Bhuvneshwar Kumar regains lead in Purple Cap race; Kohli, Gill in contention for Orange Cap

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is aging like a fine wine in the IPL 2026 as he produced another memorable performance in the latest match in Ahmedabad on Thursday. Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer took three wickets in a low-scoring game against Gujarat Titans to regain a lead in the Purple Cap race.

The 36-year-old is searching for his record-breaking third Purple Cap, having won the prestigious title in 2016 and 2016 before. Bhuvneshwar has been superb in the powerplay this season, with early impact with the new ball.

Defending 155 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept RCB alive by removing Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill in powerplay. He also dismissed Jos Buttler with a brilliant yorker delivery, but didn’t get much help from the other bowlers, as RCB lost the game by four wickets.

In one of the biggest cricket news stories on Thursday,

Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads Purple Cap race

After the GT vs RCB game on April 30, Bhuvneshwar Kumar finds himself at the top in the Purple Cap race in IPL 2026. Bhuvi has picked up 17 wickets in just nine innings at an average of 15.52 and an economy rate of 7.54.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Eshan Malinga followed with 15 wickets in nine innings. Jofra Archer and Anshul Kamboj remain in contention with 14 wickets each. Kagiso Rabada dismissed Virat Kohli on Thursday to jump to fifth place in the bowling chart with 14 wickets in nine innings.

Most wickets in IPL 2026

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB) – 17 wickets in 9 innings
2. Eshan Malinga (SRH) – 15 wickets in 9 innings
3. Jofra Archer (RR) – 14 wickets in 9 innings
4. Anshul Kamboj (CSK) – 14 wickets in 8 innings
5. Kagiso Rabada (GT) – 14 wickets in 9 innings

Kohli, Gill in contention for IPL 2026 Orange Cap

Meanwhile, both Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill missed out on the Orange Cap lead on Thursday. Batting first, Virat Kohli smashed a quickfire 28 off 13 balls to stay in contention for the cap. Shubman Gill also started well, scoring 43 off 18 balls, and jumped to the fifth position in the scoring chart.

Most runs in IPL 2026

1. Abhishek Sharma (SRH) – 425 runs in 9 innings
2. Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) – 414 runs in 9 innings
3. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (RR) – 400 runs in 9 innings
4. Virat Kohli (RCB) – 379 runs in 9 innings
5. Shubman Gill (GT) – 373 runs in 8 innings

Also read: Virat Kohli smashes 5 fours in an over off Kagiso Rabada and then GT bowler gets the last laugh in Ahmedabad