‘It was a rollercoaster of a ride’: Virat Kohli celebrates Orange Cap despite another trophyless campaign | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Virat Kohli expressed his immense pride after securing the Orange Cap and satisfaction with his performance in the latter half of the tournament, despite RCB’s elimination following a four-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator.
RCB faced a challenging situation in their quest for a spot in the final four, relying on a combination of their own victories in the remaining six group-stage matches and favourable results from other teams.Led by Kohli’s exceptional batting, the Challengers achieved a remarkable feat by winning all six games, eliminating CSK from title contention, and securing their place in the playoffs.

Kohli’s outstanding performance earned him the Orange Cap, having amassed 741 runs in 15 matches at an impressive average of 61.75, including a century and five half-centuries. His highest score was an unbeaten 113, and he maintained a strike rate of 154.69, the highest in his IPL career.

“Extremely honoured to win the orange cap this season. It was a rollercoaster of a ride. I was really pleased with the way I performed for the team, especially in the latter half, where we needed to win every game to qualify. Thank you everyone for your support,” Kohli remarked during the post-match presentation.

While Kohli claimed the Orange Cap, his former teammate and Punjab Kings pacer Harshal Patel secured his second Purple Cap. Patel finished the tournament with 24 wickets in 14 matches, maintaining an economy rate of 9.73 and an average of 19.87.
This achievement marked his second Purple Cap, following his impressive 32-wicket haul in the 2021 season while representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Patel became only the third pacer, alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dwayne Bravo, to win the Purple Cap twice in IPL history.
Expressing his gratitude, Patel stated, “Deeply honoured to be presented with the purple cap. It’s been a rewarding journey. I want to thank my teammates, coaches and my family. I look forward to the 2025 season.”
In the final match against Sunrisers Hyderabad at Chepauk, Kolkata Knight Riders’ mystery spinner Varun Chakaravarthy had the chance to overtake Patel in the leading wicket-takers list, requiring a five-wicket haul. However, he managed to dismiss only Shahbaz Ahmed as the Riders went on to clinch their third IPL title.
(Inputs from ANI)