The Gujarat Titans lead bowler finished with an average of 21.58 and a best innings performance of 3-25, overtaking Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the final stages of the tournament to claim the cap outright.
The two entered the playoffs level on 24 wickets each, with Rabada pulling clear through the knockout rounds to finish one ahead of his closest rival.
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished second with 28 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 17.89 and an economy of 7.95, the best economy rate in the top five.
His figures of 4-23 were the best bowling performance of any bowler in the top five and his average was the lowest across the leading wicket-takers.
On pure efficiency, Bhuvneshwar’s season was arguably the more controlled of the two, but Rabada’s ability to take wickets in the biggest matches gave him the edge when it mattered most.
Jofra Archer finished third with 25 wickets from 16 matches at an average of 22.36 and an economy of 9.31. His best figures of 3-17 came in RR’s final league match to secure their playoff berth.
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Rashid Khan and Anshul Kamboj are joint fourth with 21 wickets each. Rashid’s came from 17 matches at an average of 24.57, while Kamboj’s 21 wickets from just 14 matches at an average of 25.23 represented one of the most impressive debut seasons by a CSK bowler in recent years.
Rabada’s 29 wickets are the most he has taken in a single IPL season since his record-breaking 30-wicket campaign for Delhi Capitals in 2020. At 31, his IPL 2026 season confirms he remains one of the most dangerous fast bowlers in franchise cricket.
Photo: REUTERS/Priyanshu Singh
