Not Klaasen! Graeme Smith Predicts THIS Young Star to Win Orange Cap in IPL 2026

Former Proteas captain Graeme Smith backs Abhishek Sharma to finish the top scorer in IPL 2026 despite Heinrich Klaasen currently owning the Orange Cap. Smith, SA20 commissioner sees the Sunrisers Hyderabad opener in with a good chance to become IPL 2026's leading run-scorer in the current season.

Klaasen has had a wonderful season so far sitting at the top of the Orange Cap standings with 494 runs to his name at an impressive 54.88 average. Sharma sits third on the leaderboard with 475 runs at an average of 47.50. Smith believes that the high-scoring grounds and aggressive top-order approach of Sharma could well see him overtake Klaasen toward the latter stages of the season.

Graeme Smith Explains Why Abhishek Sharma Has the Edge

In his SA20 column, Smith went into detail on why he believes Abhishek Sharma has the better opportunity to end IPL 2026 as the Orange Cap winner.

Smith said:

"We’re seeing a great race for the Orange Cap this season, and despite his struggles in the World Cup and the impressive (Vaibhav) Sooryavanshi, I think Abhishek Sharma will have the best chance. Those at the top of the order always have a longer time to bat, so any dip in form means you could have a chance to get it back quickly. I certainly think that’s the case on these flat pitches where there’s not a lot in the surface."

He added that he admires Sharma's lack of fear while batting at the top of the order.

He added:

"Abhishek plays a lot more square than most batters, certainly over the off-side. But there’s a lack of fear in the youngsters these days; there are so many across the board who are pinging it from the word go."

Heinrich Klaasen Still Firmly in Orange Cap Race

As a supporter of Abhishek Sharma, Smith further spoke on Heinrich Klaasen having overcome his poor form in the SA20 competition this year, coming back strongly to compete with the front-runners in this edition of the IPL.

Smith said:

"I was a little bit worried about Heinrich Klaasen’s recent form over the last year and a half, but he’s played well and he’s also in the hunt."

He added:

"I think in the early phase of the tournament, some of his knocks were key. He showed maturity in the way that he’s played, and that’s sometimes more difficult than just going out and smashing it."

Klaasen has been an outstanding player for Sunrisers Hyderabad this year. He has scored a total of 36 boundaries and 23 maximums this season while maintaining a good middle-order presence.

Smith Also Praises Donovan Ferreira's Impact

As an important discussion point throughout the season on some of the most impactful overseas players in this competition, Smith emphasized on the presence of Donovan Ferreira and how he will be important for the Royals going into the knockouts phase.

Ferreira has been one of the most explosive finishers of the competition and currently shares the award for the most sixes scored in between the 16-20 over mark with Tim David.

His innings against Delhi Capitals ended in him finishing the game for the Royals at a mind-boggling strike rate of 335.71 with an explosive and important knock of 47 not out off 14 deliveries including six sixes.

Smith said:

"I was happy to see Donovan Ferreira get them (the Royals) over the line recently. It’s important to have more players in good form coming into this phase of the tournament, because that top-four slot is never as easy as you think."