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The 17th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) started with a bang on 22nd March 2024 with an action-packed opening match between the most popular teams of the IPL format, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). With a phenomenal viewership of 505 million, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is one of the most revered and popular T20 cricket formats on a global scale. While prominent cricketers like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni have been dominating the IPL format for decades with their stellar innings, newbies including Abhishek Sharma, Sameer Rizvi, Nehal Wadhera, Arshin Kulkarni, and many others have also created a strong impact and created a benchmark for themselves on an international scale. Although opulent auctions are a major reason for the popularity of the IPL format among cricketers, international recognition and coveted awards are also in the loop behind the rising prominence of the IPL format. Some of the most coveted accolades of the Indian Premier League (IPL) include the orange cap award and the purple cap award, which are awarded to the batsmen with the highest number of runs and the bowlers with the highest number of wickets, respectively.
1. Mustafizur Rahman
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Mustafizur Rahman, often referred to as “the fizz” of the Indian Premier League (IPL), made his IPL debut in the 2016 season after Hyderabad signed him at an auction for a staggering INR 2 Crore. Rahman’s fierce bowling attack was in full action throughout the IPL 2016 season. He picked up a total of seventeen wickets and made a significant contribution in leading his side to victory in the IPL 2016 season. Over the years, Rahman has established himself as one of the most esteemed and dependable bowlers of the T20 format with his spearhead pace deliveries. In the ongoing IPL 2024 season, Mustafizur Rahman is representing the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) franchise, with a total of six wickets in two matches that he has appeared in, Rahman has already taken an impressive lead in the race for the purple cap award for the IPL 2024 season.
2. Harshit Rana
One of the most dependable pacers of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut a couple of years back in the IPL 2022 season and has been retained by the franchise ever since. In the ongoing IPL 2024 season, Harshit Rana has proved to be an extremely economical pick for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise, picking up a total of five wickets in the two matches that he has played in with an impressive average of 14.4 and a terrific eco rate of 9.0. Although Rana landed in a controversy for breaching the IPL’s code of conduct in the most recent match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) where he was fined 60% of his match fee, the bowler is still in his prime form, picking up crucial wickets for KKR. With a total of five wickets under his name, Harshit Rana has secured his spot in the race for the Purple Cap Award for the IPL 2024 season.
3. Andre Russell
Over the years, the Jamaican international cricketer, Andre Russell, has established himself as one of the most dynamic and influential bowlers in the history of the IPL format. Andre Russell made his Indian Premier League (IPL) debut in 2018 for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) franchise and has been retained by the franchise as one of its most dependable and economical bowlers ever since. Andre Russell played a major role in slowing down the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the recent match. In the current IPL 2024 season so far, Andre Russell has appeared in a total of four matches and has brilliantly picked up a total of four wickets confirming his spot in the race for the purple cap award for the IPL 2024 season.
4. Harpreet Brar
The 28-year-old cricketer, Harpreet Brar, made his debut for the Indian Premier League (IPL) format in the 2019 IPL season for Punjab Kings and has been retained by the franchise ever since due to his consistent bowling style and ability to take control of the match in crucial situations. The all-rounder from Moga, Punjab was acquired by the Punjab franchise for a whopping auction price of INR 3.80 Crores. In the ongoing IPL 2024 season, Harpreet Brar undoubtedly justified the franchise’s decision to retain him and picked up a total of three wickets in a total of two matches when he played against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squads. With huge potential and enough bandwidth, Harpreet Brar is currently at the fourth position in the race for the purple cap award for the IPL 2024 season and is anticipated to give tough competition to fellow contenders for the award.
5. Jasprit Bumrah
The ultimately spearheaded bowler of India in all formats, domestic and international, Jasprit Bumrah, often referred to by his on-field nicknames “Jassi” and “Boom”, is one of the finest and most reliable bowlers who ever appeared at an international level. Often hailed as an expert at containing runs while simultaneously picking up crucial wickets, Bumrah holds the record for picking up the highest number of wickets in a single IPL season, which he achieved in the IPL 2020 season, after taking a phenomenal count of 27 wickets. Bumrah is recognized for his unwavering consistency and commitment, which allows him to dominate the game despite suffering multiple injuries. In the ongoing IPL 2024 season, Jasprit Bumrah has appeared in a total of three matches and has picked up a total of three wickets, confirming his spot in the race for the purple cap award for IPL 2024.
