The magic of the 6 feet 8 inches tall bowler… India came as a replacement player, snatched the Purple Cap by taking 4 wickets

New Delhi. The platform of IPL has always been for those players who attract the attention of the world on the basis of their talent. In the sixth match of IPL against Sunrisers Hyderabad, a new history was created at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. When Kolkata Knight Riders' new fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani created a stir with his deadly bowling against Sunrisers Hyderabad. This 6 feet 8 inches tall bowler not only made KKR return to the match, but also captured the Purple Cap of IPL 2026.

Blessing Muzarabani's joining KKR was a coincidence. Due to political tension between India and Bangladesh, Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman had to be released on the instructions of BCCI. KKR needed a bowler who could take advantage of height and take wickets in the death overs. The franchise expressed confidence in this Zimbabwean legend and Muzarabani proved it right in his second match. When KKR announced the addition of Muzarabani, fans expected him to provide depth in the bowling, but no one thought that he would become the most successful bowler in the league as soon as he arrived. Muzarabani has secured the top position in the Purple Cap race, leaving behind Jacob Duffy. Now he is at the top of this list with 4 wickets in 2 matches.

Four of Muzarabani's wickets at Eden Gardens
Muzarabani did not have a good start in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He gave away 16 runs in his very first over and it seemed that the Hyderabad batsmen were playing him easily. But the real game was yet to come. Muzarabani made a brilliant comeback and by the end of his spell he took 4 big wickets for 41 runs in 4 overs. Kishan, who was looking dangerous, was caught by Muzarabani with a short and wide ball, which was caught by Rinku Singh. Muzarabani brought KKR back into the match by dismissing Abhishek, who was playing on 48 runs, on a slow short ball (112 km/hr). When Klaasen was becoming more aggressive after scoring his half-century, Muzarabani stopped Hyderabad's momentum by sending him to the pavilion. He completed his fourth victim by dismissing debutant Shivang on the last ball of the innings.

Zimbabwe's pride and IPL experience
29 year old Muzarabani is not new to IPL. Last year, he was a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), where he was included as a replacement for Lungi Ngidi. However, RCB became champion that season but Muzarabani did not get a chance to play even a single match. This year, as soon as he wore the KKR jersey, he got a chance to show his ability and he grabbed it with both hands.

Abhishek and Klaasen trapped by variety in bowling
Muzarabani's performance in the T20 World Cup 2026 was also excellent. Where he was the most successful bowler of Zimbabwe. He had taken 13 wickets in 6 matches. Now he is maintaining the same form in IPL also. KKR had rightly said in their statement that his height of 6 feet 8 inches gives him a special steep bounce, which is not easy for any batsman to play. Muzarabani has experience of more than 80 T20 international matches and has more than 90 wickets in his name at an average of 21. Their biggest strength is their diversity. He can bowl at speeds of over 140 and also confuse batsmen with 'slower' balls of 100-110 kmph, as he did against Abhishek Sharma and Heinrich Klaasen.