New Delhi, May 11 -- Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who is now the SA20 League Commissioner, has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) Abhishek Sharma to claim the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) Orange Cap over his teammate Heinrich Klaasen. Klaasen currently IPL 2026 Orange Cap list with 494 runs, ahead of Abhishek's 475-run tally.

However, Smith feels that due to Abhishek opening the batting for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Klaasen playing the role of a middle-order batter, the pendulum will eventually swing towards the dynamic Indian left-hander. He said openers generally have more time at the crease, making it easier to recover from poor form.

"We're seeing a great race for the Orange Cap this season, and despite his struggl...