Friends, with just 7 days remaining until the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, the league has witnessed the participation of numerous exceptional bowlers over the past 19 years. Legends such as fast bowlers Brett Lee, Shoaib Akhtar, Lasith Malinga, and Jasprit Bumrah—along with renowned spinners—have thrilled fans with their match-winning performances. However, did you know that only 15 bowlers have ever managed to win the Purple Cap? Interestingly, only three cricketers—Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, and Dwayne Bravo—have won this prestigious award twice. Let's take a look at which bowlers have *not* won the Purple Cap.

1. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah has proven to be a crucial asset for his team in every phase of the game. Whether it involves taking wickets with the new ball, maintaining control over the bowling in the middle overs, or delivering lethal Yorkers in the death overs, despite taking 183 wickets in the IPL, he has never finished a season as the leading wicket-taker or won the Purple Cap.

2. Ravichandran Ashwin

Known as "The Professor," Ravichandran Ashwin has been one of the most astute spinners in the IPL. Renowned for his strategic bowling and his ability to steer his team out of trouble in difficult situations, Ashwin has played 16 seasons in this tournament and claimed 187 wickets; yet, he has never managed to win the Purple Cap.

3. Sunil Narine

Narine has taken 192 wickets across 189 IPL matches, maintaining an economy rate of less than 8 runs per over throughout this period—a truly remarkable feat. Despite being one of the most successful spinners in the league, the Purple Cap has always remained just out of his reach.

 4. Piyush Chawla

He has bid farewell to his IPL career. In a magnificent career spanning 192 matches, Chawla claimed an equal number of wickets—192. The 2023 season, in which he took over 20 wickets, proved to be his finest season to date. However, he never managed to finish as the leading wicket-taker in any single season.

5. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan has taken 158 wickets so far and has played in three seasons where he claimed 20 or more wickets—a tally that includes the 27 wickets he took in 2023. Despite these impressive statistics, Rashid narrowly missed out on winning the Purple Cap.