The Purple Cap: Recognising the Top Performer in IPL Bowling

The Top 5 Bowlers who can win the Purple Cap in IPL 2023

Position	Player	Team	Wickets	runs
1	Mohammed Siraj	Royal Challengers Bangalore	14	233
2	Rashid Khan	Gujarat Titans	14	226
3	Tushar Deshpande	Chennai Super Kings	14	320
4	Arshdeep Singh	Punjab Kings	13	239
5	Varun Chakravarthy	Kolkata Knight Riders	13	204

The Purple Cap is an award given to the bowler who takes the most wickets during the IPL season. The Purple Cap was introduced in the first season of the IPL in 2008, where it was won by Sohail Tanvir of the Rajasthan Royals for taking 22 wickets in 11 matches. The award was inspired by the Orange Cap, which is given to the batsman who scores the most runs during the season. The idea behind the Purple Cap was to recognize the top-performing bowler in the league and to promote the importance of bowling in T20 cricket.

How is the Purple Cap awarded?

The Purple Cap is awarded to the bowler who takes the most wickets during the IPL season. If two or more bowlers have the same number of wickets, the bowler with a better economy rate (average runs conceded per over) will be awarded the Purple Cap.

The Purple Cap is passed from one bowler to another throughout the season. At the end of the IPL season, the Purple Cap is formally presented to the player with the most wickets after the final match of the league. To place a bet on the bowler you think will win the Purple Cap, sign up here.

Significance of the Purple Cap

The Purple Cap is a highly coveted award in the IPL, and winning it is a great achievement for any bowler. The Purple Cap is not only a recognition of the bowler’s individual performance but also a testament to their team’s success. A bowler who wins the Purple Cap is likely to have played a significant role in their team’s journey to the playoffs or even the final.

Over the years, several bowlers have won the Purple Cap, including Lasith Malinga, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dwayne Bravo, and Kagiso Rabada. The current holder of the Purple Cap is Yuzvendra Chahal, who took 27 wickets in the 2022 IPL season.

Purple Cap Facts

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dwayne Bravo have won the Purple Cap two times each.
2. The record for the highest number of wickets taken in a single IPL season is held by South African pacers Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel, both of whom took 32 wickets in the season.
3. In the 2021 IPL season, the race for the Purple Cap was closely contested, with four bowlers—Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Chris Morris, and Rahul Chahar—all taking 21 wickets each at the end of the group stage.
4. At present in IPL 2023, Rashid Khan took the first hat trick of the season when playing against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The Purple Cap is an important award in the IPL and is a symbol of excellence in bowling. It recognizes the top-performing bowler in the league and promotes the importance of bowling in T20 cricket. Winning the Purple Cap is a great achievement for any bowler and is a testament to their individual performance and their team’s success.