The other player market that we need to look at before the start of the latest IPL season is the tournament top bowler. The race for the purple cap is always a strong one because the quality of the bowlers on show are so good and the betting market certainly reflects that.
Anyone who is anyone in the bowling world have been picked up by franchises with bowlers young and old ready for big seasons, all of whom will be chasing the purple cap and the limelight that provides.
Recent Winners
2017 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
2016 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
2015 – Dwayne Bravo
2014 – Mohit Sharma
2013 – Dwayne Bravo
2012 – Morne Morkel
2011 – Lasith Malinga
2010 – Pragyan Ojha
2009 – RP Singh
2008 – Sohail Tanvir
Overview
The amazing thing is that in the previous ten campaigns in the IPL nine winners of the purple cap have been seamers. You could be forgiven for thinking that spin would dominate out in India but that has not been the case. The other thing to notice is that with the odd exception it is star quality bowlers who have landed the award.
Market Leaders
Bhuvneshwar Kumar goes in search of a hat trick of wins this season and as such he is the favourite to be the top bowler once again. He is a 10/1 shot but he is not alone on that price with Rashid Khan and Jasprit Bumrah also that price. Kumar has been the course and distance before so he has to be respected. I like Bumrah a lot but I wonder if the Mumbai wickets will be shared out a little more and while Rashid Khan is likely to make a big impression he and Kumar are on the same team.
Another spinner comes next in the betting in the form of Yuzvendra Chahal. He is 14/1 to take the most wickets and that Bangalore wicket might be coming round to what can be considered as helpful to his skills. I fancied him strongly last year but he never got in the mix and just on the back of that he’s a little short in my eyes.
Andrew Tye is a class act as we saw in the Big Bash earlier in the year and he is 16/1 to take the most wickets this season. His variations at the end of the innings will be important but at some point people are going to start reading him especially with so much change in personnel in sides this year. I wouldn’t rule anyone out but I think the price is about right.
Kuldeep Yadav and Dwayne Bravo both go into the competition as 20/1 shots to be the leading bowler. Yadav has claimed scalps worldwide when playing for India but whether he can get the joy necessary out of the Eden Gardens track remains to be seen. If Bravo stays fit then he is entitled to be in the mix even with conditions against him. It is 25/1 bar.
Profile
The first decision we need to make when we bet on this market is whether to take a seamer or a spinner. If we take a seamer it would be handy if they bowl at the death as that is where a number of cheap wickets are picked up. The other thing to try and get is someone who will make it into the playoffs. The purple cap is usually decided by a smaller differential so the more matches our player can play in the better.
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Betting
I’ll go with two bowlers in this market and I’m going to cover both options. I’m going to take a seamer and a spinner. The seamer is a man who came second last year in Jaydav Unadkat who is now with the Rajasthan Royals.
Unadkat really came to life with the Rising Pune Supergiant last season and his wickets were a major part in Pune going as deep as they did. He actually only played in 12 matches last term, two fewer than the winner Kumar, and he came two wickets short so had he played the entire campaign you’ve got to think he would have won the purple cap. Nothing is going to change in terms of when he bowls this season so I expect another high output of wickets from him.
Imran Tahir was another bowler who only played 12 matches last season and yet he still managed to take 18 wickets and finished fifth in the overall list for the campaign. He now goes to Chennai to play for the Super Kings which means he will have seven matches on the pudding of a wicket in Chennai. Dhoni is a good captain to spinners and with the track there suiting spin I fancy he will go very well this term.
Tips
Back J.Unadkat Top Tournament Bowler for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with 888sport
Back J.Unadkat Top 4 Finish for a 1/10 stake at 8.00 with 888sport
Back him here:
Back I.Tahir Top Tournament Bowler (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 29.00 with Coral (1/4 1-4)
Back him here:
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