The Purple Cap standings witnessed a significant shift after Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada produced another strong performance in Qualifier 2 against Rajasthan Royals.
Rabada returned with figures of 2/35, taking his season tally to 28 wickets from 16 matches and moving to the top of the wicket-takers’ list.
RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second with 26 wickets and remains in contention heading into the final, where he will have an opportunity to challenge Rabada for the top spot.
Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Jofra Archer finished his campaign with 25 wickets from 16 matches and holds third position in the standings.
Chennai Super Kings bowler Anshul Kamboj is placed fourth with 21 wickets, while Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eshan Malinga completes the top five with 20 wickets from 15 matches.
With only the final remaining, both the Purple Cap and Orange Cap races remain open as IPL 2026 approaches its conclusion.
Highest Wicket-Takers in IPL 2026
Kagiso Rabada has led Gujarat Titans’ bowling attack with 28 wickets, followed closely by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has taken 26 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Jofra Archer has claimed 25 wickets for Rajasthan Royals, while Anshul Kamboj and Eshan Malinga have contributed 21 and 20 wickets respectively for Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
IPL 2026 Purple Cap Updated
| Rank | Player | Matches | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | K Rabada (GT) | 16 | 28 | 9.43 |
| 2 | B Kumar (RCB) | 15 | 26 | 8.00 |
| 3 | JC Archer (RR) | 16 | 25 | 9.31 |
| 4 | A Kamboj (CSK) | 14 | 21 | 10.52 |
| 5 | E Malinga (SRH) | 15 | 20 | 9.33 |
| 6 | Rashid Khan (GT) | 16 | 19 | 9.29 |
| 7 | Mohammed Siraj (GT) | 16 | 18 | 9.06 |
| 8 | Kartik Tyagi (KKR) | 14 | 18 | 9.76 |
| 9 | JO Holder (GT) | 10 | 17 | 7.54 |
| 10 | Prince Yadav (LSG) | 14 | 16 | 8.82 |
IPL 2026 bowling rankings team-wise
| Rank | Team | Key Bowler | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gujarat Titans (GT) | Kagiso Rabada | 102 |
| 2 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 86 |
| 3 | Rajasthan Royals (RR) | Jofra Archer | 85 |
| 4 | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | Not specified | 82 |
| 5 | Punjab Kings (PBKS) | Not specified | 79 |
| 6 | Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) | Not specified | 74 |
| 7 | Delhi Capitals (DC) | Not specified | 72 |
| 8 | Chennai Super Kings (CSK) | Anshul Kamboj | 71 |
| 9 | Mumbai Indians (MI) | Not specified | 68 |
| 10 | Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) | Not specified | 66 |
Purple Cap winners list in IPL history
The Purple Cap, awarded to the highest wicket-taker of each IPL season, has seen several standout performers over the years.
Sohail Tanvir won the inaugural edition in 2008 with 22 wickets for Rajasthan Royals. RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha followed in 2009 and 2010 with Deccan Chargers.
Lasith Malinga claimed the award in 2011 for Mumbai Indians with 28 wickets, while Morne Morkel won it in 2012 for Delhi Daredevils.
Dwayne Bravo secured the Purple Cap twice, in 2013 and 2015 for Chennai Super Kings, while Mohit Sharma won in 2014.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has won it twice, in 2016 and 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Andrew Tye, Imran Tahir, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami and Prasidh Krishna have also featured among recent winners, with the 2026 edition yet to be decided.
