As the IPL 2025 season intensifies, the Purple Cap race just got tighter. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) may have faced another home disappointment, but Josh Hazlewood gave them something to cheer about. His impressive 3 for 14 against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in a rain-shortened match brought him level with Chennai Super Kings’ Noor Ahmad at the top of the wicket-takers’ chart.
Purple Cap Update: Hazlewood Joins the Top Spot
Despite RCB’s third consecutive defeat at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Hazlewood’s disciplined spell pushed him up the Purple Cap leaderboard. He now has 12 wickets in seven matches—equal to Noor Ahmad, who has held the top position since his match-winning 4 for 18 against Mumbai Indians on day two of the tournament.
However, Noor edges ahead due to a better economy rate of 7.12, compared to Hazlewood’s 8.17. Nevertheless, Hazlewood’s consistency has put pressure on the Afghan spinner, adding spice to the race for the Purple Cap.
Hazlewood leapfrogged several bowlers with 11 wickets, including:
- Kuldeep Yadav (DC)
- Hardik Pandya (MI)
- Khaleel Ahmed (CSK)
- Shardul Thakur (LSG)
He also moved past a cluster of bowlers with ten wickets, such as:
- Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, and Mohammed Siraj (GT)
- Varun Chakravarthy and Harshit Rana (KKR)
- Mitchell Starc (DC)
- Arshdeep Singh (PBKS), who took 2 for 23 in the same match
Orange Cap Standings: Status Quo Maintained
Meanwhile, the Orange Cap leaderboard remained unchanged after Friday’s clash.
- Nicholas Pooran (LSG) continues to lead
- B Sai Sudharsan (GT) sits second
- Mitchell Marsh (LSG) holds third
- Suryakumar Yadav (MI) stays at No. 4
Both Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli missed golden opportunities to climb up. Iyer, currently fifth, managed only 7 runs off 10 balls, while Kohli, who remains sixth, was dismissed for just 1.
Unless Saturday’s double-header sees explosive innings, the top five positions are unlikely to change before the next round of fixtures.
What’s Next?
RCB’s worrying home form is becoming a serious concern for their playoff aspirations. Meanwhile, PBKS will be thrilled with their all-round bowling effort and their climb up the points table. With the Purple and Orange Cap battles heating up, the IPL 2025 season is well and truly alive.
Also Read : IPL 2025: RCB Eye First Home Win Against High-Flying Punjab Kings
