IPL 2026 Purple Cap: Top 10 Most Wicket-Takers After Group Stage

The explosive league stage of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 has concluded. This year, while the batsmen scored runs, the bowlers also turned the match around with their devastating bowling. In the IPL, the bowler who takes the most wickets throughout the tournament is awarded the Purple Cap. This year's Purple Cap race has been more interesting than in the past few years, and has continued right down to the final match.

After the group stage matches were over, Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) best bowler Praful Hinge is leading the Purple Cap race with 24 wickets. Right behind him, Punjab Kings' Harshal Patel and Rajasthan Royals' Jofra Archer are giving him a tough competition. This year, fans got to see a different battle for wickets between both pacers and spinners. Let us understand in detail in this post about those top 10 bowlers who stunned even the biggest batsmen with their lethal bowling this season.

IPL 2026 Purple Cap: Top 10 Wicket-Takers

Detailed analysis of the top 10 bowlers individually

This season, these top 10 players have consistently bowled in a way that has won the hearts of cricket experts and fans. Let's take a look at each bowler's performance one by one:

1: Praful Hinge (Sunrisers Hyderabad 24 Wickets)

Sunrisers Hyderabad's new fast bowler, Praful Hinge, has emerged as a hero throughout the tournament this year. He has taken the most wickets in his 14 league matches, taking 24. Playing under Pat Cummins' leadership, Praful has displayed remarkable wicket-taking skills in both the powerplay and death overs. His economy rate of 7.85 is impressive in this high-scoring season. His best bowling figures, 4/22, have played a key role in SRH's playoff berth.

2: Harshal Patel (Punjab Kings 23 Wickets)

Punjab Kings' experienced death overs specialist, Harshal Patel, is once again atop the Purple Cap list. Known for his excellent slower balls and cutters, Harshal has taken 23 wickets in 14 matches. Although his economy rate of 8.42 is slightly high, he has always provided crucial wickets for Punjab in crucial situations. He has consistently held the second spot due to his habit of conceding runs every season.

3: Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals, 22 wickets)

Jofra Archer, the Rajasthan Royals' leading fast bowler, has troubled all batsmen this season with his speed and bouncers. Archer has taken 22 wickets in 14 matches. Most strikingly, his economy rate is just 7.20, reflecting his tight and disciplined line and length. His best performance has been 4/15. His form is proving to be a major positive for the Rajasthan Royals during their playoff journey.

4: Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians, 21 Wickets)

While the Mumbai Indians may have missed the playoffs this year, their world-class bowler Jasprit Bumrah once again demonstrated why he's considered one of the best bowlers in the world. Bumrah took 21 wickets in 14 matches. Most impressively, he had the lowest economy rate of 6.65 throughout the league stage. He consistently kept big hitters at bay with his yorkers and excellent variations, and was MI's lone savior.

5: Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans 20 Wickets)

Gujarat Titans speedster Kagiso Rabada has led the GT bowling attack brilliantly this year. He has cemented his place in the top five with 20 wickets in 13 matches. Rabada has decimated the opposition's top order with his swing and seam in the opening powerplay. He has an economy rate of 7.90, and his best performance is 4/25. Shubman Gill will be hoping for a similar brilliant spell from him in Qualifier 1.

6: Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans, 19 wickets)

The world's best T20 spinner, Rashid Khan, has once again displayed his magic googlies and performed wonders for the Gujarat Titans this year. Rashid has taken 19 wickets in 13 matches. His specialty has been breaking the run flow in the middle overs and taking crucial wickets. His economy rate is 6.95, which proves that batsmen are still afraid to open their innings against him.

7: Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan Royals, 19 wickets)

Yuzvendra Chahal, the most successful leg-spinner in IPL history, hasn't been far behind in terms of wickets this year either. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals, Chahal has taken 19 wickets in 14 matches. As always, Chahal has made batsmen his prey by giving them the flight and tempting them to go for big shots. While he has conceded few runs (economy 8.12), his ability to take wickets has significantly strengthened RR.

8: Mohammed Siraj (Gujarat Titans, 18 wickets)

Mohammed Siraj, another main pacer for the Gujarat Titans, has rediscovered his old form with the new ball this year. Siraj has taken 18 wickets in 13 matches. His economy rate is 7.75 and he has provided several crucial breakthroughs to Shubman Gill in the powerplay. His best performance was 3/19, which he took in the last match of the league against CSK. His partnership with Rabada has been a hit this year.

9: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Royal Challengers Bengaluru 18 Wickets)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru's swing master, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, has made full use of his experience this year. Playing for RCB, he has taken 18 wickets in 14 matches. Even on a small ground like the Chinnaswamy Stadium, he has bowled at a disciplined economy rate of 7.40, which shows his class. Bhuvi has taken plenty of wickets by swinging the ball both ways in the initial overs and now has his sights set on the playoffs.

10: Kuldeep Yadav (Delhi Capitals, 17 wickets)

Delhi Capitals' Chinese bowler Kuldeep Yadav has cemented his place in the top 10 list this year by maintaining his spin dominance. Kuldeep has taken 17 wickets in 14 league matches. His economy rate of 7.35 has been quite impressive. He has troubled the middle-order batsmen with his sharp turns and flippers. His performance has been extremely positive for Delhi this season, even though his team may not have reached the next round.

Final Conclusion: Who will win the Purple Cap in the playoffs?

Even though Praful Hinge (24 wickets) is at the top after the league stage, the team of Harshal Patel, who was chasing him, has been eliminated. This means that now Praful Hinge's biggest threat is going to be from Rajasthan Royals' Jofra Archer (22 wickets) and Gujarat Titans' Kagiso Rabada (20 wickets), because both these teams still have a chance to play more matches in the playoffs. Whichever bowler handles the pressure well in the knockout matches, the Purple Cap will be on his head.