Top 5 IPL bowlers to have never won the Purple Cap
The IPL, since it’s inaugural edition, has focused heavily on batsmen. The likes of Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina have all found their true calling in this slam-bang in India’s premier T20 tournament. Batting records galore have tumbled over the years, but the bowlers have largely gone unnoticed. Since the inaugural edition, IPL has pioneered the concept of the Orange and the Purple Cap, for the highest run getters and wicket takers respectively.
The IPL has given an opportunity to many a bowler to carve a lasting niche in the pages of T20 cricket. Whilst purple cap winners like Lasith Malinga and Dwayne Bravo have gone on to become superstars whilst other winners such as Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh have now faded into obscurity. This tournament has also seen others like Mohit Sharma break into the Indian Playing XI after a stellar 2014 season.
The value of bowlers has surely seen rise exponentially after this year’s edition which saw arguably the best bowling side of the tournament grab the winner’s prize. Whilst many as mentioned have celebrated their exploits with the ball with a purple cap at the end of the tournament, some were not so lucky. Here, Sportskeeda lists the 5 best IPL bowlers to have never won the Purple Cap, despite being a crucial cog in their team’s wheels.
#1 Dale Steyn
Dale Steyn has been a phenomenon of fast bowling over the past decade, and his arsenal of outswingers was on full display in India during his tenure with the Deccan Chargers. He began his IPL career in a 2008 RCB squad heavily reliant on Test players, but he found his true calling when he moved to Hyderabad franchises, first Deccan Chargers and then the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Although he may be past his prime, his IPL record on the flat highways of India is not to be scoffed at.
He has made the likes of Rohit Sharma look pedestrian in his heyday, but has unfortunately missed out in the past couple of seasons in favour of Mustaifzur Rahman (at SRH) or Dwayne Smith (GL). Nonetheless, statistics show that he has been one the greatest fast bowlers this tournament has seen.
Franchises : RCB, DC, SRH, GL
Best IPL moment :
Dale Steyn was breathing fire down batsmen’s necks in a thrilling 2012 season, where he averaged an unreal 15.83 runs per wicket. Deccan Chargers were defending a paltry 138 against Mumbai Indians in the 9th match, and the odds were stacked heavily against Steyn’s South African team-mate and the MI opener Richard Levi.
The 4th over of the run chase saw six deliveries of high-class fast bowling, as Steyn went short, short, slow and full, bouncer, short and then finished off Levi’s tumultous stay at the crease with a toe crushing yorker of the final ball. It was a textbook set up of an opening batsman. A wicket maiden was delivered, MI were 10/2 after 4 overs, and Steyn’s bloodthirsty eyes and trademark machine gun celebrations were back.
IPL Record:
Matches : 90
Wickets : 92
ER : 6.72
Best figures : 3/8