Rohit Sharma claims Orange Cap in IPL 2026 with another classy knock at 38
Published - 04 Apr 2026, 04:31 PM | Updated - 04 Apr 2026, 04:58 PM
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Rohit Sharma is proving once again that age cannot slow down true class. The 38-year-old superstar has taken the ongoing IPL 2026 by storm and has now claimed the Orange Cap with his consistent and dominant batting show for the Mumbai Indians.
The former Mumbai Indians captain had announced his arrival with a blistering knock of 78 runs off 38 balls at a stunning strike rate of over 205 to help his team record their first win of the season after 14 years. MI had thrashed the KKR by six wickets in that game at Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit continued his blazing form in MI’s second IPL 2026 clash against Delhi Capitals (DC) on April 3 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. However, the seasoned opener could not take his sensational deep but provided a blistering start to the five-time champions on the tricky surface.
Rohit Sharma overtakes Cooper Connolly to become leading run-getter in IPL 2026
The right-handed batter played a brilliant knock of 35 runs off 26 balls, laced with five fours and a six against Delhi Capitals. With this knock for the Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Rohit overtook Punjab Kings’ Cooper Connolly (108 runs in two games) to become the leading run-scorer.
Read Also: Mukesh Kumar takes brilliant catch, stuns MI by dismissing Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickelton in same over
The former Indian captain has now 113 runs to his name in two outings so far in the ongoing IPL 2026, snatching the Orange Cap from young gun Connolly at the age of 38 for now. Interestingly, Rohit has never won the Orange Cap despite winning five IPL titles as captain.
It will be interesting to see whether the Hitman will break this jinx in the ongoing IPL 2026, and finish his first ever season as the leading run-scorer in the world's biggest T20 league. However, this could be possible if Rohit maintains his sublime form.
Rohit Sharma vs Axar Patel Rivalry in IPL
Speaking about his dismissal in Delhi, the DC captain Axar Patel bowled a slightly slow and wide ball to Rohit Sharma. He tried to hit it hard over the cover region with an inside-out shot. But he mistimed it, and the ball went straight to Nitish Rana, who was stationed at cover.
Nitish didn’t have to move much, and he took a clean shot, almost like he grabbed it out of the air to send the Hitman back to the pavilion. Axar has been a big challenge for Rohit in the IPL over the years.
Read Also: Beh*****d! Rohit Sharma left furious after falling to Nitish Rana’s stunner in IPL 2026
The right-handed batter has managed only 67 runs from 77 balls against the left-arm spinner across the 11 innings, averaging 16.75 per inning and striking at 87.01, which is well below his standard. Interestingly, Rohit has been dismissed 4 times by Axar in the league.
Rohit Sharma overtakes MS Dhoni to reach another special milestone
Yet, Rohit Sharma has added another massive achievement to his legendary IPL career. The Mumbai Indians superstar became one of the top hitters in IPL history for hitting the most sixes against a single opponent.
With 51 sixes against Delhi Capitals, Rohit surpassed MS Dhoni to become the third player with most maximums against a single team. This incredible milestone puts him right behind only Chris Gayle, who still holds the top two positions for his brutal hitting against PBKS (61) and KKR (54).
Rohit now stands above icons like Dhoni (50 sixes vs RCB) and Virat Kohli (48 sixes vs CSK). He also features again in this chart with 47 sixes against KKR.
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