Although the Gujarat Titans fell short against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 final, Kagiso Rabada emerged from the tournament with a major individual accolade.

The South African fast bowler finished the season with the Purple Cap after collecting 30 wickets across the campaign. His consistency with the ball played a crucial role in Gujarat's journey to the final and established him as the competition's most successful bowler.

Rabada delivered impactful performances throughout the tournament and regularly provided breakthroughs at critical moments.

Whether operating with the new ball or during the closing overs, Rabada consistently troubled batters with pace, movement, and accuracy. His ability to strike in different phases of an innings allowed the Gujarat Titans to maintain pressure on opponents throughout the season.

Several of his spells proved decisive in securing victories, with Rabada frequently producing multi-wicket performances that shifted momentum in his team's favour.

The battle to finish as the tournament's highest wicket-taker remained open until the final stages of the season.

Rabada ultimately held off strong competition from Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who finished second with 28 wickets.

Rajasthan Royals speedster Jofra Archer secured third position after claiming 25 wickets.

Chennai Super Kings' Anshul Kamboj finished fourth in the standings with 21 wickets. Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler Eshan Malinga completed the top five with 20 wickets.