Purple Cap Players in this IPL – Top and Lead Wicket Takers

The Indian Premier League is the premier cricket competition in the world. To top the batting and bowling charts in such a high-profile tournament like IPL is an achievement for any cricketer. And just like everything the IPL has its own way of rewarding the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker of each season. Right from its beginning, the league has introduced the concept of rewarding the leading IPL wicket-taker and leading run-scorer with purple and orange caps, respectively. The Purple cap gets exchanged after each match of the tournament based on who is the top IPL wicket-taker of the ongoing season after every match. At the end of the season, the bowler who has the highest wickets in that season will claim that purple cap and the cash award associated with it.

Many legends of the game including Dwayne Bravo and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have donned this prestigious cap on multiple occasions. With each passing year, the competition and total IPL wickets tally are increasing, thereby making the race for the purple cap tighter and tighter.

List of Purple Cap winners in IPL history

Here we look at everything related to the Purple Cap, including its history, the players who have donned this purple cap, IPL purple cap list, leading wicket-takers of IPL 2021, and some FAQs related to the purple cap of IPL.

List of IPL 2021 Purple Cap players

The top wicket-taker in IPL 2021 is RCB’s new recruit Harshal Patel. He leads the chart with 17 wickets from just 7 matches and is way ahead of his competitors in that illustrious list. One of the biggest names in India’s domestic circuit, the Haryana captain has played for different franchises in different seasons. The lack of stability and trust from the franchises that he was part of was affecting his performance when he made the transition from the domestic circuit to the IPL.

Leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021

After many years of struggle, Harshal Patel seems to have found a perfect home in RCB. The management backed him to the fullest and has been given the most difficult job of death bowling. So far, he has fully lived up to their expectations. Bowling most of his overs at the death, which is considered as the toughest phase to bowl on, he had picked up 17 wickets from just 7 matches at an average of 15.11 in IPL 2021. He also picked up a 5-wicket haul in this season

Rules for Purple Cap in IPL 2021

The rules laid out by the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) and the IPL governing council for the purple cap is quite simple. The rules for Purple Cap are given below:

1. The Purple cap is handed over to the leading wicket-taker of a particular IPL season.
2. The bowler with the most wickets (till then) in that season should wear the Purple Cap while in the field.
3. In case of a tie, the Purple Cap is handed over to the bowler with a better economy rate.

Top Bowlers in IPL 2021

The second leg of IPL 2021 will get underway in the UAE from September and the hype regarding the lucrative league is once again starting to build up. With the tournament being shifted to an entirely different landscape, the standing of the teams and the batting and bowling charts have a higher chance of getting changed much more than ever. The tournament is right now at a mid-way stage and by considering the conditions at stake and the form of the players, we have listed out 5 prominent names that are in contention for the purple cap race for IPL 2021.

1. Harshal Patel

He is right now the top wicket-taker in IPL 2021 with 17 wickets from 7 matches. With the tournament halted at a mid-way stage, he is way ahead of the rest on the list. The fact that his side RCB is right now placed comparatively better on the points table and the fact that he bowls the majority of his overs at the death makes his case stronger to be the most wicket-taker in IPL 2021.

2. Chris Morris

If he can be injury-free for the rest of the tournament then he can give serious competition to Harshal Patel for the race for the purple cap of the IPL. So far, he has picked up 14 wickets from 7 matches and is a very much an important player for RR’s journey ahead.

3. Rashid Khan

The spin magician is right now placed at the fifth spot with 10 wickets from 7 matches at an economy of just over 6. The fact that the tournament is getting shifted to the hot and humid UAE, will help him more than any other player. Having the experience of playing in the UAE for long, he will be quite aware of the conditions and is expected to exploit them to his best.

4. Avesh Khan

DC’s search for an Indian strike pace bowler finally ended at Avesh Khan. He was the find of the tournament of IPL 2021. He is right now placed second on the IPL purple cap list with 14 wickets from 8 matches. The pace, bounce, and dustiness of the UAE pitches are expected to suit his style of bowling. And hence Avesh is expected to carry on with his good run in UAE also.

5. Chetan Sakariya

He right now has only 7 wickets from 7 matches and is not even in the top 10 list of most wicket-takers of IPL 2021. But he has been one of the finds of the season. The lengths and line that he has bowled and the way he used his variations makes him a potential candidate to dominate in the UAE leg of the tournament.

FAQS

What is the purple cap and orange cap in IPL?

Purple cap and Orange Cap are awards given in the IPL to the leading wicket-taker and leading run-scorer respectively of each season. The player who tops this list will wear this coloured cap while taking the field in the subsequent matches, till someone else overtakes him for the same.

What is meant by caps in IPL?

Caps in IPL refer to the orange and purple cap which are given to the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker of each season.

Who has the most Purple Cap in IPL?

CSK’s Dwayne Bravo (2013,2015) and SRH’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2016,2017) have won the purple cap twice in their career.

Who is the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021?

Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore is the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2021 with 17 wickets from just 7 matches.

Who is the top bowler in IPL 2021?

Harshal Patel of Royal Challengers Bangalore is the top bowler of IPL 2021 and the holder of the Purple Cap in this IPL. He has taken 17 wickets so far in this season, whereas his successor on the list Avesh Khan has just only 14.