The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a T20 cricket tournament that has been captivating audiences since its inception in 2008. Apart from the thrill and excitement of the game itself, one of the most fascinating aspects of IPL is the awards and recognition that are given out to the players who perform exceptionally well. One such award is the Purple Cap, which is given to the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
In this blog, we will take a look at the Purple Cap holders from the first edition of IPL to the present day.
IPL 2008: Sohail Tanvir
The inaugural edition of the IPL saw Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistani left-arm pacer, winning the Purple Cap. Playing for the Rajasthan Royals, Tanvir was in sensational form throughout the tournament, taking 22 wickets in just 11 matches, including a spell of 6/14 against the Chennai Super Kings.
IPL 2009: RP Singh
In the second edition of the IPL, RP Singh, the Indian left-arm pacer, won the Purple Cap. Playing for the Deccan Chargers, Singh took 23 wickets in 16 matches, including a match-winning spell of 4/22 in the final against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
IPL 2010: Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha, the Indian left-arm spinner, won the Purple Cap in the third edition of the IPL. Playing for the Deccan Chargers, Ojha took 21 wickets in 16 matches, including a spell of 3/26 against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
IPL 2011: Lasith Malinga
Lasith Malinga, the Sri Lankan pacer, won the Purple Cap in the fourth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Mumbai Indians, Malinga took 28 wickets in 16 matches, including a spell of 5/13 against the Delhi Daredevils.
IPL 2012: Morne Morkel
Morne Morkel, the South African pacer, won the Purple Cap in the fifth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Delhi Daredevils, Morkel took 25 wickets in 16 matches, including a spell of 4/20 against the Mumbai Indians.
IPL 2013: Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo, the West Indian all-rounder, won the Purple Cap in the sixth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings, Bravo took 32 wickets in 18 matches, including a spell of 4/42 against the Kings XI Punjab.
IPL 2014: Mohit Sharma
Mohit Sharma, the Indian pacer, won the Purple Cap in the seventh edition of the IPL. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings, Sharma took 23 wickets in 16 matches, including a spell of 4/14 against the Mumbai Indians.
IPL 2015: Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo won the Purple Cap for the second time in the eighth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings, Bravo took 26 wickets in 17 matches, including a spell of 4/22 against the Delhi Daredevils.
IPL 2016: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Indian pacer, won the Purple Cap in the ninth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kumar took 23 wickets in 17 matches, including a spell of 4/29 against the Kings XI Punjab.
IPL 2017: Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the Purple Cap for the second time in the tenth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad once again, Kumar took 26 wickets in 14 matches, including a spell of 5/19 against the Kings XI Punjab.
IPL 2018: Andrew Tye
Andrew Tye, the Australian pacer, won the Purple Cap in the eleventh edition of the IPL. Playing for the Kings XI Punjab, Tye took 24 wickets in 14 matches, including a spell of 4/16 against the Mumbai Indians.
IPL 2019: Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir, the South African spinner, won the Purple Cap in the twelfth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Chennai Super Kings, Tahir took 26 wickets in 17 matches, including a spell of 4/12 against the Sunrisers Hyderabad.
IPL 2020: Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada, the South African pacer, won the Purple Cap in the thirteenth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Delhi Capitals, Rabada took 30 wickets in 17 matches, including a spell of 4/24 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
IPL 2021: Harshal Patel
Harshal Patel, the Indian pacer, won the Purple Cap in the fourteenth edition of the IPL. Playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Patel took 32 wickets in 15 matches, including a spell of 5/27 against the Mumbai Indians.
In conclusion, the Purple Cap has been won by some of the best bowlers in the world over the years, and each edition of the IPL has produced some outstanding performances with the ball. It will be interesting to see who will win the Purple Cap in the upcoming IPL seasons and whether any player will be able to win it multiple times.