A pair of Sunday matches shook up the IPL’s bowling charts far more than the batting ladder. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s skilful 4 for 23 against Mumbai Indians nudged Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a nervy victory and restored his advantage at the top of the 2026 Purple Cap table.
“Bhuvneshwar an artist now,” said Ambati Rayudu on television, admiring the late swing and disguised cutters that undid Mumbai’s middle order. The 36-year-old seamer, already a two-time winner of the award (2016, 2017), now leads the field with 21 wickets. Six of his ten outings this season have produced at least three dismissals; Sunday’s spell was the first four-for.
He needed something special. Earlier in the day Anshul Kamboj collected two wickets for Chennai Super Kings against Lucknow Super Giants, briefly edging to the summit with 19. Kagiso Rabada, who moved to 18 on Saturday, was also in range. By stumps the order read: Bhuvneshwar 21, Kamboj 19, Rabada 18. Prince Yadav (LSG) and Eshan Malinga (Sunrisers Hyderabad) sit joint-fourth on 16, while Rashid Khan (Gujarat Titans) and Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals) follow on 15.
Deep Dasgupta noted during commentary that Bhuvneshwar’s control of length late in the piece “makes even good pitches look two-paced”. It is a neat summary of how the veteran has adapted, mixing trademark seam movement with subtle pace changes.
Orange Cap static as Kohli’s slump continues
The run-scorers’ chart barely flickered. Virat Kohli’s second consecutive duck – this time first ball, a snorter from Archer that straightened late – leaves him marooned in tenth on 379 runs, exactly where he stood ten days ago. With Sanju Samson (28) and Ryan Rickelton (2) also quiet, the leading pack remains untouched.
Heinrich Klaasen stays top with 494 runs, pushed by Sunrisers team-mate Abhishek Sharma (475). Delhi Capitals captain KL Rahul (468) is close behind, followed by Shubman Gill (462) – the Gujarat opener’s 84 on Saturday remains the weekend’s only notable batting move – and Rajasthan’s Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (440). Between them and Kohli are Sai Sudharsan, Samson, Ishan Kishan and Rickelton.
Key numbers at a glance
• Purple Cap: Bhuvneshwar 21, Kamboj 19, Rabada 18
• Orange Cap: Klaasen 494, Abhishek 475, Rahul 468
• Most three-fors: Bhuvneshwar 6
• Kohli ducks: two in as many innings – first time since IPL 2017
Player reflections
Bhuvneshwar, typically understated, told the host broadcaster: “I’m enjoying the responsibility. The body feels good and the ball is coming out nicely.” Asked whether the Purple Cap motivates him, he smiled: “Winning games does. Caps follow.”
Looking ahead
With each side still holding three or four league fixtures, both races remain open. Capitals and Titans meet mid-week; a big knock from Rahul or Gill could change the Orange Cap calculus, while the bowler-friendly Jaipur surface on Thursday offers Rabada and Archer a chance to close in on Bhuvneshwar.
For now, though, the veteran seamer sits clear, evidence that late swing and clear thinking can still trump raw pace in modern T20 cricket.
