The race for the IPL 2024's Purple Cap, awarded to the season's leading wicket-taker, has seen some movement after a high-scoring encounter between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on April 15. Sunrisers Hyderabad's captain, Pat Cummins, has entered the Purple Cap race following a brilliant spell against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to lead his team to 25-run victory. In this high-scoring game in Bengaluru, Cummins secured three wickets while conceding 43 runs. Earlier, Mumbai Indians' Jasprit Bumrah failed to take any wickets in a match against Chennai Super Kings, leaving him in second place in the purple cap standings. Meanwhile, Yuzvendra Chahal continues to lead the race after claiming a wicket against Punjab Kings on April 13. In the rankings, CSK’s left-arm bowler Mustafizur Rahman holds the third position, while PBKS’s fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is well placed at fifth spot.
Here are the bowlers who are in the top five contention for the purple cap:
Yuzvendra Chahal (RR): Currently leading the pack, RR's leg-spinner Chahal boasts the most wickets (11) in just six matches. His impressive economy rate of 7.40 further strengthens his position. Notably, Chahal is the only spinner in the top five.
Jasprit Bumrah (MI): India's pace spearhead, Bumrah, sits just behind Chahal with 10 wickets. His economy rate of 7.40 is currently the best amongst all contenders. He briefly held the Purple Cap after a five-wicket haul against RCB earlier in the season.
Mustafizur Rahman (CSK): CSK's left-arm quick, Mustafizur Rahman, has bagged 10 wickets in five matches, maintaining his spot in the race despite missing a game. However, his economy rate of 9.15 is higher compared to the other top bowlers.
Pat Cummins (SRH): SRH captain, Pat Cummins, has recently entered the contest after taking three wickets against RCB. He now has a total of 9 wickets from 6 matches with a commendable economy rate of 7.87. Last year, SRH secured Cummins for a whopping ₹20.50 crore and later appointed him as their captain.
Kagiso Rabada (PBKS): South Africa's speedster, Rabada, rounds out the top five with 9 wickets from six matches. He joined the race after picking up a couple of wickets against RR.
| POSITION | PLAYER NAME | MATCHES | WICKETS | RUNS | ECONOMY |
| 1 | Yuzvendra Chahal (RR) | 6 | 11 | 163 | 7.4 |
| 2 | Jasprit Bumrah (MI) | 6 | 10 | 146 | 5.95 |
| 3 | Mustafizur Rahman (CSK) | 5 | 10 | 183 | 9.15 |
| 4 | Pat Cummins (SRH) | 6 | 9 | 189 | 7.87 |
| 5 | Kagiso Rabada (PBKS) | 6 | 9 | 191 | 7.95 |
Purple Cap's history
Notably, the Purple Cap, awarded to the IPL's leading wicket-taker, is a coveted prize. While most seasons see a new champion emerge, Bhuvneshwar Kumar remains the sole player to claim it in back-to-back years. The record for most wickets in a single season is a thrilling tie. Both Harshal Patel (2021) and Dwayne Bravo (2013) finished strong, securing the Purple Cap with an impressive haul.
The inaugural season in 2008 saw Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir become the first Purple Cap winner with 22 wickets. The following year, RP Singh, a former Indian left-arm pacer, outshone Tanvir by taking 23 wickets in South Africa. Pragyan Ojha, former Indian spinner, joined the winners' circle in 2010 with 21 scalps, before overseas players started dominating the race.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
Cricket fraternity shocked as former Australia star cricketer arrested on over a dozen charges, including stalking, assault, choking and more
Shah Rukh Khan makes a special request to senior players in KKR dressing room after easy win over LSG, says ‘You have a lot of young kids...’
