After the first T20 World Cup was held in 2007, the sport received its greatest shot within the arm, when in 2008, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) began the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The broad feedback confronted by this ‘fast-food’ brand of cricket, counting IPL, is that the condition in this ‘bat and ball’ amusement is more skewed towards the bat.
However, over the years, IPL has seen a few intensely-fought fights between the bat and ball, with the bowler picking up most wickets in a season being granted the ‘Purple Cap’. Here’s the list of bowlers from the past versions of the IPL who have won the coveted ‘purple cap’.
2008 - Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals)
Within the only IPL season that saw Pakistan cricketers taking part, Sohail Tanvir was the foremost strong weapon within the armoury of the Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals, who lifted the trophy within the inaugural edition.
In the group stages, in Royals' first-ever experience against possible finalists Chennai Super Kings (CSK), it was Tanvir who ran through the highly-favoured Chennai batting line-up to conclusion up with figures of 6/14, which is still the best-ever bowling figures in the IPL.
Tanvir, with a count of 22 wickets, steamed in with his awkward-looking run-up to provide victory for the Royals.
2009 - RP Singh (Deccan Chargers)
For the second year running, the bowler who won the purple cap was from the title-winning team. Rudra Pratap Singh, part of the infamous 2008 DC side that managed to win just 2 of its 14 games, orchestrated a turnaround in the 2009 edition as he inspired the team’s bowling in the very first match and returned with figures of 4/22 against the mighty Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
With a strike rate of 15.56 and an economy of 6.98, RP Singh might not have been the best bowler on a statistical level, but for a resurgent Chargers side, his knack of taking wickets at the right moments was his biggest contribution to their successful title run.
2010 - Pragyan Ojha (Deccan Chargers)
The Chargers side continued from where they left in the second edition and finished second on the points table at the end of league matches. The wily left-arm off spinner, Pragyan Ojha, who had a commendable 18 wickets in the 2009 edition, was in ominous form in the third season of IPL.
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2011 - Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians)
Sri Lankan seamer Lasith Malinga has likely been the foremost steady bowler in IPL history and was the spine of the Mumbai Indians’ squad that has won the foremost titles so far in IPL.
Though he was fruitful right from his first season with the Mumbai establishment, it was the 2011 version that carved his title in brilliant letters. With 28 wickets at a strike rate of 13.39 and a tight 5.95 economy, Malinga was without a doubt the foremost successful bowler in that version.
2012 - Morne Morkel (Delhi Daredevils)
Delhi Daredevils once again topped the table, but slumped to a defeat in the semi-final.
However, their success in the group stages, where they lost just five out of 16 games, heavily relied on the pace duo of South Africa’s Morne Morkel and India’s Umesh Yadav.
The bowling performance of Morkel can be best described as clinical, as he consistently was Daredevils' best bowler in the group stages. His best figures of 4/20 came in Delhi’s final group stage match against Kings XI Punjab. Though Morkel’s economy of 7.19 was on the expensive side and he had an unflattering strike rate of 15.12, these figures aren’t reflective of his impact on the Daredevils side..
2013 - Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)
The revile of the purple cap proceeded this season as well indeed as Chennai Super Kings’ bowling backbone Dwayne Bravo got to be the primary bowler within the IPL to pick more than 30 wickets in a single season.
The medium-pacer sprinkled in slow deliveries match after match, blending them up with skiddy ones to choose wickets at an amazing strike rate of 11.71, but with an economy of 7.95.
This was also the first time that both the Orange Cap (Michael Hussey scored the most runs in the tournament) and the purple cap holders came from the same team.
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2014 - Mohit Sharma (Chennai Super Kings)
Chennai Super Kings have been among the league’s most consistent sides and they have had one new standout performer every season.
In 2014, it was the turn of Mohit Sharma to bask in the limelight of IPL as he followed up an impressive breakthrough season in 2013 (20 wickets) with 23 wickets in this edition. Improving his strike rate from his debut season for CSK, Mohit picked up wickets at a strike rate of 14.04, but gave away quite a number of runs. His economy of 8.39 in 2014 is still the highest rate for a Purple Cap winner.
2015 - Dwayne Bravo (Chennai Super Kings)
Bravo became the first player in IPL history to win the purple cap twice when he picked up 26 wickets in the eighth edition that saw Mumbai Indians equal KKR and CSK’s record of two titles each.
With a strike rate of 12.07 and an economy of 8.14, Bravo had an uncannily similar season to his outstanding 2013 where his bowling performances took CSK to the top of the table and subsequently to the final where the Mumbai side emerged victorious in a match where he was once again Chennai’s best bowler, this time with figures of 2/36.
2016 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
With 23 wickets at an economy of 7.42 and a strike rate of 17.42, Bhuvneshwar, in the company of Mustafizur Rahman, Ashish Nehra and Ben Cutting, shouldered the team that was widely considered to be the best bowling side in the league that often lost due to its shaky middle order.
It was under such circumstances that Sunrisers Hyderabad picked up their first-ever IPL title, riding on the bowling exploits of Purple Cap-winner Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finally broke the curse.
2017 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
With his 26 wickets, Bhuvneshwar Kumar got to be the first player to hold the pin for cap and with the addition of Rashid Khan within the bowling line-up, the Hyderabad side once again was considered to be the leading bowling outfit. However, they had to bow out within the eliminator in a rain-curtailed match against KKR. Bhuvneshwar was at his threatening best within the bunch stages picking up wickets at an economy of 7.09 and a strike rate of 12.07 to guarantee the Hyderabad equip fixed their playoff spot.
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2018 — Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab)
Andrew Tye wrapped up the season as the Purple Cap champ within the 2018 version, having collected 24 wickets at an average of 18.66. Whereas the Australian seamer started the season on a tepid note, it wasn't long before he started finding himself within the wicket’s column. Tye collected three four-fers to his credit within the season, counting a clinical show against Mumbai Indians (4/16) at the Wankhede Stadium, in spite of the fact that the execution wasn't sufficient to spare them from a narrow loss. Kings KXIP wrapped up the season a disillusioning seventh.
2019 — Imran Tahir (Chennai Super Kings)
With 26 wickets at an average of 16.58 from 17 appearances, veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir finished with the Purple Cap at the end of the 2019 edition, playing a key role in helping the Chennai Super Kings reach yet another Indian Premier League final.
Tahir, who finished one wicket ahead of fellow South African Kagiso Rabada, part of the Delhi Capitals attack, set the tone from the very first match of the tournament as he recorded destructive figures of 4-1-9-3 to bowl Royal Challengers Bangalore out for a lowly 70 at Chennai.
2020 - Kagiso Rabada (Delhi Capitals)
Picking up 30 wickets from 17 matches, Kagiso Rabada at long last got his hands on the Purple Cap after barely lost out on its final season. He was powerful at the death, picking up most of his wickets amid that phase. Despite wickets keeping moderate and low within the UAE, Rabada lived up to his notoriety of being one of the world’s best pacers and bragged of the finest strike rate (13.13) among the best 10 bowlers within the competition. His best spell (4/24) came against the RCB, wherein he ran through their batting line-up with pace and exactness.
