Predicting IPL 2021's highest wicket-taker for each team
To the casual fan, the IPL might be all about batsmen hitting huge sixes into the stands and the crowd enjoying the run-fest. But teams that are ultimately victorious in the tournament invariably have strong bowling attacks.
The importance of bowlers in the IPL of late has been acknowledged by the franchises. It was evident when a number of pacers like Kyle Jamieson, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, etc. were sold for big money at the IPL 2021 auction.
Who will be the highest wicket-taker for each team in IPL 2021?
The fact that bowlers have only 4 overs in a single game to make an impact makes their success all the more invaluable for a team. On that note, let's have a look at those bowlers who are capable of finishing as the highest wicket-takers for their team in IPL 2021.
#1 Mumbai Indians (MI) - Jasprit Bumrah
It is hard to argue against the fact that Jasprit Bumrah is comfortably MI's best bowler. Over the years, the speedster has shown that he is capable of bowling at any stage of a T20 game and is highly effective at the death.
It was at MI that Bumrah made a name for himself as one of the best death bowlers in the world. Over time, he has improved his other bowling skills too and has become India's spearhead in the bowling department.
IPL 2020 was the most prolific season for Bumrah, as he picked up 27 wickets at a ridiculous average of 14.96 and a fantastic economy of 6.73. He and Trent Boult absolutely dismantled most of the opposition batsmen upfront and teams struggled to recover from the early damage.
Although Bumrah is returning from a long break, he is still MI's best bet to win the Purple Cap this season.
#2 Delhi Capitals (DC) - Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada has been absolutely sensational for DC over the past two seasons. He is one of the main reasons why DC have made it to back-to-back playoffs and has picked up an incredible 55 wickets in just 29 games over the last two seasons.
Last year, he formed a formidable bowling combination with fellow South African speedster Anrich Nortje and the duo broke the back of many batting line-ups. The duo were instrumental in DC's run to the IPL 2020 final.
Although Rabada might not be available for the first few games, he still has the capability to make it two Purple Caps in a row.
#3 Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) - Rashid Khan
Afghanistan star Rashid Khan has been one of the biggest match-winners the IPL has ever witnessed. The crafty leg-spinner has been around the scene for a while now but is still difficult for most of the batsmen to pick.
In the IPL 2020 season, SRH were dealt a huge blow just 4 games into the season as their spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar suffered an injury that ruled him out for the rest of the tournament. But Rashid stepped up and scalped 20 wickets. The young sensation was one of the main reasons behind SRH's run to the playoffs.
The 22-year-old will once again be key to SRH's IPL 2021 title challenge and if he is on song, there might be no stopping the Orange Army.
#4 Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) - Yuzvendra Chahal
The highest wicket-taker for RCB in the IPL, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has been one of the go-to bowlers for skipper Virat Kohli over the years. He has been effective in the powerplays as well and has mastered the art of foxing the batsman with dip and turn.
In the IPL 2020 season, Chahal picked up an impressive 21 wickets in 15 games at a brilliant average of 19.28. He was instrumental in RCB making it to the IPL 2020 playoffs.
Being the most experienced of the RCB bowlers, Chahal will lead the bowling attack this year and will hope to lead his team to their maiden IPL title.
#5 Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) - Varun Chakravarthy
Varun Chakravarthy made his debut for KKR at a time when their leading spin duo in Sunil Narine and Kuldeep Yadav were proving to be inconsistent. But the Tamil Nadu spinner's inclusion transformed the KKR bowling attack.
The batsmen failed to consistently unravel the mystery of Chakravarthy's bowling action and that is what gave the spinner a huge advantage. He picked up 17 wickets in just 13 games and nearly helped KKR make it to the IPL 2020 playoffs.
Having just missed out on the final four last year, KKR will bank on Chakravarthy to fire them into the playoffs and maybe go all the way this season.
#6 Punjab Kings (PBKS) - Mohammed Shami
Mohammed Shami redeemed himself as a T20 bowler in the IPL 2020 season for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). He was one of the shining lights in a rather underwhelming season for KL Rahul and his men.
Shami picked up 20 wickets and proved to be the lone bowler from his team who penetrated into the opposition batting line-up. With the acquisition of pacers like Jhye Richardson and young talents such as Ishan Porel and Arshdeep Singh in their ranks, Shami will be hopeful of getting support from the other end this year.
Shami has recovered from a wrist fracture that he sustained Down Under. If he finds his form again, the pacer will be one of the main weapons for PBKS this season.
#7 Chennai Super Kings (CSK) - Shardul Thakur
Shardul Thakur has grown leaps and bounds as a bowler over the past few months. He was always a smart bowler who banked on his variations. But he has worked on his wicket-taking ability and added more variations to his armoury.
In the ODI and T20I series against England, Thakur proved to be the main man for Kohli as he turned to the Mumbai pacer whenever he needed a wicket. Thakur will be a key bowler for CSK this season with MS Dhoni's squad not having a reputed overseas pacer.
If the speedster gets some assistance from the pitch both in teams of seam movement and a bit of grip for his cutters, Thakur will be more than a handful for the opposition to handle.
#8 Rajasthan Royals (RR) - Chris Morris
Chris Morris was snapped up by RR at the IPL 2021 auction for a whopping INR 16.25 Crores. This made the Proteas all-rounder the most expensive buy in the history of the IPL.
Morris has been a quality all-rounder and was impressive for RCB in the IPL 2020 season with 11 wickets from 9 games. Despite his injury woes, the South African was a class apart when at his best.
With Jofra Archer likely to miss the entire IPL 2021 season, the onus will be on Morris to lead the RR pace attack. His ability to swing the ball upfront as well as bowl well at the death make him one of the top contenders for the Purple Cap.