Gill goes past Kohli to lead the IPL 2026 Orange Cap race

Shubman Gill has gone past Virat Kohli to take the lead in the IPL 2026 Orange Cap race , and he did it the way he does most things, quietly, efficiently, and with a match-winning knock that left little room for debate.

On Friday night in Ahmedabad, Gill stroked 86 off 50 balls as Gujarat Titans chased down 181 against Kolkata Knight Riders with two balls to spare. It was his third consecutive half-century, completing a season sequence of 39, 70, 56 and 86 , a progression that has carried him to 251 runs for the tournament and 23 clear of Kohli , who sits second with 228 runs from five matches. Gill has played one fewer innings to get there.

Kohli , for his part, has been in fine touch for Royal Challengers Bengaluru , averaging 57 at a strike rate of 158.33, mixing anchor and aggressor with the fluency that makes him perennially dangerous in this format. He is well placed to hit back. But for now, the Orange Cap belongs to his younger rival, and Gill has earned it with a consistency that goes beyond one big night.

Heinrich Klaasen sits third with 224 runs, while Rajat Patidar's 222 at a breathtaking 213.46 makes him arguably the most explosive presence in the top five. Ishan Kishan , Prabhsimran Singh , Shreyas Iyer , Jos Buttler and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi have all crossed the 200-run mark too, keeping this race wide open.

In the bowling charts, Gill's own strike weapon Prasidh Krishna , who carried the Purple Cap home in 2025, leads once again with 11 wickets from five innings , clear of CSK's Anshul Kamboj on ten. Kagiso Rabada , Jofra Archer , Ravi Bishnoi and Krunal Pandya headline a competitive chasing pack.

As for Gill , he brushed aside the individual milestone after the match, saying only the trophy matters. With Gujarat Titans winning their third straight and firing on all fronts, that might not be an empty ambition either.