IPL 2020 Purple Cap: 3 KXIP bowlers in top 5 but CSK duo might leave them behind tonight

After KL Rahul helped the Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) post a daunting target of 207 runs, the bowling department stepped up to skittle out the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a paltry 109. In doing so, they KXIP their second-biggest IPL victory in terms of runs at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

The opening bowling combination of Mohammad Shami and Sheldon Cottrell knocked the wind out of RCB’s sails early into the run-chase as the Virat Kohli-led side lost three wickets for a meagre four runs within the third over.

RCB then somehow got through the rest of the powerplay before the spinners came and applied the choke. The leg-spin duo of 20-year-old Ravi Bishnoi and Murugan Ashwin scalped three wickets apiece as none of the RCB batters got going, before eventually capitulating for the lowest team total in IPL 2020 thus far.

As a result, the race for the IPL 2020 ‘Purple Cap’ is being dominated by KXIP. Three of the top 5 leading wicket-takers are from the Punjab-based side, while Murugan Ashwin, who came in for Krishnappa Gowtham last night, is ninth on the list.

IPL 2020 Purple Cap list

The top 7 bowlers are all tied on four wickets each

If KL Rahul became the new holder of the IPL 2020 ‘Orange Cap’, his Indian teammate Mohammad Shami is leading the bowling charts – by virtue of better bowling average – with four wickets from two matches. He returned impressive figures of three for 15 against the Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday, before dismissing Josh Philippe last night.

Below him are RCB leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, West Indian pacer Cottrell and Chahal’s counterpart Bishnoi – everyone tied on four wickets apiece. While Chahal added just one wicket to his Man-of-the-Match performance of three victims versus the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Cottrell has had a dream start to his IPL career with two wickets each in as many matches.

Bishnoi, who was the leading wicket-taker with 17 scalps in six matches at the U-19 World Cup earlier this year, followed up his one wicket against DC with figures of three for 32 versus RCB last night.

A surprise package in part-timer Shivam Dube occupies the sixth position, also on four wickets. The RCB all-rounder is proving to be a handy option on the sluggish UAE wickets as he dismissed dangerous batters Nicholas Pooran and Glenn Maxwell last night, after finishing with figures of two for 15 against SRH on Monday.

Murugan Ashwin has almost cemented his place in the starting eleven, picking three wickets for just 21 runs, thus completing Bishnoi very well.

A tightly-packed IPL 2020 ‘Purple Cap’ list means that changes are inevitable tonight as the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) take on the Shreyas Iyer-led DC in Dubai.

Check out IPL 2020 schedule

While the CSK duo of Sam Curran and Lungi Nigidi – both tied on four wickets each – can be the new holder of the ‘Purple Cap’, DC leggie Rahul Tewatia, who picked three wickets against KXIP on Sunday, too can climb up the charts.