The Purple Cap belongs to the highest wicket-taker at the end of each IPL season, and the race for it always draws as much attention as the title chase itself. Every edition throws up a different contender, and IPL 2026 looks no different. With several elite bowlers entering the tournament in strong recent form, three names are worth watching very closely as genuine threats to claim the award.
1. Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)
Bumrah took 18 wickets in 12 games during IPL 2025 at an economy of 6.67, the best among bowlers with 10-plus wickets that season. Numbers like those put him near the top of this conversation every year. He has repeatedly returned between 17 and 20 wickets per season, and his unorthodox action, deadly yorkers, and ability to strangle batters in the powerplay and at the death give him an edge in any conditions.
He took 14 wickets in eight matches at an economy of 6.21 during the T20 World Cup 2026, showing his form heading into the tournament is right where it needs to be. He needs 17 wickets to reach 200 in IPL history, and that milestone alone gives him something to chase across the full campaign.
2. Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings)
Arshdeep emerged as Punjab Kings' strike bowler last season, finishing with 21 wickets as they reached the final. The left-arm pacer added to that IPL record with a string of impressive international showings. On 31 January 2026, he took his maiden five-wicket haul in T20Is during the fifth T20I against New Zealand, and his consistency across multiple series in the build-up to this IPL has been hard to ignore.
He became the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in T20 internationals, a landmark that says everything about where his game currently sits. Punjab go into IPL 2026 as a settled unit with a real shot at the title, and Arshdeep remains the bowler they build their plans around.
3. Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans)
Prasidh Krishna, returning to the IPL fold after two injury-laden years, won the Purple Cap in the 2025 season, finishing as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 25 scalps in 15 games. He took those 25 wickets at an average of 19.52, breaking partnerships early, troubling batters in the middle overs, and holding his line at the death.
GT have retained him alongside a formidable pace unit, including Mohammed Siraj and Kagiso Rabada, which means captains will always turn to Prasidh in the moments that matter. A tall right-arm seamer with genuine pace and extra bounce, he is difficult to get away on surfaces that offer even the smallest amount of assistance. Defending champions is a tag that rarely follows a bowler for long, but Prasidh has both the skills and the setup around him to run at this title again.
