The Purple Cap is awarded to the player with the most runs in a particular IPL season and carries a cash prize of INR 10 Lakh for the winner which is awarded at the conclusion of the IPL finals along with other prizes. Along with the Orange Cap, awarded to the tournament’s top scorer, the Purple Cap is one of the coveted individual awards that a player strives to achieve throughout the season. Over the years some of the best players to play T20 have been Purple Cap winners namely: Lasith Malinga, Dwayne Bravo, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to name a few. On the other hand, some of the most famous players have never won the Purple Cap namely: Jasprit Bumrah, Sunil Narine, Piyush Chawla and Ravichandran Aswhin to name a few.
Origins of the Purple Cap
Pakistan’s Sohail Tanir became the first Purple Cap winner in his debut season in 2008, scalping 22 wickets for Rajasthan Royals, while Bhuvneshwar was the first player and remains the only player to win the Purple Cap in the 2016 and 2017 seasons, while playing both for Hydersabad in the Sunris season.
Multiple winners and continued success
Only two other players have won the Purple Cap multiple times, Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel. And Harshal Patel holds the distinction of winning the Purple Cap with two different teams – Delhi Capitals in 2021 and Punjab Kings in 2024.
Records and statistical extremes
Harshal Patel also holds the record for most wickets in a single season among Purple Cap winners, picking 32 wickets for DC in the 2021 season, while Kagiso Rabada is the only other bowler to pick 30 or more wickets in a season, picking up 30 wickets for the Delhi Capitals in the 2020 season. On the other hand, the record for taking the fewest wickets to win the Purple Cap in a season belongs to Pragyan Ojha when he picked 21 wickets for Deccan Chargers in 2010 and still won the Purple Cap.
Franchise trends and dominance
Among the teams, the Hyderabad franchise – Deccan Chargers/Sunrisers Hyderabad have the most Purple Caps to their name with 4. RP Singh (2009), Pragyan Ojha (2010) and then Bhuvneshwar Kumar in 2016 and 2017, along with D2017 Kings who also have Super3 Bravo and D2014 2015, Mohit Sharma in 2014 and Imran Tahir in 2019. Delhi Series – Delhi Daredevils and Delhi Capitals – won the Purple Cap three times, Morne Morkel won it in 2012, followed by Kagiso Rabada and Harshal Patel in back-to-back seasons of 0 and 202 CapRR2 Purple courts twice. Sohail Tanvir (2008) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2022), as well as the Punjab-based franchise – KXIP/PBKS – through Andrew Tye (2018) and Harshal Patel (2024). Also Gujarat Titans have their representation twice with Mohammad Shami (2023) and the current Purple Cap holder in Prasidh Krishna (2025). Mumbai Indians’ only Purple Cap win came in 2011 when Lasith Malinga topped the charts with 28 wickets.
Overseas vs Indian players
In the past 18 seasons, overseas players have won the Purple Cap 8 times, while Indian players have won the title 10 times. The current holder of the Purple Cap is Prasidh Krishna of Gujarat Titans who has picked 25 wickets in the IPL 2025 season.
