IPL 2026 Purple Cap — Final Top Wicket Takers
The Purple Cap is awarded to the leading wicket-taker of each IPL season. IPL 2026 finished on 31 May — these are the final standings from the full league + playoff stage.
Top 10 Wicket Takers — IPL 2026
| # | Bowler | Team | M | Wkts | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kagiso Rabada | GT | 17 | 29 | 9.68 |
| 2 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | RCB | 16 | 28 | 7.95 |
| 3 | Jofra Archer | RR | 16 | 25 | 9.32 |
| 4 | Rashid Khan | GT | 17 | 21 | 9.08 |
| 5 | Anshul Kamboj | CSK | 14 | 21 | 10.53 |
| 6 | Eshan Malinga | SRH | 15 | 20 | 9.33 |
| 7 | Mohammed Siraj | GT | 17 | 19 | 9.06 |
| 8 | Rasikh Salam Dar | RCB | 12 | 19 | 9.46 |
| 9 | Kartik Tyagi | KKR | 13 | 18 | 9.76 |
| 10 | Sunil Narine | KKR | 13 | 17 | 6.60 |
Most wickets in a season
Bravo / Patel — 32
Bravo CSK 2013 · Patel RCB 2021
Most Purple Caps
Three-way tie at 2
Bravo · Bhuvneshwar · Harshal
Best economy (2026, top 10)
Sunil Narine — 6.60
KKR · 17 wkts
What is the Purple Cap?
The Purple Cap is the IPL's award for the leading wicket-taker of the season. Introduced alongside the Orange Cap in 2008, it is presented as a deep-purple cricket cap worn after every match by the bowler currently top of the charts. The cap changes hands constantly through a season — a five-wicket haul can flip the standings overnight.
The all-time single-season record is 32 wickets, held jointly by Dwayne Bravo for Chennai Super Kings in 2013 and Harshal Patel for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021. Both totals came in 17 matches. Three bowlers have won the Purple Cap twice — Bravo (2013, 2015), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2016, 2017) and Harshal Patel (2021, 2024). A third Purple Cap for any of them would be a first in IPL history.
Unlike batting, the Purple Cap rewards both volume and discipline — overs bowled are capped at four per innings, so a bowler must convert chances when they come. The 2026 winner will be presented with the cap after the IPL Final on 31 May at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
Purple Cap winners (2008–2026)
| Year | Player | Team | Wkts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kagiso Rabada | GT | 29 |
| 2025 | Prasidh Krishna | GT | 25 |
| 2024 | Harshal Patel | PBKS | 24 |
| 2023 | Mohammed Shami | GT | 28 |
| 2022 | Yuzvendra Chahal | RR | 27 |
| 2021 | Harshal Patel | RCB | 32 |
| 2020 | Kagiso Rabada | DC | 30 |
| 2019 | Imran Tahir | CSK | 26 |
| 2018 | Andrew Tye | PBKS | 24 |
| 2017 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | SRH | 26 |
| 2016 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | SRH | 23 |
| 2015 | Dwayne Bravo | CSK | 26 |
| 2014 | Mohit Sharma | CSK | 23 |
| 2013 | Dwayne Bravo | CSK | 32 |
| 2012 | Morne Morkel | DC | 25 |
| 2011 | Lasith Malinga | MI | 28 |
| 2010 | Pragyan Ojha | DC | 21 |
| 2009 | RP Singh | DC | 23 |
| 2008 | Sohail Tanvir | RR | 22 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the IPL 2026 Purple Cap?
Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans) won the IPL 2026 Purple Cap with 29 wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (28) finished a single wicket behind for RCB. Rabada led the bowling charts despite Gujarat losing the final, joining a long list of Purple Cap winners from non-champion teams.
What is the most wickets in a single IPL season?
32 wickets — held jointly by Dwayne Bravo (CSK, 2013) and Harshal Patel (RCB, 2021). Both were taken in 17 matches.
Who has won the most Purple Caps?
Three players are tied with two Purple Caps each: Dwayne Bravo (2013, 2015 for CSK), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2016, 2017 for SRH), and Harshal Patel (2021 for RCB, 2024 for PBKS).
Has Kagiso Rabada won the Purple Cap before?
Rabada has been a perennial contender — he won the Purple Cap in IPL 2020 with 30 wickets for Delhi Capitals. The IPL 2026 Cap is his second, drawing him level with Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel as the only multiple winners.
How is the Purple Cap awarded?
The Purple Cap goes to the bowler with the most wickets at the end of each IPL season. For IPL 2026 (28 March to 31 May 2026), Rabada finished on 29 wickets from his Gujarat Titans campaign, taking the Cap home at the Ahmedabad presentation despite GT's 5-wicket final loss to RCB.