IPL 2018 Orange Cap: Ambati Rayudu steals top spot from AB de Villiers; MS Dhoni enters top ten after Match 24

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 Orange Cap played musical chairs on Wednesday. It sat on one head at the start of Match 24, went to another after the first innings, and ended up with a third player by the end of the match.

At the end of it all, it was an unlikely man who claimed the coveted honour. Ambati Rayudu stole the Orange Cap from AB de Villiers with a valiant knock of 82 as Chennai Super Kings (CSK) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Rayudu got together with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who put in a Man of the Match performance of 70 from 34, to take CSK past RCB's total of 205.

The right-hander has now scored 283 runs and sits at the top of the run-scorers list. ABD is just three runs behind him in second position. Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson rounds up the top three with 259 runs.

De Villiers had taken the Orange Cap at the end of the first innings after a brilliant 30-ball 68. He walked on to the crease at the fall of his team's first wicket in skipper Virat Kohli. The score was 35 for 1 after 4.2 overs at that time and the South African had a serious task at hand.

'Mr 360' got together with compatriot Quinton de Kock to stitch a belligerent 103-run partnership for the second wicket. The duo hit a string of sixes to enthrall the Bengaluru crowd.

ABD was particularly severe against Shadul Thakur, tonking him for a hat-trick of sixes in the 13th over. He finished with 68 from 30, while De Kock perished for 53 from 37.

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The Orange Cap is worn by the leading run-scorer in the IPL at any given moment. The player with the most runs at the end of the tournament is awarded a special prize.

*This list was updated after Match 24 of IPL 2018, played  between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings.