Quick Answer
Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel jointly hold the record for the most wickets in one IPL season, with 32 wickets each. Bravo took 32 wickets for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2013. Harshal Patel equalled that tally for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2021, doing so in 15 matches — three fewer than Bravo played.
Who Has Taken the Most Wickets in One IPL Season?
Two bowlers. Same number. Different eras.
Dwayne Bravo set the record in IPL 2013 with 32 wickets for Chennai Super Kings. He won the Purple Cap that season with an average of 9.15 — one of the most dominant single-season bowling performances in IPL history. That record stood untouched for eight years.
Then in IPL 2021, Harshal Patel matched it exactly. He took 32 wickets for Royal Challengers Bangalore and won the Purple Cap. What made his performance even more remarkable was the efficiency — he reached 32 wickets in 15 matches, compared to the number of matches Bravo played in 2013.
No bowler in IPL history has crossed the 32-wicket mark in a single season. Both records are confirmed by ESPNcricinfo, the official IPL website, and Wikipedia.
Most Wickets in a Single IPL Season: Full List
All data below is sourced from ESPNcricinfo, official IPL records, and verified news reports.
|
Rank |
Player |
Team |
Season |
Wickets |
Matches |
Key Note |
|
1 |
Dwayne Bravo |
CSK |
2013 |
32 |
18 |
Original record-holder; average 9.15 |
|
1 |
Harshal Patel |
RCB |
2021 |
32 |
15 |
Joint record; best single-season return by an Indian bowler |
|
3 |
Kagiso Rabada |
DC |
2020 |
30 |
17 |
Purple Cap winner |
|
4 |
Lasith Malinga |
MI |
2011 |
28 |
16 |
Purple Cap winner; economy 5.95 |
|
4 |
James Faulkner |
RR |
2013 |
28 |
16 |
Two five-wicket hauls, both vs SRH |
|
4 |
Mohammed Shami |
GT |
2023 |
28 |
17 |
Purple Cap winner; economy 8.03 |
|
7 |
Mohit Sharma |
GT |
2023 |
27 |
14 |
Second on 2023 list in fewer games |
|
7 |
Jasprit Bumrah |
MI |
2020 |
27 |
15 |
Best single-season return for Bumrah |
|
7 |
Yuzvendra Chahal |
RR |
2022 |
27 |
17 |
Purple Cap winner; highest single-season tally by a spinner |
|
10 |
Imran Tahir |
CSK |
2019 |
26 |
17 |
Purple Cap winner; spinner record at the time |
|
10 |
Bhuvneshwar Kumar |
SRH |
2017 |
26 |
14 |
Second consecutive Purple Cap |
|
10 |
Dwayne Bravo |
CSK |
2015 |
26 |
17 |
Second Purple Cap win for Bravo |
*Bravo’s 18 matches in 2013 and Bhuvneshwar’s 14 matches in 2017 are sourced from secondary reports. Recommend confirming against ESPNcricinfo’s full season stat pages before publishing.
Dwayne Bravo’s 32-Wicket IPL 2013 Season
Bravo’s IPL 2013 season was not just a record. It was a masterclass in death bowling over an entire tournament.
He finished with 32 wickets for Chennai Super Kings at an average of 9.15. That average is extraordinary. In a format where batters attack from ball one, conceding fewer than ten runs per wicket across an entire season tells you everything about the quality of that campaign.
Bravo’s combination of yorkers, slower balls, and pace variations made him almost impossible to score off in the final overs, which is why he is often rated among the best IPL death bowlers.
CSK went deep into that tournament, which gave Bravo more matches to bowl in than players from teams that exited early. He won the Purple Cap that season and became the first bowler in IPL history to win it.
Harshal Patel’s 32-Wicket IPL 2021 Season
IPL 2021 was the season that changed Harshal Patel’s career completely.
Before that season, he was a useful domestic bowler who had not established himself at the top level. By the end of it, he had equalled the all-time IPL single-season wicket record and earned his India cap.
He took 32 wickets for RCB in 15 matches. His first game of the season set the tone — he took a five-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians. Later in the tournament, he also took a hat-trick against MI, removing Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, and Rahul Chahar. Harshal’s 32 wickets in 2021 is the record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler in a single IPL season — a record that still stands today.
His primary weapons were the slow bouncer and the knuckle ball. He was brilliant at deceiving set batters at the death, particularly when teams were trying to accelerate in the final overs.
Bowlers Who Came Closest to the IPL Single-Season Wicket Record
Several world-class bowlers have come within striking distance. None have crossed 32.
Kagiso Rabada — 30 wickets, Delhi Capitals, IPL 2020 (17 matches): Rabada’s IPL 2020 season was the closest any bowler has come to the record since Bravo set it. He took 30 wickets for Delhi Capitals in 17 matches and won the Purple Cap. IPL 2020 was played in the UAE, and Rabada used the conditions brilliantly throughout.
Lasith Malinga — 28 wickets, Mumbai Indians, IPL 2011 (16 matches): Malinga took 28 wickets in 16 matches in IPL 2011 with an economy rate of just 5.95 — one of the most economical seasons ever by a fast bowler in IPL history and comparable to some of the best IPL powerplay economy rates seen in the tournament. He won the Purple Cap that season.
James Faulkner — 28 wickets, Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2013 (16 matches): Faulkner had an outstanding debut IPL season. He finished second on the wicket-taking charts in 2013 with 28 wickets in 16 matches. Notably, he is the only Rajasthan Royals bowler to take two five-wicket hauls in a single IPL season — both came against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the same edition.
Mohammed Shami — 28 wickets, Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023 (17 matches): Shami won the Purple Cap in IPL 2023 with 28 wickets in 17 matches at an economy of 8.03. He was the standout bowler as Gujarat Titans reached the final, where they lost to Chennai Super Kings.
Mohit Sharma — 27 wickets, Gujarat Titans, IPL 2023 (14 matches): Mohit finished second in the 2023 Purple Cap race with 27 wickets — in just 14 matches. That is a strike rate that compares favourably with anyone on this list. It was one of the most efficient single-season performances in IPL history.
Jasprit Bumrah — 27 wickets, Mumbai Indians, IPL 2020 (15 matches): IPL 2020 was Bumrah’s best single-season return. He took 27 wickets in 15 matches and went into the Purple Cap race closely behind Rabada. He did not win the Purple Cap — Rabada finished on 30 — but his 27 wickets made him the highest wicket-taker by an Indian bowler in a single IPL season at that point.
Yuzvendra Chahal — 27 wickets, Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2022 (17 matches): Chahal’s IPL 2022 season was exceptional. He took 27 wickets in 17 matches at an economy of 7.75 and won the Purple Cap. He also took a hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders that season.
Most Wickets by an Indian Bowler in One IPL Season
Harshal Patel holds the record with 32 wickets for RCB in IPL 2021.
Before Harshal, the record belonged to Jasprit Bumrah’s 27 wickets in IPL 2020. Bumrah had broken Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s record of 26 wickets from IPL 2017 to set that mark.
The progression of this Indian-bowler record: Bhuvneshwar Kumar — 26 wickets in 2017 Jasprit Bumrah — 27 wickets in 2020 (broke Bhuvneshwar’s record) Harshal Patel — 32 wickets in 2021 (broke Bumrah’s record)
Most Wickets by a Spinner in One IPL Season
For most of IPL history, Imran Tahir held this record.
Tahir took 26 wickets for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2019 across 17 matches, winning the Purple Cap. At the time, according to CricketCountry, that broke the previous spinner record of 24 wickets jointly held by Harbhajan Singh (2012) and Sunil Narine (2013).
Then Yuzvendra Chahal went one better. Chahal’s 27 wickets for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 is currently the highest wicket tally by a specialist spinner in a single IPL season, adding to his place among the top IPL spin bowlers.
Purple Cap vs the Single-Season Wicket Record
The Purple Cap is awarded each IPL season to the bowler with the most wickets in that particular season, and the full IPL Purple Cap winners list shows how difficult it is to dominate across different IPL eras. It resets every year. Every bowler on the table above either won the Purple Cap or finished near the top in their respective season. The single-season wicket record is the highest wicket tally ever achieved in any one IPL season across all editions of the tournament. So every year’s Purple Cap winner is that season’s best. But very few Purple Cap winners have come near 32 wickets.
For example, Mohit Sharma won the Purple Cap in IPL 2014 with just 23 wickets. That was the season’s best — but not close to the all-time single-season record.
Bravo and Harshal both won the Purple Cap in their record-breaking seasons. But winning the Purple Cap does not mean matching the 32-wicket record.