IPL 2017: Orange Cap holders through the seasons

#2016 Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore

Kohli is the all-time leading run scorer in a season by a long margin

M: 16, Runs: 973, Avg.: 81.90, SR: 148.14

Prior to the 2016 edition, Virat Kohli was criticised for not having been able to score a single century in the T20 format. By the end of the 2016 season, he had four centuries to his name. Records came tumbling as the RCB skipper wielded his bat like a magic wand, casting a spell on the cricket fans and silencing all his critics.

Coming close to scoring a thousand runs in a single season, the current Indian captain helped his team reach the finals of the tournament. Injury also could not stop him from flaunting his batting talent as he raced his way to one of the centuries against Kings XI Punjab with stitches in his left (bottom) hand.

There hardly seemed a bowler who could trouble him, let alone get him out. The only thing he could have asked more for was laying his hands on the IPL trophy, agonisingly falling a step short of it for the third time. But as they say, true champions do not need trophies to show their class and pedigree.