With just two matches to go for the conclusion of the IPL 2022 season, the race for the Orange Cap is more or less decided but the competition to win the Purple Cap is heating up. Two of the play-off matches are done with, and the teams will now move from Kolkata to Ahmedabad for Qualifier 2 and the final. In Qualifier 1, Gujarat Titans beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets, while Royal Challengers Bangalore knocked Lucknow Super Giants out in the Eliminator after winning a high-scoring thriller at the Eden Gardens.
Orange Cap Race
Jos Buttler is set to win the Orange Cap, with his two closest competitors knocked out in the form of KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock. While Buttler is on 718 runs and has at least one more match to play, Rahul finished the tournament with 616 runs and de Kock with 508.
Shikhar Dhawan is still fourth with 460 runs despite his team failing to make it past the league stage, although he may be overtaken by Hardik Pandya, who is on 453 runs and will play the final, barring an injury.
The likes of David Miller (449), Faf du Plessis (443), Shubman Gill (438) and Sanju Samson (421) still have matches to go and can look to finish in the top 5.
Purple Cap Race
The two highest wicket-takers - both leg-spinners - will face off in Qualifier 2, with Yuzvendra Chahal coming up against Wanindu Hasaranga.
Chahal leads the wicket charts with 26 scalps, while Hasaranga moved up to 25 for the season with the scalp of Deepak Hooda in Qualifier 1.
Kagiso Rabada is third with 23 wickets, followed by Umran Malik with 22 and Kuldeep Yadav with 21 at fourth and fifth places respectively.
However, neither of them will have a chance to add to their tallies.
Harshal Patel (19), Mohammed Shami (19), Rashid Khan (18) and Josh Hazlewood (18) will all have opportunities to at least make it to the top 5, if not challenge for the Purple Cap itself.