Bowling is a tough art in T20I cricket. The batsmen are constantly on the lookout for scoring runs. This puts immense pressure on the bowlers. But the only way to stop the flow of runs is by picking wickets. Bowlers who are adept at doing this succeed largely. They are the ones who remain in contention to win the purple cap. Purple Cap in IPL is an award presented to the player who has grabbed the maximum number of wickets in the competition.

StumpsandBails bring to you 5 players who we believe will fight it out for the purple cap this season.

#5 Pat Cummins

The 15.5 crores man, Pat Cummins is Kolkata Knight Riders’ pace spearhead. Cummins is arguably one of the best fast bowlers of the current generation. He hasn’t exactly set the IPL on fire but expect Cummins to strike sooner rather than later. Cummins will be itching to stake a claim for the purple cap this season.

#4 Trent Boult

Trent Boult finally came into his own in IPL with Mumbai Indians last season. He was too hot to handle when conditions offered a hint of swing and seam. Boult will certainly be a handful in helpful conditions. His mastery over the new ball is unmatched by any contemporary bowler. He is sure to be among the ones vying for the Purple cap.

#3 Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada has galvanised Delhi Capitals. His presence in the lineup provides an extra zing to the team. Rabada won the purple cap in IPL 2020. He has picked up the most number of wickets in 16-20 overs in the last couple of seasons. Teams looking to scoring big in the death overs have often come second against Rabada. He will look to win the purple cap for the second season running.

#2 Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is a spin wizard. He is Sunrisers Hyderabad’s talisman. He not just bamboozles batsmen with his skill but also ties them down with his bowling. Teams generally avoid taking chances against Khan. But such is his quality that even then he manages to strike crucial blows. Khan, an IPL regular since 2017 will be among the front-runners to bag the purple cap this season.

#1 Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah was one of the main reasons why MI managed to defend its IPL title in 2020. He picked up 27 wickets in 15 matches at an average that was better than Kagiso Rabada. Bumrah’s IPL bowling strike rate is 19.2 which is amongst the best in business. It won’t come as a surprise that a fresh Bumrah ends up winning the purple cap this season.