T20 matches came into the world of cricket with a bigger bang than the ODI’s. The shortened format promised action every second with the bowlers torn to smithereens by the batsman. It was so till the bowlers developed ideas on how to bowl their quota of four overs. Even maiden overs became the order of the day!
The IPL introduced the ‘ Purple cap’ to the bowler who could take maximum wickets in its tournament. Along with the bowling, the fielding became as sharp as ever, contributing to the wickets tally. So, who would win the coveted prize in the IPL 2021?
Kheltalk.com has shortlisted the probable 12 bowlers who could end up with it. The ranking or the chances is also found alongside them. Two overseas debutants have also been included. The statistics pertain to the IPL matches played by these ten players, and the debutants’ T20 performances for their respective countries have been taken as a benchmark.
Some bowlers’ advantage is that they may get to play 17 matches in the tournament, and most of them 14 only as they do not qualify for the play-offs! IPL purple cap winners are not decided on any other factor except wickets.
Probable list of bowlers, of which one may don the purple Cap in IPL 2021.
Ranking 1- 12 of the contenders for the Purple Cap 2021.
| Rank | Bowler’s Name | Matches | Overs | Wickets | Average | Economy rate | Strike rate | Best |
| 1 | Rashid Khan | 62 | 246 | 75 | 20.49 | 6.25 | 19.68 | 3/7 |
| 2 | Kagiso Rabada | 35 | 134 | 61 | 18.10 | 8.24 | 13.18 | 4/21 |
| 3 | Jofra Archer | 35 | 137 | 46 | 21.33 | 7.13 | 17.93 | 3/15 |
| 4 | Pat Cummins | 30 | 112 | 29 | 31.31 | 8.10 | 23.21 | 4/34 |
| 5 | Rahul Chahar | 31 | 107 | 30 | 26.63 | 7.47 | 21.4 | 3/19 |
| 6 | T. Natarajan | 22 | 76 | 18 | 34.39 | 8.20 | 25.17 | 2/24 |
| 7 | Jasprit Bumrah | 92 | 349 | 109 | 23.73 | 7.42 | 19.19 | 4/14 |
| 8 | R. Ashwin | 154 | 538 | 138 | 26.82 | 6.87 | 23.41 | 4/34 |
| 9 | Ravindra Jadeja | 184 | 452 | 112 | 30.98 | 7.67 | 24.22 | 5/16 |
| 10 | Jhye Richardson | 14 | 50 | 13 | 32.76 | 8.52 | 23 | 2/31 |
| 11 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 99 | 355 | 122 | 22.32 | 7.67 | 17.4 | 4/25 |
| 12. | Kyle Jamieson | 8 | 29 | 4 | 70.25 | 9,80 | 43 | 2/15 |
A brief analysis:
1. Rashid Khan:
The actual spin wizard after the likes of Shane Warne, Muralitharan, and Anil Kumble. Rashid Khan has outfoxed the best of batsman world around, and he plays for many franchises. He plays for SRH in the IPL, and the opponents only wish to see him safely away and his four overs. He is our number one probable. Recently, he was named the ‘ ICC men’s T20 Player of the Decade! Rashid Khan has the best economic rate in the IPL as of now.
He has leaked only 6.25 runs per over after having bowled 246 of them. His strike rate would have better if the batsman makes an effort to score against him. They opt for defensive tactics and push him for singles which reflects his domination over them. This is the same reason why he is the biggest contender for the purple cap but has always fallen short. 2021 should be his year and hence he becomes our chosen one. He will also play a key role in Dream11 Prediction for the users, who play fantasy cricket on a regular basis.
2. Kagiso Rabada:
The pacer from South Africa plays for Delhi Capitals and was the purple cap winner last year. Rabada has been in fine form and expected to repeat it in 2021 too. Rabada is not only quick but accurate too. His strike rate at 13 plus suggests that only. He bowls in the power plays and the death overs which makes him a candidate for the merciless onslaught! But, with Rabada, the top batsman in the IPL loves to see him off. He has everything a fast bowler requires. Height, trajectory, swings the ball both ways and the slower ones. And he knows when to unleash them, making him unpredictable.
3. Patrick Cummins:
Acknowledged as the number one fast bowler in present-day cricket, the charming Australian opens the bowling for KKR. He was purchased for a whopping sum but failed to deliver the goods in the first half of the IPL 2020. He made up later and was also the man of the Indian- Australian Test series, sending many an Indian batsman to the Hospital.
Cummins would be helped by faster wickets this time as batsmen would search for that extra padding to protect themselves. Cummins would play in India with great confidence as he has bowled to all his top adversaries last year. He is bound to improve on his averages, and should the tracks aid pace, the batsman would have a lot to contend with this pace bowler.
4. Rahul Chahar:
The stylish leg break Bowler has been nothing short of a success story for the Mumbai Indians. His recent domestic circuit performance also has been good, and he is in the Indian Squad of 15. Rahul Chahar would be in the Mumbai Squad of playing eleven, which itself speaks volumes about his developing talent. His only disadvantage is his variation. He does not possess a big armoury of stock deliveries.
But he can skid the ball effectively. All his averages suggest a very good improvement over the previous IPL in 2019. Unfortunately, his outing against England in the recent T20’s did not add to his glory and he was taken to the cleaners more often than not. He would have learned his lessons, and strike the opposition down, which MI expects him to do.
5. Natarajan.T.
The left-arm medium-pace bowler was forced to warm the benches, but nothing can suppress talent for long. He made headlines in the IPL 2020 edition and continued to do so for the Indian Team in Australia. Natrajan is a household name by now and would be a strong contender for the purple Cap with his accurate Yorkers. His Yorkers or block whole deliveries has been spoken about by the world’s finest commentators.
The last time who earned such respect was Malinga from Srilanka, who terrorized batsmen with his toe- crushers. The difference between both is that Natrajan bowls with a normal action and the other one was a one-arm slinger. This makes Natrajan more deceptive and would be played with great respect in the upcoming IPL.
6. Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah, till recent times, was considered the best fast bowler. Even though he is not successful in outings now, he can run through a side on his day. Jasprit could have been in the top three, but his recent performance does not justify what he is capable of.
He has won the purple cap earlier and he knows what to do to get it again. All his averages suggest that the batsman is wary of this bowler with the most unorthodox of actions. Bumrah has recently got married and is expected to arrive for the MI in new vigour.
7. Ravi Ashwin:
Almost a veteran now, Ashwin is regarded as the finest off-spinner alongside his batting heroics. Ashwin grabbed the man of the series recently against England. He has slimmed down and back to regular agility. Delhi Capitals would ride on his shoulders this time to win the cup, and he, personally, the purple Cap. The world has witnessed a new Ashwin over the past eight months.
He has bagged many an award with his batting fine-tuned too. His experimentation with his bowling has taken a backseat and he is doing now what he knows best. Keeping the batsmen in check, Ashwin has the best of Economy rates next to Rashid Khan.
8. Ravindra Jadeja:
Jadeja has turned out to be the darling of the Indian crowds, and his exploits for CSK are innumerable. He would be back in contention after his fractured thumb heals and would assist MS. Dhoni to pull the be- leaguered CSK back to its winning ways. Every Indian fan and commentators missed him during the recent matches against England even though India performed well.
That is the reputation Jadeja has now. He is Mr. Dependable and would perform something note- worry in the match. He can also be called the best fielder in the IPL and may miss a match or two in the upcoming IPL, but would catch up fast enough as his fractured thumb has kept him out of the entire English series’.
9 . Jhye Richardson:
The Australian fetched himself a king’s ransom in the IPL auction recently. The Punjab Kings have his services now as he makes his debut on Indian soil. He is an unknown quantity, but his exploits in the BBL are worth writing home about. If Richardson settles down fast, his 150 kph deliveries will delight the crowd but not the batsman.
10. Yuzvendra Chahal:
The leg break googly exponent from RCB is a man that Virat Kohli has learned to trust. Chahal would be aiming for the purple Cap because he deserves it. Along with that, RCB also would look to win the cup. Chahal’s contribution to RCB has been something to write home about.
He has come up with the best of performances whenever Kohli desired and that was often. The wily fox he is with his googlies is yet to develop a topspin delivery which is very much required. This keeps him back with the rest of the pack. He deserves the purple cap as he has always been in the hunt for it but loses it ultimately. In short, he requires those extra matches after play-offs!