Bowlers to claim most wickets in an IPL edition
What's the story
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen some of the best bowlers in the world. The coveted Purple Cap is awarded to the tournament's leading wicket-taker. South African pacer Kagiso Rabada recently bagged this honor, having taken 29 wickets for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026. On this note, we look at the bowlers to claim the most wickets in an IPL edition.
Harshal
Harshal Patel - 32 wickets in 2021
Harshal Patel shares the top spot on this list alongside Dwayne Bravo. The former won his first of the two Purple Caps in IPL 2021 while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). He claimed 32 wickets from 15 matches at an average of 14.34 and an economy rate of 8.14. Harshal's slower deliveries headlined RCB's run to the playoffs that season. His tally included a four-fer, a five-wicket haul, and a hat-trick as well.
Bravo
Dwayne Bravo - 32 wickets in 2013
West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo was the first bowler to claim 30-plus wickets in an IPL 2026 while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Playing for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2013, he took 32 wickets from 18 matches at an average of 15.53 and an economy rate of 7.95. He claimed a solitary four-fer as CSK finished as the runners-up.
Rabada
Kagiso Rabada - 30 wickets in 2020
Rabada takes the next spot on this list, but not for his heroics in IPL 2026. His best year in terms of IPL wickets taken was 2020. Playing for Delhi Capitals (DC), he racked up a prolific 30 scalps from 17 matches at 18.26. He claimed two four-fers as his economy was 8.34. DC finished as the runners-up in 2020—their best IPL campaign to date.
Rabada
Kagiso Rabada - 29 wickets in 2026
Rabada's second-best IPL campaign also makes it to this list. The South African bagged a total of 29 wickets from 17 outings in IPL 2026. While Rabada averaged 21.58, his economy rate of 9.68 was on the higher side. The speedster scalped 20 wickets in the powerplay overs (1-6). No bowler has taken more wickets in this phase of an IPL season.