We have covered the outright market and the top batsman market ahead of the new Indian Premier League season beginning and now there is just enough time to take a look at who might be the leading wicket taker in the series.
There are some fantastic bowlers all in action in this competition and with a World T20 in India later in the year everyone will be looking to impress their national coaches and force their way into the reckoning, making the race for the Purple Cap very competitive.
Recent Winners
2020 – Kagiso Rabada
2019 – Imran Tahir
2018 – Andrew Tye
2017 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
2016 – Bhuvneshwar Kumar
2015 – Dwayne Bravo
2014 – Mohit Sharma
2013 – Dwayne Bravo
2012 – Morne Morkel
2011 – Lasith Malinga
Market Leaders
We have joint favourites this season with Jasprit Bumrah and Kagiso Rabada both 8/1 to win the Purple Cap, or retain it in Rabada’s case. I think it is widely recognised that these are the two best bowlers in world cricket right now along with Jofra Archer but the fact he isn’t here for the start at least takes him out of the equation. There is talk that Bumrah will be managed through this season with India in England for a long tour later in the year while Rabada will miss the first game which isn’t ideal. Both will go well but I’m not interested in anyone at single figures.
Yuzvendra Chahal and Trent Boult are next in the betting at 10/1 and these are two more bowlers who can’t be written off, although Chahal has to put being smacked everywhere by England behind him. It will help him that he isn’t playing any of his matches on the tiny ground in Bangalore but only three are on known spin friendly grounds. Boult might be hampered by five of his matches being in Chennai where spin seems to rule the roost.
Rashid Khan begins the season as a 12/1 shot to take the most wickets this season and I’ll come on to why I think he has a wonderful chance a little further down the list. Amrich Nortje just ploughed in the wickets against Pakistan last week but he’ll miss the first game of the season as a result and it isn’t ideal in a market that is only likely to be won by one or two wickets that he misses a game. It is 16/1 bar those named.
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Profile
As with the batsmen it is important to whittle the field down here too. We’re looking at more than 40 runners overall in this market and that is just too many to select from. Like we did with the batsmen, we can start by getting rid of any team we don’t think will make the play-offs and concentrate on the ones that do. That halves the number immediately and then there is one more filter to apply.
That comes in the form of whether to pick a seamer or a spinner. Usually in this part of the world the common perception is that we would want to be on spin but Imran Tahir ended a run of eight years where seamers were the top bowler in this tournament two years ago. Generally the seamers seem to fare the best but I’ve a feeling it will be more about spin this season with wickets being used a lot in a shorter space of time.
Betting
Rashid Khan looks a massive price at 12/1 for a few reasons. The first is because I think the Sunrisers Hyderabad will make the play-offs so he’ll get games which half the field won’t, the second is because they play five matches in Chennai and another three in Kolkata where the pitches are known to turn as well. Only Bangalore play as many on those two grounds but only three of theirs are in Chennai where spin is king. Admittedly last season teams were sitting on Rashid Khan and playing him out but with Bhuvi back and in form and T Natarajan looking good at the death sides might have to go after Rashid more this year. Even with teams sitting on him he still took 20 wickets last season. That 12/1 looks a huge price.
I’ll also chance my arm at the spinner in the other team who will play five matches in Chennai in Rahul Chahar. He also has the likelihood of making the play-offs as a help to his wicket haul and in a season which Bumrah and Boult dominated last season, he went under the radar with 15 scalps of his own. England smacked all the Indian spinners around Ahmedabad and Pune last month but he was the one they couldn’t get hold of which speaks volumes of his ability. Five games in Chennai and a couple more in Kolkata and even four in Delhi should give him the ground help to take a lot of wickets this season.
Tips
Back R.Khan Top Season Bowler (e/w) for a 1/10 stake at 13.00 with Betfred (1/4 1-4)
Back R.Chahar Top Season Bowler (e/w) for a 0.5/10 stake at 29.00 with Boylesports (1/4 1-5)
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