In the IPL, mostly dominated by batters, bowlers have gone under the radar on most occasions. But it is they who have restricted batters from amassing huge scores by delivering clinical bowling performances.
Over the years, many bowlers have shown their affinity for dismissing batters consistently. To recognise the wicket-taking abilities of the bowlers, the league rewards the highest wicket-takers of a particular season with the prestigious Purple Cap.
In this article, we’ll look at the winners of the Purple Cap from 2008 to date.
IPL Purple Cap Winners List
| Year | Purple Cap Winners | Wickets | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Sohail Tanvir | 22 | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2009 | RP Singh | 23 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2010 | Pragyan Ojha | 21 | Deccan Chargers |
| 2011 | Lasith Malinga | 28 | Mumbai Indians |
| 2012 | Morne Morkel | 25 | Delhi Daredevils |
| 2013 | Dwayne Bravo | 32 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2014 | Mohit Sharma | 23 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2015 | Dwayne Bravo | 26 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2016 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 23 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2017 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 26 | Sunrisers Hyderabad |
| 2018 | Andrew Tye | 24 | Kings XI Punjab |
| 2019 | Imran Tahir | 26 | Chennai Super Kings |
| 2020 | Kagiso Rabada | 30 | Delhi Capitals |
| 2021 | Harshal Patel | 32 | Royal Challengers Bangalore |
| 2022 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 27 | Rajasthan Royals |
| 2023 | Mohammed Shami | 28 | Gujarat Titans |
| 2024 | Harshal Patel | 24 | Punjab Kings |
Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) | 2008
Rajasthan Royals won the inaugural IPL title, and one major reason was the factory-fresh Pakistani pacer, Sohail Tanvir. The left-arm pacer picked up 22 wickets in 11 matches at an impressive average of 12.09 to bag the Purple Cap in the first season. Tanvir also delivered the bowling figures of 6 for 14, which remained the best for more than a decade until Alzarri Joseph produced 6 for 12 in 2019.
Rudra Pratap Singh (Deccan Chargers) | 2009
Similar to how Tanvir was the force behind RR, Rudra Pratap Singh was one of the important factors behind the Deccan Chargers lifting the 2009 IPL title. RP Singh swung the ball both ways in the South African conditions and minted 23 wickets in 16 matches. He was the top wicket-taker in the 2009 season and won the Purple Cap.
Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers) | 2010
Left-arm pacers dominated the previous 2 seasons, and now it was a left-arm spinner’s time to spin a web around batters. Pragyan Ojha had a successful stint in the last edition with 18 wickets. But in the third season, he went further by taking 21 wickets in 16 matches to claim the Purple Cap.
Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians) | 2011
Lasith Malinga, the Yorker King, was the backbone of the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack throughout his stay at the franchise. The 2011 season witnessed a menace from Malinga, as he clinched 28 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 13.39.
Also Read | What is a Yorker in Cricket?
Morne Morkel (Delhi Daredevils) | 2012
The 1.96-meter-tall Morne Morkel troubled batters with his sheer pace and bounce in the 2012 IPL. The South African pacer plucked 25 wickets in 16 outings to win the Purple Cap.
Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings) | 2013
Dwayne Bravo was an integral part of CSK, both with the bat and the ball. The Windies all-rounder had a breakout 2013 season, as he breached the 30-wicket barrier for the first time. Bravo took 32 wickets in 18 matches to get hold of the Purple Cap.
Mohit Sharma (Chennai Super Kings) | 2014
The Purple Cap stayed with the CSK for consecutive seasons, though this time Mohit Sharma flaunted it on his head. The Indian pacer picked up 23 wickets in 16 matches at a strike rate of 14.04.
Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings) | 2015
Dwayne Bravo was at it again, with a thunderous outing in the 2015 IPL. The Windies T20 legend scalped 26 wickets in 17 matches to win the Purple Cap for the second time.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad) | 2016
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, a proven white-ball specialist, played a pivotal role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s IPL title victory in 2016. The Indian medium pacer grabbed 23 scalps in 17 matches to end up as the top wicket-taker of the season.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad) | 2017
Bhuvneshwar Kumar became the first bowler in IPL history to grab the Purple Cap in consecutive seasons. He picked it up from where he left off in 2016 and fetched 26 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 14.19.
Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab) | 2018
Previous to this season, plenty of Australian batters had left their imprint in the tournament’s annals, but their bowling peers were far behind. However, Andrew Tye rubbed that off with his blistering outing for Kings XI Punjab in 2018. The Australian pacer claimed 24 wickets in 14 matches to get his hands on the Purple Cap.
Imran Tahir (Chennai Super Kings) | 2019
Imran Tahir’s marathon celebration has a separate fanbase in cricketing folklore, and CSK branded him as ‘Parasakhti Express’ for that. The South African had a standout 2019 season, as he wrapped up 26 wickets in 17 matches with his leg spin.
Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals) | 2020
Kagiso Rabada was in a tussle with fellow countryman Tahir to claim the Purple Cap in 2019, but fell short by a couple of wickets. But he fulfilled his desire in the 2020 season as he racked up 30 wickets in 17 matches — only the second bowler to touch the mark.
Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) | 2021
Harshal Patel employed his bowling variations to the best use and scalped 32 wickets in the 2021 edition. He equalled Dwayne Bravo’s record of 32 wickets in a single IPL season.
Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan Royals) | 2022
In 2022, Yuzvendra Chahal became only the third spinner to win the Purple Cap. Chahal showed his flair with the ball and picked up 27 wickets in 17 matches to help RR make it to the final of the season.
Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans) | 2023
The Gujarat Titans entered their successive final on the back of a collective effort from their bowling attack led by Mohammed Shami. The experienced Indian pacer took 28 wickets in 17 matches to claim the Purple Cap.
Harshal Patel (Punjab Kings) | 2024
Harshal Patel became the second Indian and, overall, the third bowler to win the Purple Cap in 2 seasons. The pacer scalped 24 wickets in 14 innings to end up as the leading wicket-taker in 2024.
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