The Purple Cap remains one of the IPL’s most distinctive awards, presented to the leading wicket-taker in a single season. Ahead of IPL 2026, Kolkata Knight Riders spinner Varun Chakravarthy has emerged as the leading favourite among experts.
While the tournament is often dominated by batters, several renowned bowlers—both pacers and spinners—have claimed the Purple Cap over the years. Sohail Tanvir was the inaugural winner during Rajasthan Royals’ title-winning campaign in 2008.
Since then, players such as Lasith Malinga, RP Singh, Morne Morkel, Dwayne Bravo, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Mohammad Shami, and Yuzvendra Chahal have secured the honour. Prasidh Krishna was the most recent winner, finishing as the top wicket-taker in IPL 2025.
Experts Unite Behind Chakravarthy
A majority of cricket experts have identified Varun Chakravarthy as the leading contender for the Purple Cap in IPL 2026.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis named the KKR spinner as his top pick, with Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla also backing him. Additional support came from Cheteshwar Pujara, Saba Karim, and Lakshmipati Balaji.
More Read
Although Chakravarthy did not have his best campaign at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, expectations remain high. He collected 17 wickets in IPL 2025, finishing as KKR’s leading wicket-taker, and also reached the milestone of 100 IPL wickets. In the two seasons prior, he had recorded 20-plus wickets.
Bumrah Among Key Contenders
Jasprit Bumrah is another prominent name in the predictions. The Mumbai Indians pacer finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker at the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 and showed strong form towards the latter stages of the tournament.
In IPL 2025, Bumrah claimed 18 wickets from 12 matches. Despite his impact across seasons, he has yet to win a Purple Cap. His best performance came in 2020, when he picked up 27 wickets in 15 matches as Mumbai Indians secured their fifth title.
More Read
Former Punjab Kings all-rounder Irfan Pathan has backed Bumrah to claim his first Purple Cap in IPL 2026.
Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Harshal Patel has also been tipped as a contender, with Varun Aaron predicting him to secure a third Purple Cap. Meanwhile, Hanuma Vihari has selected Delhi Capitals spinner Kuldeep Yadav as his pick.
Chahal Backed for Another Strong Season
Former Punjab Kings coach Sanjay Bangar has put his faith in Yuzvendra Chahal to finish as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker.
Chahal, the IPL’s all-time leading wicket-taker, remains one of the competition’s most consistent performers. After successful campaigns with Rajasthan Royals between 2022 and 2024, he moved to Punjab Kings, where he picked up 16 wickets in IPL 2025.
Notably, despite strong performances from players such as Noor Ahmed, Trent Boult, and Josh Hazlewood—who finished close to Prasidh Krishna’s tally last season—none of the experts selected an overseas bowler as their primary choice for the Purple Cap race.
Conclusion
With multiple experienced bowlers in contention, the race for the IPL 2026 Purple Cap appears competitive. However, Varun Chakravarthy stands out as the consensus favourite among experts, with strong backing also for Jasprit Bumrah, Harshal Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Yuzvendra Chahal.
