Kagiso Rabada Secures Second Purple Cap as RCB Triumphs in IPL 2026
Rabada Secures Second Purple Cap
Kagiso Rabada, the South African fast bowler, has emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, earning the Purple Cap for the second time in his career. Despite his impressive performance, the Gujarat Titans (GT) were unable to clinch victory in the final against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). With this achievement, Rabada becomes only the fourth bowler in IPL history to win the Purple Cap multiple times, joining the ranks of Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel.
Throughout the season, Rabada showcased exceptional skill, taking 29 wickets across 17 matches with an economy rate of 9.68. This performance mirrors his previous Purple Cap win in 2020 while playing for the Delhi Capitals, where he secured 30 wickets.
Leading Wicket-Takers
Rabada's nearest competitor was Bhuvneshwar Kumar from RCB, who claimed 28 wickets in 16 matches, significantly contributing to RCB's title defense. Kumar also recorded the best economy rate among the top five bowlers at 7.95 runs per over, with standout figures of 4 for 23. Jofra Archer from Rajasthan Royals completed the top three, taking 25 wickets in 16 matches with an economy of 9.31, showcasing his consistent performance throughout the tournament.
RCB Clinches Second IPL Title
In the IPL 2026 final, RCB opted to bat first against GT, who managed to score only 155 runs for 8 wickets in their 20 overs. Washington Sundar was the standout performer for GT, scoring 50 runs off 37 balls, while Nishant Sindhu added 20 runs. The RCB bowlers, including Rasikh Dar Salam, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Josh Hazlewood, consistently took wickets, limiting GT's scoring.
RCB's innings began with a solid partnership of 62 runs between Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli. Although GT fought back, reducing RCB to 132 for 5, Kohli's unbeaten 75 runs off 42 balls led RCB to victory with two overs remaining. This win marks RCB's second IPL title and their fourth overall in Indian franchise cricket, including two Women's Premier League (WPL) titles.