IPL 2026 Purple Cap Race Enters Playoffs as RCB, GT, SRH and RR Bowlers Battle for Top Spot
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kagiso Rabada jointly lead the Purple Cap standings with 24 wickets
- Jofra Archer rises to third after RR secure playoff qualification
- Anshul Kamboj finishes league stage with 21 wickets despite CSK elimination
- GT dominate bowling charts with Rabada, Rashid Khan, Siraj and Prasidh Krishna
- Playoff matches could decide the final Purple Cap winner
The IPL 2026 league stage has officially concluded, but the Purple Cap race remains wide open heading into the playoffs. With Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Gujarat Titans, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals still alive in the tournament, several leading wicket-takers remain in contention for the season’s top bowling honor.
RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Gujarat Titans fast bowler Kagiso Rabada currently share the lead with 24 wickets each, while Rajasthan Royals pacer Jofra Archer has climbed into third position after another strong performance during the final week of league matches.
Importantly, bowlers from playoff-qualified teams will still have opportunities to add wickets during the knockout stage, potentially reshaping the standings completely.
IPL 2026 Purple Cap Standings (Updated)
| Pos | Player | Team | Wkts | Mat | Inns | Avg | Econ | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | RCB | 24 | 14 | 14 | 18.50 | 8.07 | 13.75 |
| 2 | Kagiso Rabada | GT | 24 | 14 | 14 | 20.54 | 9.08 | 13.61 |
| 3 | Jofra Archer | RR | 23 | 14 | 14 | 21.71 | 8.76 | 14.85 |
| 4 | Anshul Kamboj | CSK | 21 | 14 | 14 | 25.23 | 10.52 | 14.38 |
| 5 | Rashid Khan | GT | 19 | 14 | 14 | 21.94 | 8.71 | 15.10 |
| 6 | Eshan Malinga | SRH | 19 | 14 | 14 | 24.57 | 9.27 | 15.89 |
| 7 | Kartik Tyagi | KKR | 18 | 15 | 15 | 27.66 | 9.76 | 17.00 |
| 8 | Mohammed Siraj | GT | 17 | 14 | 14 | 25.76 | 8.50 | 18.00 |
| 9 | Prince Yadav | LSG | 16 | 14 | 14 | 28.81 | 8.82 | 19.50 |
| 10 | Sunil Narine | KKR | 15 | 15 | 15 | 22.00 | 6.64 | 20.40 |
| 11 | Sakib Hussain | SRH | 15 | 10 | 10 | 23.00 | 9.07 | 15.20 |
| 12 | AM Ghazanfar | MI | 15 | 11 | 11 | 23.53 | 10.01 | 15.53 |
| 13 | Jamie Overton | CSK | 14 | 10 | 10 | 17.78 | 8.89 | 12.00 |
| 14 | Rashid Dar | MI | 14 | 10 | 10 | 25.28 | 9.87 | 15.35 |
| 15 | Prasidh Krishna | GT | 14 | 9 | 9 | 21.78 | 10.16 | 12.85 |
| 16 | Arshdeep Singh | PBKS | 14 | 14 | 14 | 38.64 | 10.20 | 22.71 |
| 17 | Jason Holder | GT | 13 | 8 | 8 | 16.00 | 7.54 | 15.07 |
| 18 | Noor Ahmad | CSK | 13 | 14 | 14 | 32.92 | 8.39 | 23.55 |
| 19 | Digvijay Rathi | LSG | 13 | 11 | 11 | 28.84 | 9.65 | 17.92 |
| 20 | Vaibhav Arora | KKR | 12 | 12 | 11 | 27.08 | 8.93 | 18.83 |
Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rabada Locked in Tight Battle
RCB pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Gujarat Titans fast bowler Kagiso Rabada currently remain tied at the top of the Purple Cap standings with 24 wickets each.
Bhuvneshwar has combined control with swing bowling efficiency throughout the season, particularly during powerplay overs. Rabada, meanwhile, continues to operate as GT’s primary strike bowler during middle and death overs.
Because both RCB and GT finished inside the top two, both bowlers are guaranteed at least two playoff opportunities to extend their wicket tally.
Jofra Archer Emerges as RR’s Biggest Bowling Threat
Rajasthan Royals pacer Jofra Archer has climbed into third place with 23 wickets after strong performances late in the league stage. Archer’s pace and ability to bowl in pressure situations have become central to RR’s playoff campaign.
With Rajasthan still alive in the tournament, Archer remains one of the strongest challengers to the current leaders.
GT Continue to Dominate Bowling Charts
Gujarat Titans currently possess the strongest bowling depth among all playoff teams. Alongside Rabada, GT also feature Rashid Khan and Mohammed Siraj inside the top eight wicket-takers this season.
Rashid Khan’s control during middle overs and Siraj’s effectiveness with the new ball have provided Gujarat with one of the most balanced bowling attacks in IPL 2026.
The presence of multiple GT bowlers near the top of the standings highlights the franchise’s consistency throughout the league phase.
SRH Depend Heavily on Eshan Malinga
Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Eshan Malinga has quietly emerged as one of the most effective bowlers of IPL 2026, collecting 19 wickets during the league stage.
SRH’s aggressive batting lineup has often attracted greater attention this season, but Malinga’s wicket-taking ability has remained equally important during pressure moments.
Playoffs Could Completely Change Purple Cap Race
Unlike eliminated teams whose wicket totals are now fixed, bowlers from RCB, GT, SRH and RR still have opportunities to add wickets during the playoffs.
Teams reaching the IPL 2026 final could potentially play two additional matches, creating enough opportunities for major movement in the Purple Cap standings.
At present, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kagiso Rabada hold the advantage, but the narrow gap separating the top contenders means the Purple Cap race may ultimately be decided during the IPL 2026 final itself.