The 2026 season of Indian Premier League is scheduled to begin on March 28, and fans across the world are eagerly waiting for the action to start. Ahead of the new season, it’s worth revisiting one of the league’s most prestigious individual honours – the Purple Cap, awarded to the bowler who takes the most wickets in a season.
From 2008 to 2025, several standout bowlers have claimed this award, and interestingly, three of them have managed to win it twice.
IPL Purple Cap Winners (2008-2025)
2008 – Sohail Tanvir
Representing the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season, Tanvir took 22 wickets in 11 matches at an impressive average of 12.09, including one four-wicket haul and one five-wicket haul.
2009 – RP Singh
Playing for the Deccan Chargers, the Indian pacer picked up 23 wickets in 16 matches with an average of 18.13, earning the Purple Cap.
2010 – Pragyan Ojha
The left-arm spinner from Deccan Chargers finished the season with 21 wickets in 16 games, maintaining an economy rate of 7.29.
2011 – Lasith Malinga
The Sri Lankan speedster dominated for the Mumbai Indians, claiming 28 wickets in 16 matches with a superb economy rate of 5.95.
2012 – Morne Morkel
Representing the Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils), Morkel took 25 wickets in 16 matches to top the charts.
2013 – Dwayne Bravo
The West Indies all-rounder starred for the Chennai Super Kings, grabbing 32 wickets in 18 matches.
2014 – Mohit Sharma
Another CSK bowler, Mohit Sharma finished with 23 wickets in 16 games to win the award.
2015 – Dwayne Bravo
Bravo claimed his second Purple Cap, taking 26 wickets in 17 matches for CSK.
2016 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Bhuvneshwar took 23 wickets in 17 matches.
2017 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
He became the first bowler to win the Purple Cap in back-to-back seasons, finishing with 26 wickets in 14 matches.
2018 – Andrew Tye
The Australian pacer topped the list with 24 wickets in 14 matches for the Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab).
2019 – Imran Tahir
The South African leg-spinner claimed 26 wickets in 17 matches for CSK.
2020 – Kagiso Rabada
Rabada dominated the season for the Delhi Capitals with 30 wickets in 17 matches.
2021 – Harshal Patel
Representing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Harshal took 32 wickets in 15 matches, one of the best tallies in IPL history.
2022 – Yuzvendra Chahal
The leg-spinner excelled for the Rajasthan Royals, claiming 27 wickets in 17 matches.
2023 – Mohammed Shami
Playing for the Gujarat Titans, Shami took 28 wickets in 17 matches.
2024 – Harshal Patel
Harshal secured his second Purple Cap, finishing with 24 wickets in 14 matches for Punjab Kings.
2025 – Prasidh Krishna
The Indian pacer led the wicket charts with 25 wickets in 15 matches, earning the Purple Cap.
Over the years, bowlers like Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel have each managed to win the Purple Cap twice – showing remarkable consistency in one of the toughest T20 leagues in the world. As IPL 2026 approaches, it remains to be seen which bowler will dominate the wicket charts next.
