Top 10 IPL Bowlers of All Time

IPL is the most-watched domestic cricket league in the world. With the amount of viewership and revenue it generates, the cash-rich league attracts top talents from across the globe. It has been the playground of the biggest stars and a platform for new young talents to emerge. Indian cricket, mainly confined to bigger cities, has now found new breeding grounds in smaller towns. This has immensely contributed to the rich pool of cricketers which India can be genuinely proud of. By rubbing shoulders with the best in the world and under the guidance of renowned coaches, promising young cricketers have found a testing ground to prove their mettle.

List of Top 10 IPL Bowlers

Cricket is a batsman’s game, but the following gentlemen would strongly disagree. In the age of bigger bats and shorter boundaries, these bowlers have constantly innovated their game in order to nullify the hard-hitting batsmen. Longevity, impact on their teams, economy, strike-rate, and total wickets are some of the factors considered in making this list. Let us look at the Top 10 bowlers in IPL of all time who have proved to be real game-changers:

Honourable mentions who do not make the list: Yuzvendra Chahal, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Trent Boult, Kagiso Rabada, Ravindra Jadeja, Dale Steyn, and Sandeep Sharma.

1 Lasith Malinga

‘Slinga,’ a.k.a ‘Yorker King,’ a.k.a ‘Goldilocks’ needs no introduction. You will find him on top of every IPL Best Bowlers list, and rightly so. With his slinging action and wide range of deliveries, Malinga has achieved great success in the IPL as well as in international cricket. Some of his records will undoubtedly be eclipsed sooner or later, but his legacy will remain forever.

Details and Achievements:

• Malinga is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history.
• First bowler to take 4 wickets in 4 consecutive balls twice in international cricket.
• Purple cap winner in the fourth season of IPL.
• Mumbai Indians is the only IPL side Malinga has played for, and he has won four titles with them.

2 Amit Mishra

A conventional leg spinner, Mishra bowls with steady line and length. He deceives batsmen with his enticing flighted deliveries and big spinning googlies. Although a bit overlooked in the national setup, he has been quite a star in the IPL. His main role has always been to provide breakthroughs during the middle overs.

Details and Achievements:

• Mishra is the second most successful bowler in the IPL.
• The First bowler to take three IPL hat-tricks.
• Currently playing for Delhi Capitals, he has also represented the Deccan Chargers and Sunrisers Hyderabad.

3 Dwayne Bravo

The ‘Champion’ all-rounder is total box-office material. Not only does he bowl well, but Bravo also bats with flair, is a catch magnet on the field, and has some serious skills on the dance floor too. The pacer is a tricky customer to face, especially in the death overs. His go-to delivery is the slower ball which batsmen continue to chip into the arms of waiting fielders.

Details and Achievements:

• Two-time purple cap winner with CSK.
• The Trinidadian has also played for the Mumbai Indians and the Gujarat Lions.
• DJ has been one of IPL’s best bowlers and sits at number 4 in the all-time leading wicket-takers list in the league.

4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

India International Bhuvneshwar Kumar is a vital cog in the mean bowling machinery of the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kumar has exceptional control over his line and length. He moves the new ball both ways and takes crucial wickets upfront. His yorkers and variations are very hard to score off in the death overs, and he has saved countless games for his sides.

Details and Achievements:

• Purple Cap winner in consecutive seasons while playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad (2016&2017).
• Besides the Orange Army, Bhuvi has also been a part of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Pune Warriors India.

5 Jasprit Bumrah

The ‘Boom’ burst onto the scene in the 2013 IPL season. Few people would have predicted then that the young pacer would become the spearhead of India’s bowling line-up. Highly unpopular with the batsmen, Bumrah is famous for his quick-arm unorthodox action and his toe-crushing yorkers.

Details and Achievements:

• Bumrah’s first and hundredth scalp in IPL was none other than RCB and Indian captain Virat Kohli.
• He has won the IPL five times with the Mumbai Indians.
• One shy of hundred games, the 27-year-old is already in twelfth place on the all-time leading wicket-takers list in the IPL.

Also Read: Top-10-buys-ipl-auction-2021

6 Harbhajan Singh

One of the finest off-spinners India has ever produced continues to showcase his skills in the IPL. The veteran bowler was a key part of the Mumbai Indians for ten years before moving on to CSK. He currently plays for KKR. The aggressive bowler is well known for his tight line and length and the ‘doosra,’ which has often been the subject of scrutiny.

Details and Achievements:

• Singh has won 4 IPL titles, three with MI and one with CSK.
• He has bowled the most number of dot balls in the history of IPL.
• Bhajji is one of only five bowlers to hit the 150-wicket mark in the league.

7 Rashid Khan

In at number 7 is the leggie from Afghanistan. Without a doubt, Khan is one of the best spinners of his generation. The only reason he doesn’t pick up more wickets is that batsmen tend to see him off and play conservatively against him. The 22-year-old already has a wealth of experience in T20 cricket and plies his trade in several domestic leagues worldwide.

Details and Achievements:

• Bought by SRH ahead of 2017 IPL for INR 4 crores.
• Played a crucial role in SRH’s 2018 IPL campaign, where they finished runners-up to CSK.
• Most economical bowler in IPL’s history.
• He was named ICC Men’s T20I Player of The Decade in December 2020.

8 Sunil Narine

The mystery spinner from Trinidad rules the shortest format of the game. He has played T20 cricket for a host of domestic sides all over the world. However, in IPL, he has exclusively played in purple for the Kolkata Knight Riders. Although a highly miserly bowler himself, Narine is a fierce striker of the cricket ball.

Details and Achievements:

• He was named the Most Valuable Player in IPL twice, once in 2018 and the other one in his debut season (2012).
• Played a vital role in both of KKR’s title-winning campaigns.
• In July 2014, while playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors, Sunil did the unthinkable by bowling a maiden in a Super Over.

9 Piyush Chawla

He is by far the most underrated bowler on this list. Chawla is never afraid to toss the ball up and has a great googly in his arsenal. The leg spinner sometimes finishes his spells on the expensive side but almost always picks up the wickets.

Details and Achievements:

• Chawla currently sits at number 3 in the all-time leading wicket-takers list in IPL.
• He started his IPL career with Kings XI. KKR picked him up in 2014.
• He famously hit the winning runs in the 2014 IPL finals for KKR versus KXIP.
• Chawla had a not-so-memorable IPL 2020 with CSK before MI bought him in the 2021 IPL auction.

10 Ravichandran Ashwin

The engineer from Chennai is considered an all-time great in the Test arena. In the IPL, Ashwin shot to fame in the 2010 season with his calculated bowling and his special ‘carrom balls.’ The intelligent bowling all-rounder often operates in the powerplay overs and has a wide variety of deliveries besides his usual off-breaks. He currently plays for the Delhi Capitals.

Details and Achievements:

Won the IPL title consecutively with CSK in 2010 and 2011.

He represented Rising Pune Supergiants in 2016. He was then picked up by KXIP in 2018 and also made captain of the side.

In March 2019, while playing for KXIP, Ashwin was on the news for ‘mankading’ Jos Buttler.

Frequently Asked Questions around Best Bowlers in IPL

Who is the Best Bowler in IPL?

Lasith Malinga is historically considered the best bowler in the IPL. Bumrah, who grew under his tutelage, is perhaps the best speedster operating in the league right now. He has been the mainstay of a fine pace battery of the five-time champions Mumbai Indians. Rashid Khan of the Sunrisers Hyderabad is arguably the best spinner. However, in the 2021 IPL season so far, it is Harshal Patel who is leading the wicket-taking charts.

Who is the youngest Bowler in IPL?

IPL has produced numerous fine young bowling talents over the years. Mujeeb Ur Rehman of Afghanistan made his debut as a 17-year-old in 2018 for KXIP. Prayas Ray Burman, while playing for RCB, created history by becoming the youngest bowler to play in the league at the age of 16 years and 152 days. 19-year-old left-arm pacer Akash Singh of Rajasthan Royals is the youngest to take part in this year’s IPL.

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