IPL 2022 Points Table, Orange Cap and Purple Cap Leaders: Royal Challengers Bangalore fourth, Virat Kohli also rises

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) put themselves in the driving seat to book their berth in the IPL 2023 playoff stage with a massive eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday night. RCB have placed five-time former champions Mumbai Indians (MI) at the fourth spot and both the teams have 14 points from one match.

Virat Kohli’s brilliant hundred helped give RCB an edge over Rohit Sharma’s MI on the back of a better net run-rate – 0.180 as compared to -0.128. RCB now face a tough contest at home against table-toppers and defending champions Gujarat Titans, while MI will take on SRH in their last home game.

But a win may not be enough for either team if MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) both win their last matches on Saturday. In that scenario both CSK and LSG will qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs with 17 points and only one of MI and RCB can book their place in this season’s eliminator encounter.

IPL 2023 Points Table – RCB back in top 4.

He now has a chance to make it to the top 2 as well! pic.twitter.com/m2dIiS98kl– Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 18, 2023

Meanwhile, Punjab Kings (PBKS) will take on Rajasthan Royals in Dharamsala on Friday night and both sides will look to keep alive their slim hopes of making it to the playoffs.

Virat Kohli has reached number four in the Orange Cap race

Former RCB captain Kohli hit a record sixth IPL century and moved up to the fourth spot in the race for the IPL 2023 Orange Cap. Kohli now has 538 runs in 13 matches this season, including one century and six half-centuries.

Kohli’s teammate and current RCB captain Faf du Plessis retained the Orange Cap after scoring a brilliant 47-ball 71 against SRH on Thursday night. Du Plessis has also crossed the 700-run mark this season and has now scored 702 runs in 13 matches with the help of 8 fifties.

@Virat Kohli A breakdown of the list of top five run getters. @faf1307 Crossed the 700-run mark this season and retained the Orange Cap.
Mohammed Shami remains the Purple Cap holder.#IPL2023 #SRHvRCB #king kohli #Virat Kohli #sports news pic.twitter.com/2Ct09UraJG— Sports News _ (@AliAbdullah9583) May 18, 2023

GT opener Shubman Gill is second with 576 runs in 13 matches with 1 century and 4 fifties while RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal is third with 575 runs in 13 matches so far.

Mohammed Siraj has reached the 8th position in the Purple Cap table

RCB pacer Mohammed Siraj took 1/17 in their last match against SRH to move up to the 8th spot in the Purple Cap table. Siraj now has 17 wickets in 13 matches – the same as GT pacer Mohit Sharma, who has 17 wickets in 10 matches so far.

GT pacer Mohammed Shami continues to hold on to the Purple Cap with 23 wickets in 13 matches while his teammate and leg-spinner Rashid Khan is second with 23 wickets.

RR leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, who is third with 21 wickets, could capture the Purple Cap on Friday night as he prepares to face PBKS in Dharamsala.