IPL 2019: 5 Bowlers Who Could Win The Purple Cap

Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan

T20 bowling has come a long way since the inception of the IPL in 2008. Bowlers are smarter and can bowl with a lot of variation. Hence, there has been a greater need for teams to purchase bowlers who can bowl these variations to perfection. Over the years, we have seen teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians who have a great bowling lineup, outperform other teams consistently. Even in the IPL auctions, it just feels like a majority of the spotlight is on the bowlers.

The purple cap was introduced in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League as a reward for the bowler who picked the most wickets. So far, the purple cap has been held by some of the best bowlers in the world.

With the IPL set to commence on March 23rd, the race for the purple cap will be much closer than ever before. Hence, we’ve decided to predict the 5 bowlers who could win the purple cap this year.


#5 Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab)

Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy is a mystery spinner from Tamil Nadu who made headlines when he was purchased by Kings XI Punjab in the IPL auctions for a whopping Rs. 8.4 crores.

He first gained notoriety due to his performances in the Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) where he picked up 9 wickets at an excellent economy rate of 4.92. Not much is known about his bowling and this could very well work in his favor.

He will be playing alongside experienced Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman who was last year’s surprise package. Varun will have a major role to play if he is to justify his heavy purchase price. Expect the Tamil Nadu spinner to turn a lot of heads and have a huge impact in this year’s tournament and he could very well finish as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.

#4 Kuldeep Yadav (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav

Kuldeep Yadav has been one of India’s best limited-overs bowlers in recent times. In fact, he was the leading wicket-taker for India in the limited overs format last year, with 45 ODI wickets and 21 T20I wickets.

Since his IPL debut in 2016, he has performed better with every passing season. In fact, his 2018 season was his best season yet. He picked up 17 wickets from 16 games. Every team will be extremely careful when facing this bowler given his current form. He is riding a huge wave of momentum heading into the IPL and will play a huge role if KKR is to win their third IPL title.

Kuldeep’s amazing ability to topple over batsmen holds the key to KKR’s successful campaign. A lot will be expected from the Chinaman bowler and I believe he will deliver the best performance of his IPL career this year. He could even win the purple cap.

#3 Andrew Tye (Kings XI Punjab)

Andrew Tye
Andrew Tye

Andrew Tye’s IPL journey started with the Gujarat Lions in 2016. However, he made his IPL debut in 2017 for them. His debut will remain memorable due to his incredible 5 wicket haul. He has never looked back since. He finished the season with 12 wickets from 6 games.

He went on to play for the Kings XI Punjab in 2018. He had an even more impressive season for them. During the course of the season, he picked up three 4 wicket hauls and finished the season with 24 wickets from 14 games. He was KXIP’s standout performer and won the purple cap.

His form wasn’t just limited the IPL, but he has been impressive for Australia in the shortest format of the game. He was the leading wicket-taker in T20Is last year with 31 wickets to his name.

Given his current form, it wouldn’t be surprising if he has another great year in the IPL. Now, I know that Cricket Australia isn’t allowing players who are part of their World Cup squad to play in the cash-rich league. But, given that Andrew Tye isn’t considered for Australia’s tour of India, I think it’s safe to assume that he will not be part of Australia’s World Cup squad which means he will be available for the entire tournament.

#2 Umesh yadav (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Umesh Yadav
Umesh Yadav

Since his IPL season last year, Umesh Yadav has been in top form for India and was one of India’s top bowlers in Test cricket last year. In fact, his 2018 season with RCB was his best season in the IPL.

He bowled with fiery pace and picked up early wickets giving his team a lot of momentum at the start of the innings. This year will be no different for the Indian pacer. He will be expected to bowl with a lot of intensity and will look for early breakthroughs. His current form should give him the confidence he needs to bowl well and dominate batsmen.

Given that RCB is one of the few teams to never lift the coveted IPL trophy, a lot will be expected from the experienced Umesh Yadav. If everything goes well for him, he could end the season as the leading wicket-taker.

#1 Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has been a dominant bowler in T20 cricket for quite some time now. His ability to pick wickets even when bowling to world class batsmen is extraordinary. Batsmen around the world haven’t been able to decipher the mystery that is Rashid Khan, making him one of the toughest bowlers to face today.

Aside from his wicket-taking ability, he is also consistently economical. This is due to the fact that batsmen struggle to pick his bowling. Last year, the Afghanistan bowler was impressive in the IPL and he picked up 21 wickets in 17 games at an economy rate of 6.73. He is also currently the number one ranked bowler in T20 cricket and was also the leading wicket-taker in ODIs last year.

If the same trend is to continue then Rashid Khan will have a huge role to play and could also lead the race for the purple cap.

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Edited by Hassan Shafiq