Purple Cap Winners List in IPL from 2008 to 2026

The cricketing fever will take over the entire globe as the Indian Premier League 2026 (IPL 2026) is all set to begin on March 28 with the opening fixture between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru.

Over the years, the tournament has set high standards of performance with top global stars setting it ablaze with their skills. While IPL is known for its big hits, there have been several bowlers who’ve risen above the six-hitting barrage and sent batters back into the pavilion on a regular basis.

Each season, the tournament features top bowlers, fighting amongst themselves to emerge as the highest wicket-taker and win the coveted purple cap at the end. Pakistan’s Sohail Tanvir became the first bowler to win the Purple Cap after taking 22 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008.

RP Singh was the first Indian to win the award, having scalped 23 wickets for Deccan Chargers in the second season of the competition, played in South Africa. Lasith Malinga etched his name in the history books in 2011, after he scalped the most wickets in a single season of the tournament (28).

However, Malinga’s record only lasted two seasons and was surpassed by Dwayne Bravo in 2013, who finished the season with 32 wickets. Since then, only Harshal Patel has managed to emulate Bravo’s feat in the 2021 season for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Bravo became the first player to win two Purple Cap awards in 2015, a feat which has only been matched by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2016, 2017) and Harshal Patel (2021, 2024).  As another season of IPL draws close, here’s a look at all the Purple Cap winners from the previous 18 editions of the tournament:

IPL Purple Cap winners list

 Last Updated on 23rd March, 2026