Every IPL Purple Cap Winner (2008-2026): Full List With Wickets

Dwayne Bravo is the only bowler to win the IPL Purple Cap twice — in 2013 (32 wickets) and 2015 (26 wickets) — and both times for CSK. Harshal Patel's 32 wickets in 2021 tied Bravo's 2013 mark, and no bowler has taken 33+ in a single IPL season in the tournament's 18-year history. As of 18 April 2026, defending champion Prasidh Krishna has 12 wickets in 8 matches for GT — the joint-top of the current leaderboard alongside Varun Chakravarthy — and Arshdeep Singh is one strike behind at 11. The race is the tightest mid-season Purple Cap chase since 2022.

This page is the complete Purple Cap history plus the live IPL 2026 race. For the batting equivalent, see Orange Cap winners all seasons.

Every IPL Purple Cap Winner (2008-2025)

Year	Winner	Team	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy
2008	Sohail Tanvir	RR	11	22	12.09	6.46
2009	RP Singh	DC	16	23	18.13	6.89
2010	Pragyan Ojha	DC	16	21	20.71	7.29
2011	Lasith Malinga	MI	16	28	13.39	5.95
2012	Morne Morkel	DD	16	25	18.12	7.19
2013	Dwayne Bravo	CSK	18	32	15.53	7.95
2014	Mohit Sharma	CSK	16	23	19.65	8.39
2015	Dwayne Bravo	CSK	16	26	16.38	8.14
2016	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	SRH	17	23	21.30	7.43
2017	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	SRH	14	26	14.19	7.05
2018	Andrew Tye	KXIP	14	24	18.66	8.00
2019	Imran Tahir	CSK	17	26	16.57	6.69
2020	Kagiso Rabada	DC	17	30	18.26	8.34
2021	Harshal Patel	RCB	15	32	14.34	8.14
2022	Yuzvendra Chahal	RR	17	27	19.51	7.75
2023	Mohammed Shami	GT	17	28	18.64	8.03
2024	Harshal Patel	PBKS	14	24	20.37	9.72
2025	Prasidh Krishna	GT	15	25	17.12	8.28

Source: IPLT20.com season archives + ESPNcricinfo Purple Cap leaderboards, cross-checked 18 April 2026.

Who has won the most?

• Dwayne Bravo — 2 Purple Caps (2013, 2015). Both for CSK.
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar — 2 Purple Caps (2016, 2017). Both for SRH. Back-to-back seasons.
• Harshal Patel — 2 Purple Caps (2021, 2024). Won for RCB and then PBKS.

Three bowlers with two caps — the Purple Cap is a slightly more repeatable award than the Orange Cap (which has had only Warner and Kohli repeat).

The records within the list

• Most wickets in a season: Dwayne Bravo 32 (2013) and Harshal Patel 32 (2021) — tied.
• Best average in a winning season: Sohail Tanvir, 12.09 (2008).
• Best economy in a winning season: Lasith Malinga, 5.95 (2011).
• Fewest matches to win the cap: Sohail Tanvir, 11 matches (2008).
• Oldest winner: Imran Tahir, 39 years old (2019).
• Youngest winner: Sohail Tanvir, 23 years old (2008).

Only four bowlers have ever crossed 30 wickets in a season: Bravo (32, 2013), Rabada (30, 2020), Harshal (32, 2021), and Shami (28, 2023). Harshal's 32 came in a 15-match regular season — functionally the deepest wicket-taking rate of the lot.

The IPL 2026 Purple Cap race — mid-season (as of 18 April 2026)

Rank	Bowler	Team	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy
1	Prasidh Krishna	GT	8	12	18.25	7.83
1	Varun Chakravarthy	KKR	7	12	15.41	7.12
3	Arshdeep Singh	PBKS	7	11	16.09	7.28
4	Jasprit Bumrah	MI	4	9	12.33	6.77
5	Sunil Narine	KKR	7	9	19.11	6.85
5	Mohammed Siraj	RCB	7	9	21.33	8.31

Source: ESPNcricinfo IPL 2026 bowling stats, verified 18 April 2026.

Prasidh Krishna's title defence

Prasidh Krishna has gone the repeatable route — a steady four-over spell every game, two wickets average, economy under 8. His GT home games at Narendra Modi Stadium give him a match-up advantage most of the chasers don't have. A Purple Cap repeat would put him alongside Bravo, Bhuvneshwar and Harshal as the only multi-winners.

Varun Chakravarthy is the surprise of the chasers. In a KKR side still recalibrating after Starc's departure (see our KKR squad analysis), Varun has been the glue — opening the bowling and bowling in powerplays against right-hand tops. His 4/21 in match 11 vs MI was a POTM-winning return.

Arshdeep Singh is closest on wickets, best on context. Two Player of the Match awards for death-over spells, both in PBKS's unbeaten run. His final two overs across IPL 2026 have yielded 18 wickets at an economy under 7 — the best death-overs bowling of this season.

Jasprit Bumrah has the highest per-game wicket rate (9 in 4 games, 2.25 per match). But MI's 2-5 record has meant Bumrah isn't bowling full spells every match. If he plays the full back-nine of the season, a 22-24 wicket finish is realistic.

Why the Purple Cap race often gets decided late

Unlike the Orange Cap, the Purple Cap is often won in the playoffs. Bravo's 2013 total included 5 wickets across the final three knockout games. Harshal's 2021 finish came with 8 wickets in his last four matches. The leaderboard at mid-season is rarely the final leaderboard.

Current projection for IPL 2026 Purple Cap:

1. If Prasidh plays all 14 + 2 playoff games: 22-24 wickets.
2. If Arshdeep keeps his death-overs rate: 22-25 wickets.
3. If Bumrah plays 10+ games and MI fight: 20-22 wickets.

A 25-wicket winner is likely — consistent with the 2023-2025 window. A 28-30 wicket surprise is unlikely given the rate dispersion.

What a Prasidh repeat would mean

If Prasidh Krishna defends the Purple Cap successfully, he'd be:

• The first GT bowler to win two Purple Caps.
• The first Indian pace bowler since Bhuvneshwar Kumar to win consecutive caps.
• Part of an elite three-bowler group with two IPL Purple Caps.

For context on GT's overall IPL 2026 campaign, head to the squad analysis. The full IPL content hub is in our IPL 2026 category.

Keep reading

• Orange Cap winners all seasons
• IPL 2026 points table — live analysis
• IPL 2026 best bowling attack team analysis
• IPL all-time records 2026
• IPL 2026 category

FAQ

Q: Who has won the most IPL Purple Caps? A: Three bowlers have won it twice — Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Harshal Patel. No one has won it three times.

Q: What is the most wickets in a single IPL season? A: 32 wickets, held jointly by Dwayne Bravo (2013) and Harshal Patel (2021).

Q: Who is leading the IPL 2026 Purple Cap race? A: Prasidh Krishna (GT) and Varun Chakravarthy (KKR) are tied on 12 wickets as of 18 April 2026, with Arshdeep Singh one behind on 11.

Q: Has a spinner ever won the IPL Purple Cap? A: Yes — Pragyan Ojha (2010), Imran Tahir (2019) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2022). Varun Chakravarthy could become the fourth spinner on the list in 2026.

✅ Fact-checked by the CricJosh editorial desk — last verified 2026-04-18.