Kohli, Ruturaj top picks to win Orange Cap

New Delhi: It hasn't been even a week since IPL started but the cricket fever has well and truly gripped the entire nation. Fans and experts have already started their predictions about who is going to be the best batter and the best bowler of IPL 2023.

The experts panel at Star Sports feels that Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad - who are the frontrunners in the Orange Cap race - might actually end up winning it by the end of yet another exciting season.

They also said that Rajasthan Royals star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and Gujarat Titans' talisman Rashid Khan are primed to win the Purple Cap, awarded to the most successful bowler at the end of the tournament.

Royal Challengers Bangalore's talismanic batter Virat Kohli started the tournament with a bang with his sensational knock of unbeaten 82 against Mumbai Indians in their tournament opener. While Chennai Super Kings' dependable opener Ruturaj Gaikwad - who is termed as a star in the making - has slammed back-to-back fifties for the Yellow Army.

Apart from these names, the experts have also backed RCB captain Faf du Plessis, Rajasthan Royals star opener Jos Buttler, young Gujarat Titans batter Shubman Gill and Delhi Capitals skipper David Warner to win the Orange Cap in IPL 2023.

Similarly, Trent Boult (RR), Mohammed Shami (GT), Mark Wood (LSG) and Kuldeep Yadav (DC) are also seen in contention for the Purple Cap.

Kohli and Gaikwad have been backed by three experts as the top contenders for the Orange Cap. West Indies cricketer Darren Ganga, South Africa legend Jacques Kallis former India cricketer Sandeep Patil have predicted Kohli as the eventual winner of the Orange Cap.

Similarly, former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan and India's World Cup-winning fast bowler S Sreesanth have voted in favour of Gaikwad - who currently sports the Orange Cap.

Former Australia all-rounder David Hussey and T20 World Cup-winning former Aussie captain Aaron Finch believe Jos Buttler - who was head and shoulders above the rest in TATA IPL 2022 with 863 runs under his belt - will snap the award for a second straight season.

While former Australia cricketer Tom Moody and Irfan Pathan have predicted Gill - who has been in phenomenal form this year - as a top contender for Orange Cap.

Sreesanth and former Indian wicket keeper Deepdas Gupta believe Faf du Plessis can be the winner of Orange Cap this year. While Mohammed Kaif is the only expert who has backed Warner.

Meanwhile, Darren Ganga, Tom Moody, Sandeep Patil and Sanjay Manjrekar are of the view that Chahal will end up winning the Purple Cap for the second consecutive time.

Jacques Kallis, S Sreesanth, Aaron Finch and Deepdas Gupta have backed Rashid to win the Purple Cap. While David Hussey, Irfan Pathan, S Srikkanth, and Kaif have backed Boult, Shami, Kuldeep, and Wood respectively.