Eshan Malinga has continued to impress in IPL 2026, taking the lead in the Purple Cap race after a disciplined spell for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. The young pacer’s control in the middle overs stood out in a chase-or-build type of game that turned into a high-scoring contest.
Malinga finished with figures of 1 for 29 from his four overs, keeping his economy rate to 7.20. Mumbai posted 243/5, driven by Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 123, and the match’s pace made every breakthrough valuable.
How the wicket mattered
The one scalp Malinga claimed — Suryakumar Yadav — was pivotal, and it helped him edge ahead of the rest in the standings. With that wicket, he moved to 15 total dismissals in the season, surpassing a tightly grouped set of bowlers who were all tied on 14.
By jumping to the top, Malinga also leapfrogged Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jofra Archer and Anshul Kamboj, who had been locked in contention just below him. The race has now tightened noticeably, with a clear hierarchy starting to form but no room for complacency.
Top of the Purple Cap ladder
- 1: Eshan Malinga (SRH) — 15 wickets; 31 matches; 1.09 economy; best 4/32
- 2: Bhuvneshwar Kumar (RCB) — 14 wickets; 31 matches; 1.07 economy; best 3/53
- 3: Jofra Archer (RR) — 14 wickets; 33 matches; 0.08 economy; best 3/20
- 4: Anshul Kamboj (CSK) — 14 wickets; 27 matches; 0.48 economy; best 3/22
- 5: Prince Yadav (LSG) — 13 wickets; 30 matches; 0.08 economy; best 3/26
- 6: Kagiso Rabada (GT) — 13 wickets; 31 matches; 0.09 economy; best 3/25
- 7: Prasidh Krishna (GT) — 12 wickets; 26 matches; 0.10 economy; best 4/28
- 8: Ravi Bishnoi (RR) — 11 wickets; 24 matches; 0.09 economy; best 4/19
- 9: Mohsin Khan (LSG) — 9 wickets; 16 matches; 0.06 economy; best 3/23
- 10: Krunal Pandya (RCB) — 9 wickets; 27 matches; 0.08 economy; best 2/30
Just behind Malinga, Bhuvneshwar Kumar currently holds second place. He has the same wicket count as Archer and Kamboj at 14, but sits higher due to a better economy rate of 7.61, compared with Archer’s 8.27 and Kamboj’s 8.56.
Prince Yadav is next in fifth position with 13 wickets for Lucknow Super Giants. He edges past Kagiso Rabada on the basis of economy, with Yadav at 8.06 compared to Rabada’s 9.48, keeping the mid-table battle particularly sharp.
Further down, Rabada’s Gujarat Titans teammate Prasidh Krishna has 12 wickets, while Ravi Bishnoi follows with 11. Mohsin Khan and Krunal Pandya complete the top 10, each finishing with nine wickets as the season stretches on.
With the league stage continuing, the Purple Cap race is shaping into a tightly contested sprint rather than a procession. At present, only a small number of wickets separate the leading names, meaning a single multi-wicket burst can swing the standings quickly.
