PBKS vs RCB, IPL 2026: Bhuvneshwar Kumar continued to shine with the ball in hand. The experienced right-arm pacer has not only taken the most wickets in the 19th season of the Indian Premier League but has also bowled with an exceptional economy. In 13 games, the RCB pacer has got 24 wickets to his name while going at only 7.56 runs per over. He picked up a couple of wickets against the Punjab Kings to give his team yet another brilliant start with the ball in his hand. Here is a look at the top 10 IPL 2026 wicket-takers.
Bhuvneshwar is followed by Kagiso Rabada on the list. The South African pacer has picked up 21 wickets in 13 games. Meanwhile, Anshul Kamboj ranks third on the list with 19 wickets in 12 games for the Chennai Super Kings.
IPL 2026: Who won the PBKS vs RCB clash in Dharamshala?
It was a rematch of last year’s final as the Punjab Kings hosted the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Dharamshala. The result of the game, too, remained the same as RCB defeated the hosts by 23 runs to hand PBKS their sixth consecutive defeat of the season. In the first innings, Venkatesh Iyer, Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, and Tim David starred with the bat in hand to push RCB to a total of 222 runs. In the second innings, Bhuvneshwar picked up the first two wickets. Rasikh Salam Dar took a three-for while Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, and Romario Shepherd were among the wickets as well.
Most Wickets in IPL 2026 Purple Cap After PBKS vs RCB
| Position | Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average | Best Bowling Figures |
| 1 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 13 | 24 | 7.56 | 15.91 | 4/23 |
| 2 | Kagiso Rabada | Gujarat Titans | 13 | 21 | 9.22 | 21.95 | 3/25 |
| 3 | Anshul Kamboj | Chennai Super Kings | 12 | 19 | 10.11 | 22.52 | 3/22 |
| 4 | Prince Yadav | Lucknow Super Giants | 12 | 16 | 8.53 | 24 | 3/32 |
| 5 | Rashid Khan | Gujarat Titans | 13 | 16 | 8.7 | 24.93 | 4/33 |
| 6 | Kartik Tyagi | Kolkata Knight Riders | 12 | 16 | 9.44 | 25.37 | 3/22 |
| 7 | Eshan Malinga | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 12 | 16 | 9.63 | 25.5 | 4/32 |
| 8 | Jofra Archer | Rajasthan Royals | 11 | 15 | 9.12 | 24.33 | 3/20 |
| 9 | Mohammed Siraj | Gujarat Titans | 13 | 14 | 8.58 | 29.42 | 2/23 |
| 10 | Jamie Overton | Chennai Super Kings | 10 | 14 | 8.89 | 17.78 | 4/18 |
How has Bhuvneshwar Kumar performed in IPL 2026?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been the star performer for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026. The right-arm pacer has picked up 24 wickets in 13 games while going at an economy of only 7.56 runs per over. His performance has been one of the biggest reasons behind RCB becoming the first team to qualify for the IPL 2026 playoffs.
IPL 2026: Who took the most wickets in PBKS vs RCB?
Rasikh Salam Dar picked up the most wickets in the PBKS vs RCB clash. The right-arm medium pacer dismissed Shreyas Iyer in his first over before getting rid of Shashank Singh and Azmatullah Omarzai in the final over.
PBKS vs RCB: Who has won the most Purple Caps in IPL history?
The only bowlers to have won the Purple Cap twice are Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Harshal Patel. Bhuvi took home the prize in 2016 and 2017, while Bravo did it in 2013 and 2015. In comparison, Harshal Patel did it in 2021 and 2024. Meanwhile, Bhuvneshwar is leading the race in IPL 2026 and could very well become the first player to win the purple cap award three times.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
