The race for the coveted Purple Cap in IPL 2026 witnessed a major twist on Friday, May 29, following the conclusion of Qualifier 2 between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur.
In a high-scoring contest that saw more than 430 runs scored, Gujarat Titans pacer Kagiso Rabada delivered a crucial spell to move to the top of the wicket-taking charts. The South African speedster overtook Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran Bhuvneshwar Kumar and is now the leading contender for the Purple Cap heading into the final.
Rabada entered the match level with Bhuvneshwar on 26 wickets but rose to the occasion under pressure, picking up two important wickets in his four-over spell. His biggest breakthrough came when he dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for a brilliant 96, helping Gujarat Titans pull things back after a strong Rajasthan Royals start.
With those two wickets, Rabada’s tally climbed to 28 wickets from 16 matches this season. The Proteas quick has been one of the standout performers of IPL 2026, striking every 13.21 balls and emerging as Gujarat Titans’ most dependable wicket-taking option.
Rajasthan Royals speedster Jofra Archer also strengthened his position in the standings after dismissing Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill. Archer now has 25 wickets from 16 matches and sits third on the leaderboard.
Among the domestic stars, Chennai Super Kings pacer Anshul Kamboj and Sunrisers Hyderabad fast bowler Eshan Malinga retained their places in the top five despite their teams being knocked out earlier in the tournament.
IPL 2026 Purple Cap Standings (After GT vs RR Qualifier 2)
| Rank | Player | Team | Matches | Wickets |
| 1 | Kagiso Rabada | Gujarat Titans | 16 | 28 |
| 2 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 15 | 26 |
| 3 | Jofra Archer | Rajasthan Royals | 16 | 25 |
| 4 | Anshul Kamboj | Chennai Super Kings | 14 | 21 |
| 5 | Eshan Malinga | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 15 | 20 |
With Gujarat Titans set to face Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 final, the battle between Kagiso Rabada and Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the Purple Cap is set to go right down to the wire.
