From 2021 to 2025, IPL bowling reached another level. Even though batters kept scoring faster every season, bowlers kept finding ways to fight back. In these five years, we saw record-breaking performances, comeback seasons, and young bowlers becoming superstars. From Harshal Patel equalling a long-standing record to Prasidh Krishna leading the charts in 2025, this period showed that bowlers can still dominate T20 cricket.
The Complete Highest Wickets in IPL Tally Season by Season From 2021 to 2025
From 2021 to 2025, the Purple Cap race showed how important bowlers were in the IPL. In 2025, Prasidh Krishna led the charts with 25 wickets in 15 matches for the Gujarat Titans and helped his team reach the playoffs.
In 2024, Harshal Patel won the Purple Cap with 24 wickets for the Punjab Kings. In 2023, Mohammed Shami took 28 wickets for the Gujarat Titans, and in 2022, Yuzvendra Chahal took 27 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals. In 2021 Harshal Patel took 32 wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore, which equals the highest wickets in one IPL season.
| Season | Purple Cap Winner | Team | Wickets | Economy | Best Figures |
| 2021 | Harshal Patel | RCB | 32 | 8.13 | 5/27 |
| 2022 | Yuzvendra Chahal | RR | 27 | 7.79 | 5/40 |
| 2023 | Mohammed Shami | GT | 28 | 8.03 | 4/25 |
| 2024 | Harshal Patel | PBKS | 24 | 8.67 | 3/26 |
| 2025 | Prasidh Krishna | GT | 25 | 8.25 | 4/21 |
Season-by-Season Breakdown of the Highest Wicket Takers in IPL 2021 to 2025
From 2021 to 2025, every IPL season had a different player take the most wickets. Each year, a new bowler finished at the top of the wickets list. The sections below explain each season and show the main stats of the top wicket-taker.
Harshal Patel’s 32 Wickets in IPL 2021 and Why That Season Was the Most Dominant Bowling Performance in a Decade
In IPL 2021, Harshal Patel had a season that changed his career. He finished with 32 wickets, which equalled the record set by Dwayne Bravo in 2013. He almost broke that record in the Eliminator against the Kolkata Knight Riders, but a catch was dropped that would have given him his 33rd wicket.
With those 32 wickets, he also went past Jasprit Bumrah’s record of 27 wickets in a single season (2020), becoming the Indian bowler with the most wickets in one IPL season. He was the first uncapped player to take 30 or more wickets in a season that year, he was the only bowler to take a hat-trick and one of only three bowlers to take a five-wicket haul. His best figures were 5/27.
Yuzvendra Chahal’s 27 Wickets in IPL 2022 and How He Took Rajasthan Royals to the Final
After being released by RCB, Yuzvendra Chahal joined the Rajasthan Royals for ₹6.50 crore in IPL 2022. That move changed everything. He finished the season with 27 wickets and became the spinner with the most wickets in a single IPL season, going past Imran Tahir’s earlier mark. But this season was not just about numbers. Chahal reduced his googly usage from around 27% in earlier seasons to just 10% in 2022.
His best moment came against the Kolkata Knight Riders on April 18, 2022. KKR were chasing 218 and were 149/2 in 16 overs, needing only 40 runs from four overs. Chahal bowled the 17th over and took four wickets, including a hat-trick. He dismissed Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Mavi, and Pat Cummins in three balls and finished with 5/40. Rajasthan won that match by 7 runs. He entered the final tied with Wanindu Hasaranga in the wickets race and took one more wicket in the final to reach 27 and win the Purple Cap.
Mohammed Shami’s 28 Wickets in IPL 2023 and the Fast Bowling Masterclass That Powered GT to the Title
In IPL 2023, Mohammed Shami finished the season with 28 wickets and set a new IPL record by taking 17 wickets in the powerplay overs alone. In a tournament where batters were attacking from ball one, Shami kept bowling in tight areas with perfect seam position. He said his focus was simple – hit the right length again and again.
His best spell came against the Delhi Capitals on May 2 at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He bowled four overs in one go and finished with 4/11. Delhi were reduced to 23/5 because of his spell. He dismissed Phil Salt, Priyam Garg, Rilee Rossouw, and Manish Pandey.
Shami helped GT reach the final for the second straight year, but the season ended in disappointment as they lost to Chennai Super Kings in a last-ball finish. In the final, he gave away 29 runs in three overs. Even with that ending, he won the Purple Cap, finishing ahead of teammates Mohit Sharma and Rashid Khan, who both had 27 wickets.
Harshal Patel Wins a Second Purple Cap in IPL 2024 With PBKS Making Him the Only Repeat Winner of This Era
In IPL 2024, Harshal Patel once again proved why he is one of the best wicket-taking pacers in the league. Harshal finished 3 wickets ahead of Varun Chakaravarthy and 4 wickets ahead of Jasprit Bumrah.
By winning in 2024, Harshal joined a very small group of bowlers who have won the Purple Cap twice in IPL history. The other two are Dwayne Bravo (2013 and 2015) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2016 and 2017). Bhuvneshwar remains the only one to win it in back-to-back seasons.
In 2021 with RCB, he took 32 wickets in 15 matches with an average of 14.34 and an economy of 8.14, equalling the all-time season record. In 2024 with PBKS, he took 24 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.87 and an economy of 9.73.
Prasidh Krishna’s 25 Wickets in IPL 2025 and the Emergence of India’s Most Reliable Modern-Day Seamer
In IPL 2025, Prasidh Krishna showed that he is not just a fast bowler, but a smart one. He finished the season with 25 wickets and topped the wicket charts. This season was about control and improvement. His coach, Mansur Ali Khan, pointed out that Prasidh improved his lengths and understood better when to use variations. Out of his 162 legal deliveries, 110 were bowled short of a good length. That hard back-of-a-length plan gave him nine wickets at an average of 12.77.
One of his best spells came against the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where he picked up 4/41 on a flat pitch. He dismissed key batters, including Rishabh Pant and Tristan Stubbs. Against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad on a red soil wicket, he had 14 of his 24 balls going over 140 kph, and used bounce to trouble batters like Sanju Samson. On a slower black soil pitch against the Mumbai Indians, he changed his plan by bowling slightly fuller, which helped him remove Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.
The Rise of Afghan Spinners and Why Noor Ahmad Is Now the Most Dangerous Young Bowler in IPL
Afghanistan’s spin story in the IPL started with Rashid Khan, who became the first Afghan player in the league when he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2017. In the same season, Mohammed Nabi also played for SRH and showed that Afghanistan had strong all-round talent too. This opened the door for more players. Noor Ahmad made his IPL debut in 2023 with the Gujarat Titans, and by 2025, he was playing forthe Chennai Super Kings and winning the Purple Cap.
In IPL 2025, Noor Ahmad became the top wicket-taker with 24 wickets in 14 matches and an excellent economy rate. He even beat other top bowlers to finish first on the list. He made an immediate impact for CSK with 4/18 against the Mumbai Indians and broke their middle order. What changed in 2025 was his bowling pattern.
Earlier, his wrong one was 26.14% of his bowling, but in 2025, it dropped to 7.41%. Other variations, like googly and knuckleball, which were around 30% earlier, were not used at all in 2025. He also bowled fuller more often, from 21.59% earlier to 51.85% in 2025.
SWOT Analysis of Harshal Patel as the Most Successful Bowler on the IPL Highest Wickets List From 2021 to 2025
Harshal Patel is one of the best death-over bowlers and his slower balls and variations make him hard to hit keep the opposition on low score. He reads batters well and has proven consistency with two Purple Caps.
One of his weaknesses is that he does not rely on extreme pace. If batters pick his slower balls early, he can be expensive. He is more effective in middle and death overs than in powerplay.
He can guide younger pacers and even improve as a lower-order hitter. Batters are learning to attack slower balls better. Any drop in fitness or rhythm can affect his style.
Spin vs Pace Who Dominated the Highest Wickets Race in IPL From 2021 to 2025
From 2021 to 2025, fast bowlers clearly dominated the Purple Cap race. Pacers won the top wicket-taker award in four out of five seasons, while spinners managed it only once. Here is the season-wise list:
2021 – Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) – 32 wickets – Pace
2022 – Yuzvendra Chahal (Rajasthan Royals) – 27 wickets – Spin
2023 – Mohammed Shami (Gujarat Titans) – 28 wickets – Pace
2024 – Harshal Patel (Punjab Kings) – 24 wickets – Pace
2025 – Prasidh Krishna (Gujarat Titans) – 25 wickets – Pace
The final count stands at Pace 4, Spin 1. The only spinner to break the pace run was Chahal in 2022 with 27 wickets for the Rajasthan Royals. His success came from strong leg-spin with smart pace changes rather than too many variations.
Fast bowlers have been more consistent. Harshal’s 32 wickets in 2021 matched the record for most wickets in a single IPL season. Shami’s 28 wickets in 2023 and Prasidh’s 25 in 2025 continued that trend. In 2023, it was a close fight as Rashid Khan took 27 wickets. Spinners like Piyush Chawla, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Ravindra Jadeja also crossed 20 wickets that season. In 2025, Prasidh won with 25 wickets but Noor Ahmad finished very close with 24 wickets.
Which Active Bowler Is Best Placed to Win the Highest Wickets Race in IPL 2026
Going into IPL 2026, the strongest name on paper is Prasidh Krishna. He won the Purple Cap in 2025 with 25 wickets for the Gujarat Titans and will again lead their pace attack. He takes wickets with the new ball and at the death, which gives him more chances every match. Right behind him is Noor Ahmad of Chennai Super Kings, who took 24 wickets in 2025 and finished second.
Josh Hazlewood of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru is another big contender. He picked up 22 wickets in just 12 matches in 2025, which shows a very strong strike rate. If he plays a full season, he can go past 25 wickets. Arshdeep Singh (Punjab Kings) had 21 wickets and is known for his death-over skills, while Jasprit Bumrah of the Mumbai Indians took 18 wickets in 12 matches despite missing games.
Final Words
From 2021 to 2025, IPL bowling remained strong even with high team scores. Harshal Patel had a record season, and Yuzvendra Chahal controlled games with spin. Mohammed Shami dominated in the powerplay, and Prasidh Krishna emerged as a key fast bowler during this period.
Fast bowlers slightly led the Purple Cap race, but spinners were just as important. The contest between pace and spin continues, and IPL 2026 may see another new player finish with the most wickets.
Who do you think will win the Purple Cap in IPL 2026?
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