The Non-Opening Batter Who Defied IPL History to Win the Orange Cap
The Indian Premier League has been dominated by the opening batsmen when it comes to the Orange Cap. In all the editions, players who have opened for their team managed to win the title. But there is a rare occasion, where a non opener won the Orange Cap for his team.
In the Indian Premier League, it is generally the openers who manage to win the Orange Cap award. The opening batsmen are able to take advantage of the field restrictions in the powerplay, and eventually go on to score runs. This was also seen in the IPL 2026 season, where Vaibhav Sooryavanshi won the cap.
But there has been one single season in the 19 editions of the IPL, when a non opening batsman won the Orange Cap. And this record is being held by none other than the retired New Zealand batsman, Kane Williamson. Whether it is Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Jos Buttler, or even David Warner, all of them won the Orange Cap while opening for their team.
Kane Williamson is the only player who managed to win the Orange Cap while batting at number three position. This happened in the IPL 2018 edition, when Sunrisers Hyderabad reached the finals of the tournament. Kane Williamson was a key batter for the team, as he managed to score 735 runs in 17 matches, which helped SRH to reach the finals.
At a time when the game was dominated by the bowlers, he showcased a composed and steady approach for the team. The Orange Cap win in 2018 showed the adaptability of Kane Williamson to different situations in the game. Even though Heinrich Klaasen stood in the Orange Cap race for a long time in IPL 2026, he could not break the record of Kane Williamson.
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