While batters chase the Orange Cap, the IPL’s bowlers have their own season-long contest for the Purple Cap, awarded to the tournament’s leading wicket-taker. The 2026 edition went the way of a South African pace spearhead in career-best form.
## The 2026 Winner
Gujarat Titans quick Kagiso Rabada claimed the 2026 Purple Cap with 29 wickets, the highest haul of the season, as Gujarat reached the final before falling to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rabada’s season underlined why franchises continue to pay premium prices for genuine strike bowlers who can take wickets in both the powerplay and the death overs.
Fittingly, his Gujarat teammate Sai Sudharsan also picked up an individual honour, finishing with the most fours in the tournament — a reminder that the Titans’ campaign was built on both ends of the game, even without the trophy to show for it.
## How the Purple Cap Race Plays Out
Like the Orange Cap, the Purple Cap is a cumulative season tally rather than a single-match award. Wicket-takers across all 14 league matches, plus any playoff games, count toward the total, and the lead regularly changes hands as bowlers go through purple patches — or get rested, rotated, or targeted by opposition batting lineups.
Economy rate does not factor into the Purple Cap itself, which purely counts wickets. That means a bowler can lead the race even while going for more runs per over than a rival, so long as they are taking wickets consistently.
## A Quick History Refresher
– **2026:** Kagiso Rabada (Gujarat Titans) — 29 wickets
– **2025:** Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans) — 25 wickets
– **2008 (inaugural season):** Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals) — 22 wickets, still one of only a handful of Purple Cap winners to also win the title that year
## Why the Award Matters
The Purple Cap race tends to track closely with a team’s overall bowling health across the [points table](/ipl-points-table-explained) standings — sides with a Purple Cap contender in their ranks are usually restricting opponents well enough to protect a healthy Net Run Rate too. For the full story of RCB’s title defence and how Gujarat’s bowling attack carried them to the final, revisit our [IPL 2026 schedule recap](/ipl-2026-match-schedule-and-fixtures).