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali |
| Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Wed Apr 1 | 7:30 PM | Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals | Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow |
| Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Thu Apr 2 | 7:30 PM | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
| Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | Fri Apr 3 | 7:30 PM | Chennai Super Kings vs Punjab Kings | M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai |
Corpus leaderboard snippets: Orange Cap
These are corpus leaderboard snippets, not live 2026 standings.
| Rank | Player | Team | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sai Sudharsan | Gujarat Titans | 759 |
| 2 | Suryakumar Yadav | Mumbai Indians | 717 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 657 |
Corpus leaderboard snippets: Purple Cap
These are corpus leaderboard snippets, not live 2026 standings.
| Rank | Player | Team | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noor Ahmad | Chennai Super Kings | 24 |
| 2 | Josh Hazlewood | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 22 |
| 3 | Trent Boult | Mumbai Indians | 22 |
Why the opening week matters for the cap races
The opening venues in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali, Lucknow, Kolkata, and Chennai give batters and bowlers immediate chances to set the tone for these awards. Early big scores or wicket bursts can put a player in the frame before the season settles into rhythm.
A short historical note from the corpus: the Orange Cap winners snippet includes Virat Kohli in 2024 and B Sai Sudharshan in 2025.