Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada capped off a sensational IPL 2026 campaign by winning the prestigious Purple Cap, finishing as the tournament’s highest wicket taker and denying Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar a place in the history books.
Rabada ended the season with 29 wickets in 17 matches and overtook Bhuvneshwar Kumar during the IPL 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The South African fast bowler entered the summit clash as one of the leading contenders and delivered once again on the big stage to secure the Purple Cap.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had enjoyed a remarkable season with the ball for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, finished just one wicket behind Rabada with 28 wickets. The experienced Indian pacer remained in contention until the final but narrowly missed out on becoming the first Indian bowler to win the Purple Cap three times.
The race for the Purple Cap remained one of the biggest talking points of IPL 2026. Both Rabada and Bhuvneshwar consistently exchanged positions at the top of the wicket taking charts throughout the playoffs. Their battle intensified after Qualifier 1, where Bhuvneshwar had moved ahead following another impressive spell for RCB.
Rabada’s performances were crucial to Gujarat Titans’ run to the final. Known for his ability to strike with the new ball and at the death, the South African quick repeatedly delivered breakthroughs in pressure situations. His consistency across the season helped Gujarat dominate several key matches and remain among the strongest bowling units in the tournament.
Despite missing out on the Purple Cap, Bhuvneshwar achieved a major milestone during the final. He equalled the record for the most powerplay wickets by an Indian bowler in a single IPL season, underlining his impact with the new ball throughout the campaign.
The Purple Cap is one of the IPL’s most prestigious individual honours and is awarded to the bowler with the highest number of wickets in a season. Before IPL 2026, only Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel had managed to win the award multiple times. Bhuvneshwar had already claimed Purple Caps in 2016 and 2017 while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While Royal Challengers Bengaluru celebrated their IPL title triumph, Kagiso Rabada walked away with one of the biggest individual achievements of the season. His 29 wicket campaign ensured that the Purple Cap ultimately belonged to Gujarat Titans, even though the trophy slipped away from their grasp.