IPL 2020: 5 dark horses who could win the Orange Cap for the first time

#2 Jonny Bairstow

Jonny Bairstow has formed a devastating partnership at the top of the order with David Warner

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow has played only season in the IPL, but has become one of the players that David Warner's team has built itself around for this season.

Forming a lethal partnership with his captain at the top of the order, the Englishman scored 445 runs in just 10 games to finish as the 2019 IPL's 10th highest run-scorer.

Bairstow's white-ball prowess is no secret, and he has made an opening slot in the England limited-overs setups his own. The 30-year-old exhibited his strokeplay and aggression in the recently concluded ODI series against Ireland, in which he scored a 41-ball 82 studded with 14 fours and 2 sixes.

Bairstow has a solid supporting cast around him at SRH and can play his natural game right from the outset. He could well become the third SRH batsman to win the Orange Cap, after Warner and Williamson.

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#1 Jos Buttler

Jos Buttler is perhaps RR's most important player in the IPL

Rajasthan Royals (RR) superstar Jos Buttler has been in the news for many reasons lately. After his Test place was under scrutiny, the England wicket-keeper played a match-winning fourth-innings knock against Pakistan in the 1st Test to squash any doubts, at least temporarily.

Buttler's limited-overs prowess, however, has never been in question and since joining RR, he has elevated his game to a whole new level. In his two seasons at Jaipur, the 29-year-old has scored 548 runs in 13 games and 311 runs in 8 games respectively.

Buttler has shown unparalleled levels of consistency at the top of the order, with opposition bowlers having no answer to his wide range of shots in the powerplay. In the 2020 edition of the IPL, we could see him become the first-ever RR player to win the Orange Cap.

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