5 IPL legends who never won the Purple Cap

1. Sunil NarineThe KKR legend is probably the most ‘expensive’ bowler to never win a cap, not from a run-scoring perspective but from a value perspective. Narine often misses the purple cap because teams choose to stop him rather than attack him. By maintaining an incredible career economy rate (around 7.96), he creates pressure that brings wickets to the bowlers at the other end.2. Piyush ChawlaChawla is the ultimate workhorse in the IPL. He’s outlasted almost everyone since his first season in 2008. While he was a consistent top-10 performer during his time with PBKS, KKR and MI, he never had a breakout season where he needed 25-plus wickets to snatch the trophy from the field.3. Ravichandran AshwinMaster tacticians treat T20 bowling like a chess game. Ashwin’s main objective is usually to squeeze the opposition during the powerplay or mid-wicket overs. Because he prioritizes variation and containment over hunting wickets, his scores remain high through long-term rather than single-season dominance.4. Jasprit BumrahThe fact that the world’s best fast bowler did not receive a purple cap is widely regarded as an anomaly in the IPL. Similar to Narine, Bumrah often fell victim to his own excellence. The captain would rather take zero runs from his hands than risk losing a wicket. He took 27 wickets in 2020 but was beaten by Kagiso Rabada’s 30 wickets.5. Ravindra Jadeja Jadeja has often been used by CSK as a defensive specialist on turning tracks. His four-overs were delivered with such speed that the batsmen barely had time to think, let alone plan their attack. This style of bowling made him one of the most economical bowlers in the league, but rarely produced the massive 4-wicket haul required to climb to the top of the season charts.Also read: 5 IPL legends yet to win Orange CapThe 10 highest wicket-takers in IPL history