NEW DELHI: Pacer Kagiso Rabada continued to hold on to the Purple Cap despite Gujarat Titans’ commanding 77-run victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Saturday, but teammate Rashid Khan made a significant jump in the wicket-taking charts with a match-winning spell in Jaipur.Rabada, who picked up two wickets in the contest, remains at the top of the standings with 18 scalps from 11 matches. The South African speedster has been Gujarat’s strike bowler throughout the season and once again delivered crucial breakthroughs as Rajasthan folded for 152 in 16.3 overs while chasing a daunting 230-run target.
Rashid, however, was the biggest gainer after returning excellent figures of 4 for 33. The Afghanistan leg-spinner dismantled the Royals middle-order with his variations and control, helping Gujarat tighten their grip on the game after a flying start with the bat. Rashid now has 15 wickets from 11 matches and has climbed to sixth position in the Purple Cap race, level with Rajasthan pacer Jofra Archer.Bhuvneshwar Kumar of Royal Challengers Bengaluru occupies the second spot with 17 wickets from 10 matches, while Chennai Super Kings pacer Anshul Kamboj also has 17 scalps and sits third because of an inferior economy rate. Lucknow Super Giants quick Prince Yadav follows closely with 16 wickets from 10 games.Earlier, Gujarat rode on skipper Shubman Gill’s sparkling 84 and Sai Sudharsan’s fluent 55 to post a massive 229 for four after being invited to bat first. Washington Sundar then provided the finishing touches with an unbeaten 37 off 20 deliveries.For Rajasthan, Ravindra Jadeja top-scored with 38, while young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi contributed 36 in an otherwise disappointing chase.Eshan Malinga of Sunrisers Hyderabad is fifth in the standings with 16 wickets from 11 matches, though his economy rate of 9.44 remains a concern. Archer stayed in contention for the Purple Cap with 15 wickets in 11 outings. With the league stage entering its decisive phase, the race for the leading wicket-taker is set to intensify.