While T20 is considered to be a game of the six-hitters, the bowlers still have a crucial role to play in this format of the game. It hardly happens in a global tournament that a team with a weak bowling attack goes on to win the title, doesn’t matter how strong a batting line-up it might have.
There is an old saying in cricket – Batsmen win you games and bowlers win you tournaments and it applies to the IPL as well even though it’s a T20 tournament. Let’s have a look at 5 bowlers who can possibly win the purple cap in IPL 2020 –
#1 Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine, since the time he has remodelled his bowling action, has struggled to be as penetrative with the ball as well as he was in the IPL at one stage. But because of the fact that IPL is going to be held in UAE this time around, the pitches might offer Narine enough purchase to rediscover his old mojo.
Narine is not the kind of bowler who necessarily troubles the batsmen with his loop. He bowls into the pitch, rather than trying to give the ball a lot of air and hence, he is at his best when the pitch offers him something. The UAE pitches are expected to offer a fair bit of assistance to the spinners.
#2 Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada, who was the second highest wicket-taker in the last IPL, might be in the race for the purple cap again. There is a general perception that the UAE pitches are only suited to the spinners and the fast bowlers won’t be able to make too much of an impact in IPL 2020. But that’s not entirely true.
Bowl like Rabada, who hit the hard lengths and use their shoulders to bang the ball into the pitch, will also be able to make a fair bit of impact as the ball will stick into the surface. Also, because of the abrasive nature of the surfaces in UAE, the ball might reverse a touch as well towards the end of the innings.
#3 Imran Tahir
Imran Tahir might not be that young anymore, but he is still delivering for every franchise he represents in various T20 leagues around the world. The natural advantage with Tahir is that he can turn the ball both ways and he is very accurate with his lengths.
Also, Tahir is not someone against whom the batsmen can easily use their feet because he is quick through the air and bowls with a lower trajectory.
#4 Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal is the all-time highest wicket-taker of RCB. There has hardly been an RCB bowler who has been as consistent as Chahal over the years. Now, that he is at the peak of his career and knows his game inside out, this might be Chahal’s year to shine and he might challenge for the purple cap.
It’s needless to say that the pitches in UAE will suit Chahal as they will be low and slow and the ball will grip and turn.
#5 Deepak Chahar
Deepak Chahar was an out and out swing bowler when he first burst onto the scene, but in the last year or so, he seems to have developed some good variations in his bowling and that’s why the CSK skipper MS Dhoni used him with the old ball as well in some of the games last season.
There has never been any doubt over Chahar’s ability with the new ball, but if he manages to be as consistent with the old ball as he is with the new ball, he might be one of the top contenders for the purple cap in the upcoming IPL season.
