IPL 2025: Noor Ahmad Leads Purple Cap, Pooran Dominates Orange Cap Race
The IPL 2025 season has witnessed explosive performances with both bat and ball, resulting in a dynamic shift in the Orange and Purple Cap leaderboards. Chennai Super Kings’ (CSK) young spinner Noor Ahmad has emerged as a surprising leader in the Purple Cap race, while Nicholas Pooran’s power hitting has propelled him to the top of the Orange Cap standings.
Ahmad’s impressive 3 for 36 against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Chepauk took his tournament tally to seven wickets, showcasing his ability to dismantle even the most formidable batting lineups. His key dismissals of RCB’s dangerous opener Phil Salt (32), followed by Virat Kohli (31) and Liam Livingstone (10), proved crucial in restricting RCB’s scoring. This performance builds upon his earlier Player-of-the-Match display against Mumbai Indians (MI), where he claimed 4 for 18. Shardul Thakur, currently second in the Purple Cap race with six wickets, also deserves recognition for his consistent bowling form. His 4 for 34 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) highlighted his wicket-taking prowess. RCB’s Josh Hazlewood rounds out the top three contenders with an economical 3 for 21 against CSK, dismissing key batsmen including Ruturaj Gaikwad for a duck.
On the batting front, Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Nicholas Pooran has been a force to be reckoned with. His aggressive batting style has yielded impressive scores of 75 off 30 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC) and 70 off 26 balls against SRH, placing him firmly at the top of the Orange Cap leaderboard. Pooran’s remarkable strike rate of 258.91, fueled by a tournament-leading 13 sixes in just two innings, underscores his dominance. LSG teammate Mitchell Marsh occupies the second spot with 124 runs from two matches, showcasing consistency with knocks of 72 against DC and 52 against SRH. Travis Head, continuing his strong form from IPL 2024, rounds out the top three with scores of 67 and 47 for SRH.
The tactical battle between teams has been fascinating to observe. CSK’s strategic use of Noor Ahmad in the middle overs against RCB proved highly effective, while LSG’s aggressive batting approach, spearheaded by Pooran and Marsh, has set a high benchmark for other teams. The tournament has also seen some impressive bowling performances, with bowlers utilizing variations and adapting to different pitch conditions.
“Noor Ahmad’s performance has been a revelation for us,” said a CSK team official. “His ability to take wickets in crucial moments has been instrumental in our success so far. We are confident that he will continue to play a vital role in the tournament.”
As the IPL 2025 season progresses, the competition for the Orange and Purple Caps is expected to intensify, promising more thrilling encounters and individual brilliance.
