Bowlers have played a crucial role in the Indian Premier League (IPL) despite the format being considered batter-friendly. Some of the most consistent wicket-takers in IPL history, like Lasith Malinga, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Dwayne Bravo, have played key roles in their teams' successes. (Full Coverage | More Cricket News)
Just like the Orange Cap, the Purple Cap is one of the most prestigious awards in the IPL, given to the highest wicket-taker of each season. Over the years, several world-class bowlers have claimed this honor, showcasing their dominance in the shortest format of the game.
The first-ever Purple Cap winner was Sohail Tanvir in IPL 2008, who took 22 wickets in 11 matches for Rajasthan Royals. Since then, the award has been won multiple times by three bowlers: Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel. Bravo and Harshal jointly hold the record for the most wickets in a single IPL season with 32 scalps each, a feat the West Indian achieved in 2013 and the Indian in 2021. Kagiso Rabada also crossed the 30-wicket mark in IPL 2020, claiming 30 wickets for Delhi Capitals.
Here is a list of Purple Cap winners of every IPL season from 2008 to 2024:
2008 – Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) – 22 wickets
2009 – RP Singh (Deccan Chargers) – 23 wickets
2010 – Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers) – 21 wickets
2011 – Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians) – 28 wickets
2012 – Morne Morkel (Delhi Daredevils) – 25 wickets
2013 – Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings) – 32 wickets
2014 – Mohit Sharma (Chennai Super Kings) – 23 wickets
2015 – Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings) – 26 wickets
2016 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 23 wickets
2017 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad) – 26 wickets
2018 – Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab) – 24 wickets
2019 – Imran Tahir (Chennai Super Kings) – 26 wickets
2020 – Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals) – 30 wickets
2021 – Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 32 wickets
2022 – Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan Royals) – 27 wickets
2023 – Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans) – 28 wickets
2024 – Harshal Patel (Punjab Kings) – 24 wickets
2025 – ?
Indian Premier League 2025 begins March 22 with defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders up against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the tournament opener at the Eden Gardens.
