IPL 2021: Predicting the final top 3 of the Purple Cap
Before it was indefinitely suspended, the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) saw a number of bowlers - both young and experienced - make a mark.
The first 29 matches of IPL 2021 were spread across four venues - Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad. While a couple of these grounds had barely any assistance for the bowlers, others presented swing in the powerplay and spin in the middle overs.
Bangalore and Kolkata were next on the list of IPL 2021 host venues, so bowlers might have escaped a few maulings with the suspension of the tournament. Here, we attempt to predict the bowlers who would've finished in the top three of the IPL 2021 Purple Cap list. Interestingly, none of these players have won the accolade before.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Morris (14 wickets), Rashid Khan (10 wickets), Sam Curran (9 wickets), Kyle Jamieson (9 wickets)
#3 Rahul Chahar - currently 4th on IPL 2021 Purple Cap list
After an indifferent start to his IPL 2021 campaign, Rahul Chahar recovered admirably to become the Mumbai Indians' lead spinner and highest wicket-taker.
Placed fourth on the IPL 2021 Purple Cap list with 11 wickets from 7 games at an economy rate of 7.21, the leg-spinner could've gone from strength to strength and leapfrogged Chris Morris to finish in the top three.
Chahar became captain Rohit Sharma's biggest wicket-taking weapon in the middle overs. He picked up the most wickets by a spinner in overs 7-15 in IPL 2021, and was more than capable of bowling to left-handers as well.
Chahar presented a case for himself to be called up to the Indian T20 World Cup squad, especially since all the other wrist-spinners at the country's disposal have struggled in the recent past.
#2 Harshal Patel - currently 1st on IPL 2021 Purple Cap list
Perhaps the biggest surprise package of IPL 2021 in the bowling department, Harshal Patel claimed a bagful of wickets for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai.
Joining the franchise via trade from the Delhi Capitals, the Haryana-born pacer used his arsenal of cutters, slower balls, yorkers and bouncers to extract the most out of the Chepauk surface. Although his numbers dwindled when the team moved to different venues and bowled a couple of horrific overs, his tally of 17 wickets from 7 games was enough for him to be at the top of the Purple Cap list when IPL 2021 was called off.
Harshal probably wouldn't have been able to claim the Purple Cap, as he took a pasting in most of his final games in the tournament and found it difficult to adjust to true surfaces. However, his 6-wicket lead over Chahar and the fact that his team would've probably made the playoffs are in favor for second place.
#1 Avesh Khan - currently 2nd on IPL 2021 Purple Cap list
Not many expected Avesh Khan to be part of the Delhi Capitals playing XI in IPL 2021, after the franchise snapped up Umesh Yadav in the auction and had the services of old warhorse Ishant Sharma to call upon.
But the unavailability of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, combined with a decent domestic season, helped Avesh get an opportunity in the first game of the season against the Chennai Super Kings. He never looked back, dismissing Faf du Plessis with an in-swinger and going on to claim a total of 14 wickets in 8 games at an economy rate of 7.7.
Captain Rishabh Pant used Avesh as his primary strike bowler, even ahead of Rabada. The 24-year-old bowled in the powerplay, during the middle overs and at the death, with his accurate yorkers and searing pace causing trouble for the best of batsmen.
The Capitals were well on course for a top-two finish, and Avesh would've had the advantage when it comes to matches played. The manner in which he was being used by Pant leads us to believe that he could have closed the gap on Harshal and claimed the IPL 2021 Purple Cap.