5 Leading Candidates For Purple Cap in IPL 2026

In the history of the IPL, the Purple Cap has been the biggest prize for bowlers in the competition. The upcoming 2026 season will present a similar opportunity for both spinners and pacers, to put their names in history books and be the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.

It has been a trend in the Indian Premier League’s 18-year history: the Purple Cap winner’s team has reached the final a record 9 times.

Out of them, only three bowlers, who finished as the highest wicket-taker, secured the IPL trophy, beginning with Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals; 2008), RP Singh (Deccan Chargers; 2009), and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad; 2016).

In IPL 2025, Gujarat Titans’ pacer Prasidh Krishna finished as the highest wicket-taker, thereafter securing the Purple Cap. He made a total of 15 appearances, picking up 25 wickets at an average of 19.52, while giving runs away at an economy of just 8.27. He had never won the IPL Purple Cap prior to that. CSK’s Noor Ahmad finished second with 24 wickets, while Josh Hazlewood finished third with 22 wickets.

🚨 THE PURPLE CAP HOLDER IN IPL 2025 – PRASIDH KRISHNA 🚨 pic.twitter.com/QnPVNK9jn3

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 2, 2025

The Purple Cap has also eluded a host of legendary IPL bowlers, including Sunil Narine, Jasprit Bumrah, and retired Indian spin great R Ashwin. As the 2026 season approaches, anticipation builds to see which bowler will ultimately claim this award.

Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)

Unluckily, veteran Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who is often recognized by many as the ‘greatest’ T20 bowler, has never won the Purple Cap. The 32-year-old came close to winning it four times, but fell short. He, however, remains the top contender to win the 2026 prize, given he is in electric form after having guided the Men in Blue to their second straight T20 World Cup trophy.

A five-time IPL champion with the Mumbai Indians, Bumrah picked up 14 scalps to finish as the joint-highest wicket-taker at the 2026 T20 WC, while bowling at an average of 12.42. He even delivered a masterclass in the final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, finishing with career-best figures of 4/15 to help the Indian team triumph by 96 runs. 

Varun Chakravarthy (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Varun Chakravarthy, who was ranked the world’s no.1 T20I bowler until the end of the 2026 World Cup, is another candidate to win the Purple Cap. The Kolkata Knight Riders veteran, known for his ‘mystery’ spin, was a force behind the franchise’s 2024 IPL victory. He finished level with Jasprit Bumrah on the wicket-takers’ tally at the 2026 T20 World Cup, with 14 scalps to his name.

However, concern does arise over the 34-year-old Tamil Nadu-born spinner’s economy rate, which remained over 9.00 throughout the World Cup. He, in fact, conceded an unbelievable 64 runs in the semi-final against England, only picking up a wicket, as well as another 39 runs in the final against New Zealand, where he similarly ended with just a wicket. 

Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings)

India’s premier T20I fast bowler, Arshdeep Singh is the third candidate for the Purple Cap. Singh picked up nine wickets for the Men in Blue during the 2026 T20 World Cup. In the IPL last summer, he finished as the fifth-highest wicket-taker with 21 scalps in 17 matches, averaging 24.66, and was a key factor behind PBKS’ run to the final.

Arshdeep Singh, who was named the ICC T20I Player of the Year in 2024, will be the key bowler for Punjab Kings this season. He will be joined by fellow left-armer Marco Jansen, as the team aims to deliver another surprising performance. Despite being a top talent, he has yet to secure the Purple Cap and is currently close to reaching the 100-wicket mark in the competition.

Yuzvendra Chahal (Punjab Kings)

The IPL’s all-time highest wicket-taker, Yuzvendra Chahal is the second player from Punjab Kings to find his name on this elite list. Despite having fallen from grace, Chahal still poses a great threat as an elite T20I spinner. Since his IPL debut in 2013, he has picked up a record-breaking 221 wickets in 174 games at an average of 22.76, while giving runs away at an economy rate of 7.96. 

Chahal did pick up four wickets in the three matches that he played in the 2025 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, but had a poor economy rate of 9.91. The 35-year-old last played for the Indian team in August 2023, in a T20I series against the West Indies, but was a part of the team that won the 2024 T20 WC. In IPL 2025, he picked up 16 wickets at an average of 26.87. 

Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans)

It is evident that Rashid Khan has struggled with form ever since he underwent surgery for a back issue following the 2023 ODI World Cup. The 27-year-old, however, recently jumped to the top spot on the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings, and it could be his year in the IPL as well. In the IPL, the Gujarat Titans’ star is the most successful Afghan player, having picked up 158 wickets in the competition.

Apart from these five bowlers, there are a few other probable contenders. The list includes stars like Noor Ahmed, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Starc, Mohammed Siraj, Sai Kishore, Prasidh Krishna, Sunil Narine, Digvesh Rathi, Mohammed Shami, Trent Boult, Marco Jansen, Jofra Archer, Jacob Duffy, Harshal Patel, and domestic stars like Auqib Nabi and Ashok Sharma. 

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