Hyderabad: The 13th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to begin on September 19. After much deliberation finally the cash-rich league will take place in the UAE amid the COVID-19 scare.
In IPL, Purple Cap is one of the most prestigious individual awards which every bowler wants to win. So, ahead of the IPL 2020, ETV Bharat picks top 5 contenders for the Purple Cap. The highest wicket-taker of an IPL season gets a Purple Cap, a memento and INR 10 lakh cash reward.
Jasprit Bumrah
A fit Jasprit Bumrah will eye to return to his old form in IPL 2020. He is a vital cog of the Mumbai Indians' bowling attack. The star pacer has, however, never won the prestigious Purple Cap. Bumrah is a deadly fast bowler. Captain Rohit Sharma would love to see him returning to his old form in the 13th edition of IPL. It will be ice on the cake for the MI captain if Bumrah finishes the season becoming the highest wicket-taker.
Bumrah's variation - a blend of swing, pace, bouncer and slower- will hold key to MI's success in the UAE IPL. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old right-arm pacer will be geared up to make his presence felt when the seasons kicks off on September 19 with a match between MI and Chennai Super Kings.
Yuzvendra Chahal
As this season's IPL is in the UAE, you can't rule out Royal Challengers Bangalore leggie Yuzvendra Chahal taking the season by storm. His slow leg break googly will pose a serious challenge to the batsmen at UAE's dusty track. With most of the batsmen coming off to play the season mostly half prepared, Chahal will look forward to making the best out of the season.
Though RCB have never had a fruitful combination of bowlers, Chahal has always proved his worth by putting up consistent performance in the previous few seasons.
In fact, Chahal is RCB's highest wicket-taker in IPL. Last season as well, he finished as RCB's highest wicket-taker.
This season, RCB got a strong bowling combination. But in the middle overs, Chahal's role will be key to their success. If he manages to give his best his maiden Purple Cap will not be far from his reach.
Dwayne Bravo
Veteran pacer Dwayne Bravo is an asset of Chennai Super Kings. He is the only bowler to take 500 T20 wickets. Bravo is also a two-time Purple Cap winner (IPL 2013 and IPL 2015). He is renowned for his bowling in the death overs. Variation is key to his success in T20 cricket. His deceptive slower and yorker are considered a threat to the batsmen and he took most wickets in death overs.
The Trinidad pacer is also the most successful overseas bowler in IPL. He comes only second to Lasith Malinga. This season, at UAE's favourable conditions he is one of the favourites for the Purple Cap.
Imran Tahir
Last season's Purple Cap winner, Imran Tahir is a man who can't be ruled out from the contention. He is a dangerous leg spinner. His stock delivery is googly. He has the ability to take wickets at any conditions of the game. His ability to take pick up wickets from the difficult situation helps his team to make a turnaround in the match.
Last season, he finished with 26 wickets from 17 matches with an average of 16.57. As it could be his last season for CSK, considering his age, Tahir will definitely look to do better and win Purple Cap for second consecutive year.
Kuldeep Yadav
25-year-old Kuldeep Yadav is an integral part of the KKR bowling set-up. Being a left-arm unorthodox spinner, Kuldeep Yadav poses imposing challenges to the batsmen. His deceptive deliveries often create a puzzle for batsmen which make him a genuine wicket-taker in the side.
After making his IPL debut in 2016, Kuldeep Yadav became a regular face in the competition in 2017. In the 10th season of IPL, he took 12 wickets in as many matches to earn his India debut. His best IPL season, however, came in IPL 2018 when he picked up 17 wickets to help KKR make the playoffs.
He has never won Purple Cap. This season he will throw his hat for the coveted cap in the UAE.
