IPL 2019 Purple Cap: Top 10 bowlers in the 2018 IPL season

There was some fantastic bowling on display during the 2018 IPL season. Players like Shane Watson, Jos Buttler, Virat Kohli, Lokesh Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Kane Williamson were the star performers with the bat. Each of these batsmen made in excess of over 500 runs in the 11th edition of India's premium domestic league.

In this article, however, we will take a look at the top 10 bowlers of IPL 2018. Each of these bowlers took in excess of 15 wickets. 7 of these are fast/medium pacers while 3 are spinners.

With IPL 2019 less than 2 months away, we revisit the Top 10 bowlers of IPL 2018:

#10 Shardul Thakur (16 wickets)

Shardul Thakur was roped in by Chennai Super Kings ahead of IPL 2018 for an impressive ₹2.6 crore - a handsome amount for someone who was then an uncapped player.

The Palghar-born player clinched a total of 16 wickets in the previous edition at an average of 26.93 and strike rate of 17.5. However, Shardul's economy rate of 9.23 was a little on the expensive side.

The 27-year-old Indian speedster is known for the bounce he generates after hitting the deck as well as his unpredictability and outswingers.

Shardul plays for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy and was recently a part of India A's line up. He picked up 8 wickets in the 4 unofficial ODIs he played against England Lions and also clinched 2 wickets in the Test.

The talented bowler has been retained by the Chennai-based franchise and will be seen playing for them in the coming edition of IPL as well.

Also Read: IPL 2019: Ranking the wicketkeepers of all 8 teams

#9 Kuldeep Yadav (17 wickets)

One of the first choice spinners for the Indian national team currently, Kuldeep Yadav was the 9th best bowler in IPL 2018.

The left-arm chinaman is a delight to watch as he is a wicket-taking bowler and is known for his ability to fox batsmen. Kuldeep picked up 17 wickets in 16 matches last season at a strike rate of 18.1 and economy rate of 8.14.

Few people are of the knowledge that the 24-year-old initially started off a pace bowler. His academy coach, however, advised him to take up spin bowling and join the rare breed of chinaman bowlers. Kuldeep first came to light when he became India's highest wicket-taker during the 2014 U-19 World Cup.

The bowler who bamboozles batsman is not only known but widely respected by cricket enthusiasts around the world. The googly specialist has played 6 Tests, 39 ODIs, and 18 T20Is for the national team as well and has notable figures across all three formats.

Kuldeep has been retained by KKR for a whopping ₹5.8 crore and will be looking to wreak havoc in the coming season of IPL as well. He is currently the 4th ranked ODI bowler and 2nd ranked T20 bowler, as per the ICC Rankings.

Also Read: IPL 2019: Ranking the all-rounders of the 8 IPL teams

#8 Sunil Narine (17 wickets)

The mystery spinner from Windies was one of the players to be retained by KKR ahead of the 2018 IPL. Sunil Narine clinched 17 wickets in 16 matches at a strike rate of 21.5 and economy rate of 7.65.

The Trinidad & Tobago-born player was also highly effective with the bat. The decision to make him the opener paid off as he scored some quickfire runs. The 30-year-old amassed 357 runs in 16 matches at a breathtaking strike rate of 189.89.

Narine recently played for Dhaka Dynamites and was the 4th highest wicket taker of the latest edition of the Bangladesh Premier League.

KKR's go-to man also got named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament in IPL 2018 for his brilliant show with both bat and ball. He possesses one of the best strike rates with the bat and holds the joint record with Yusuf Pathan for scoring the 2nd fastest 50 in IPL history. It came in just 15 balls against the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the 2017 season.

Also Read: India's ODI XI in Virat Kohli's debut match: Where are they now?

#7 Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets)

The Indian speedster has got a lot to learn from Malinga

Jasprit Bumrah has established himself as one of the best Indian speedsters of the current generation. The Ahmedabad-born player is highly acclaimed for his bowling in the death overs and pin-point yorkers.

The youngster was retained by Mumbai Indians for a hefty ₹7 crores ahead of the 2018 IPL.

It proved to be a wise decision as he picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches at a strike rate of 19.05. What is most impressive, however, is that he had an economy rate of 6.88 and restricted the opposition players to a great extent even when bowling at the death. Even some of the finest batting talents failed to hit him for runs.

Bumrah clinched 15 wickets in the 4 Test matches he played against Australia recently. A huge asset for the Mumbai-based franchise, Bumrah is expected to play a big role in for them in the 2019 season as well.

Also Read: India's ODI XI in Rohit Sharma's debut match: Where are they now?

#6 Hardik Pandya (18 wickets)

The Men in Blue have found an extremely potent all-rounder in Hardik Pandya. The Gujarat-born player had 18 scalps to his name in 13 IPL games in 2018.

He had a brilliant strike rate of 14.22 but his economy of 8.92 is a little on the higher side. Besides being effective with the ball, Pandya also made 260 runs cumulatively in the 13 matches. He played a few handy knocks with the bat.

Lately, Pandya and KL Rahul were scrutinized for making sexist remarks on a popular talk show. This had led to a suspension. However, the 25-year-old made a strong comeback in the side and performed well in the ODIs against New Zealand.

The powerful middle-order batsman and right-arm medium-fast bowler will look to make a positive impact in the upcoming edition of the IPL in order to consign the talk show incident to the past.

Also Read: IPL 2019: Top 5 Australian players to watch out for

#5 Trent Boult (18 wickets)

Trent Boult (middle) celebrates with his teammates

The experienced Trent Boult is a livewire and almost unplayable when he is bowling at his best. The Kiwi speedster clinched 18 wickets in 14 matches in the 2018 IPL and had a strike rate of 17.55.

The wicket taking bowler proved his money's worth as he was picked by the now defunct Delhi Daredevils for ₹2.2 crores ahead of the 2018 IPL.

The Kiwi pacer also scalped an overall 12 wickets in the 5 ODIs played against India recently and is in sublime form. Boult and Tim Southee are known to wreak havoc for opposition batsmen and are vital cogs for New Zealand.

Boult is known to attack the batsman. He is not someone who will bowl defensively. This makes him a wicket-taking bowler, although it makes him expensive sometimes. The 29-year-old has a brilliant record for the national team as well and is currently 4th on their list of highest wicket-takers in Tests.

The southpaw is ranked 6th on the list of Test bowling rankings and 3rd on the list of ODI bowling rankings. The Delhi-based franchise will benefit immensely if he maintains the form he is currently showing till the IPL.

Also read: 5 World-class Asian cricketers who could be playing their last World Cup

#4 Umesh Yadav (20 wickets)

India's Umesh Yadav had a brilliant IPL season in 2018. The Nagpur-born player claimed 20 wickets in just 14 matches at a strike rate of 15.95 and economy of 7.86.

The speedster, who clocks speeds over 140kph regularly, was recently the star performer for Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy semi-final. Yadav picked up 12 wickets in the all-important semifinal game against Kerala and was named the Player of the match.

The 31-year-old also picked 2 wickets in the final match against Saurashtra and thereby lifted the Ranji trophy with Vidarbha - who won their second consecutive title.

The 2018 IPL was Umesh's best season and he will want to take it a step further in the 2019 edition. The aggressive bowler has picked up over 225 wickets for India across the three formats. Royal Challengers Bangalore have retained Umesh ahead of the 2019 IPL for ₹4.2 crores.

Also Read: India's 2007 World Cup Squad: Where Are They Now?

#3 Siddarth Kaul (21 wickets)

The Sunrisers Hyderabad's go-to man - Siddarth Kaul has been a big asset for the IPL franchise. The right-arm speedster had an impressive 21 wickets in 17 IPL matches in the previous season. The 28-year-old from Pathankot had a strike rate of 18.85.

He was equally good in the 2017 edition of IPL wherein he clinched 16 wickets in 10 matches. Kaul, however, has had a tough time cementing his place in the national team with the likes of Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Bumrah, Shami, and Umesh Yadav being the first picks for selectors.

Kaul has just played 3 ODIs and 2 T20Is for the Men in Blue. He recently got a chance to play in the 3 unofficial ODIs for India A when they squared off against England Lions. The speedster clinched 3 wickets in those matches. His performances in the Ranji Trophy for Punjab have been impressive.

The Hyderabad-based franchise has retained him for ₹3.8 crore ahead of the upcoming edition. He will be looking to put up a brilliant show once again in order to catch the eye of the selectors and be in the running for India's World Cup squad.

Also Read: IPL 2019: Top 3 knocks by Steve Smith in the history of IPL

#2 Rashid Khan (21 wickets)

Rashid Khan has garnered fans all around the world

One of Afghanistan's finest, Rashid Khan's rise in international cricket has been exponential. The 20-year-old from Nangarhar has 118 wickets in 52 ODIs, and 64 wickets in 35 T20Is for the national team.

The leg-break bowler had a brilliant outing in the 2018 IPL as well wherein he claimed 21 wickets in 17 matches at a strike rate of 19.42 and an outstanding economy rate of 6.73.

Rashid Khan has been retained for a massive ₹9 crore by the Hyderabad-based franchise. He has also become a favourite in other domestic T20 leagues around the world.

He was recently playing for Adelaide Strikers in the Big Bash League and made terrific contributions to the team as he clinched 19 wickets in 14 matches at an economy rate of 6.14.

The reason why Rashid must be feared even more now is that he is trying to build himself as an all-rounder by working on his batting skills as well.

#1 Andrew Tye (24 wickets)

Aussie speedster Andrew Tye won the Purple cap in the 11th edition of IPL. The Perth-born player was roped in the Kings XI Punjab for a handsome ₹7.2 crores during the 2018 IPL auction.

The lanky fast bowler proved his mettle as he picked up 24 wickets in 14 matches at a breathtaking strike rate of 14.00 and economy rate of 8.00. He is also remembered for a fantastic IPL debut, where he bagged a 5-fer for the Gujarat Lions.

Tye was recently plain in the Big Bash League for the Perth Scorchers and made 17 scalps in 14 matches. The 32-year-old was a late bloomer as far as the national team is concerned and made his T20I debut only in January 2016. Since then he has represented the national team in 26 T20Is and 7 ODIs.

His wicket-taking ability makes him an asset to have in the shortest format of the game.

Who do you think are the top contenders for the Purple Cap in IPL 2019?