Bowlers to claim 20-plus wickets in most IPL seasons
Bowlers to claim 20-plus wickets in most IPL seasons
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Bhuvneshwar Kumar has become the first bowler to take 20 wickets in the 2026 Indian Premier League.
He achieved this feat with a brilliant four-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians at Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Sunday.
His efforts powered RCB to a stunning last-ball win.
On this note, we look at the bowlers to touch the 20-wicket mark in an IPL season most times.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 4 seasons
2026 happens to be the fourth IPL edition in which Bhuvneshwar has touched the 20-wicket mark.
He has taken his tally to 21 wickets at an average of 15.28.
Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he had won the Purple Cap in 2016 and 2017, having claimed 23 and 26 wickets, respectively.
No other bowler has won the Purple Cap in successive seasons. Bhuvneshwar claimed 20 wickets in the 2014 season as well.
Jasprit Bumrah - 4 times
Mumbai Indians speedster Jasprit Bumrah also owns 20-plus wickets in four different seasons.
The speedster snapped 20 wickets in IPL 2017. 2020 was his best season as he claimed 27 wickets at an economy of 6.73.
Bumrah claimed 21 wickets in the subsequent 2021 season as well. He finished the 2024 edition with 20 scalps.
However, the MI star is yet to win the Purple Cap.
Lasith Malinga - 4 times
Bumrah's former MI teammate Lasith Malinga also enjoyed four such seasons.
He was the highest wicket-taker of IPL 2011 with 28 scalps at an incredible economy of 5.95.
Malinga took 22 and 20 wickets in the following two seasons (2012 and 2013), respectively.
He also had a stellar run in MI's title-winning campaign in 2015 with a total of 24 wickets.
Yuzvendra Chahal - 5 times
Yuzvendra Chahal, the all-time highest wicket-taker in IPL history, has had five seasons with 20-plus wickets.
The veteran leg-spinner took 23 and 21 wickets in the 2015 and 2016 seasons while playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
He took 21 wickets in the 2020 season. Chahal bagged the Purple Cap in 2022 after taking 27 wickets for Rajasthan Royals.
In 2023, he took another impressive haul of 21 wickets for RR.