From the beginning, the Indian Premier League has provided enormous entertainment to its supporters and has served as a source of joy and excitement for them. Though it is a common belief that everyone likes to see fours and sixes struck in the league, bowlers must not be overlooked. In fact, it has been discovered that clubs with stronger bowling attacks have fared better in the cash-rich league. The bowler with the most wickets is awarded the coveted purple cap each year.
Only three times in the history of the IPL has the winner of the Purple Cap been a member of the winning team.
RP Singh – 2009
RP Singh, a member of the disastrous 2008 DC side that won only two of its 14 games, led a comeback in the 2009 edition by inspiring the team’s bowling in the opening match and returning with figures of 4/22 against the legendary Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). RP Singh may not have been the finest bowler statistically, with a strike rate of 15.56 and an economy of 6.98, but for a resurgent Chargers team, his instinct for collecting wickets at the appropriate time was his most important contribution to their successful title run.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 2016
Former champions Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals were given two-year penalties for spot-fixing and betting, making the 2016 edition one of the most contentious yet. Two new teams, the Rising Pune Supergiants, and Gujarat Lions were formed to accommodate five players from each of the suspended sides, while the remaining players were auctioned off again. Sunrisers Hyderabad won their first IPL title in such conditions, thanks to the bowling prowess of Purple Cap winner Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who ultimately broke the curse. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 23 wickets at an economy rate of 7.42 and a strike rate of 17.42 for a team that was widely regarded as the finest bowling side in the league but frequently lost owing to its fragile middle order. Bhuvneshwar’s finest performance in this tournament was a 4/29 against Gujarat Lions.
