Top 5 Bowlers with most wickets in IPL history
In less than 96 hours, the biggest cricket carnival will kick-off once again and the fans can’t wait to see their favorite players in action. The opening match of the tournament will take place on Friday with MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings set to lock horns against last year’s winner Gujarat Titans.
There are some big players who will miss this edition including Jasprit Bumrah, Jhye Richardson, Jonny Bairstow, Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer, still the craze of the tournament hasn’t fallen down. As the tournament is around the corner, Parimatch News takes a look at the top wicket takers of all time in the history of IPL. Here’s the list:
#5 Bhuvneshwar Kumar (154 wickets)
One of the top Indian pacers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a legend in this league with 154 wickets to his name. Bhuvi has been a regular member of Sunrisers Hyderabad from the beginning though he was a part of Pune Warriors as well for a while.
With an economy of 7.30 and an average of around 25, the right-arm medium fast bowler has been superb in the tournament to date. His fifer against Kings XI Punjab in 2017 is still one of the finest spells in the history of the IPL. The 33-year-old is all set to give his best in the 2023 IPL.
#4 Piyush Chawla and Ravichandran Ashwin (157 wickets)
Piyush Chawla is undoubtedly one of the most underrated spinners in the country. The right-arm leggie has picked up 157 wickets till date in the biggest T20 league in the world. Chawla has played for Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians, and Chennai Super Kings in the past but what made him popular was his stint with Kolkata Knight Riders.
Chawla’s best bowling performance came in the year 2011 when he dismantled the Royal Challengers Bangalore line-up with 4 for 17 and would be looking to repeat that feat as he is the most experienced spinner in the current Mumbai Indians squad.
On the other hand, legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, too has 157 wickets to his name. He started his IPL journey in 2009 and gave it everything to the tournament to date.
Ashwin has also played for several franchises over the years including Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants. The off-spinner’s best performance in the league came in the year 2016 when he picked up four wickets for 34 runs.
#3 Amit Mishra and Yuzvendra Chahal (166 wickets)
One of the legends of the league, Amit Mishra has become better over the years in the tournament. His googlies have sent a number of top players back to the pavilion. With 166 wickets in the league, Mishra stands at the third position in the list.
He has played for several franchises in the past including Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals, Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers. Now, the experienced bowler is set to make a comeback in the league after three years.
Lucknow Super Giants decided to sign the leg-spinner in the 2023 IPL auction and will be looking to draft him in as an Impact Substitute on spin-friendly tracks. His economy of 7.35 in a tournament like IPL is quite good and with age being a factor for him, Mishra would like to end his IPL stint on a high note.
Yuzvendra Chahal also has 166 wickets to his name in the Indian Premier League. He is a splendid T20 bowler and has helped his IPL team and national side win numerous matches over the years.
Chahal has been a top contender for becoming the highest wicket taker in the IPL going forward. The former RCB bowlerl also has a fifer to his credit in the IPL which he added to his faith in the last year’s edition as his spell helped Rajasthan Royals defeat Kolkata Knight Riders in a thriller.
#2 Lasith Malinga (170 wickets)
Whenever we talk about the finest pacer in the history of the tournament, then this man is right on the top with so many great memories. Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga is one of the few players who has played for just one franchise over the years. He genuinely belonged to the ‘Paltan Family’ and helped Mumbai Indians win multiple IPL trophies.
Malinga picked up 170 wickets in the tournament and contributed a lot to the franchise over the years. His yorkers are still fresh in the minds of his fans and how he used to dismantle the batsmen. The veteran is currently the bowling coach of Rajasthan Royals and would look forward to helping them add another trophy to their feathers.
#1 Dwayne Bravo (183 wickets)
If there is any cricketer who has enjoyed the IPL to the core, then it has to be Dwayne Bravo. The West Indian is the top wicket taker in the league so far with 183 wickets. His sensational slower deliveries and accurate yorkers were so good to see during his stint with the league. His best performance came against Kings XI Punjab (Now Punjab Kings) where he picked up four wickets for a mere 22 runs while playing for Gujarat Lions in 2016.
Last year, the medium pacer announced his retirement from the league after giving Chennai Super Kings hundreds of memories to remember. Now, has taken up the role of a bowling coach for the Men in Yellow. It would be interesting to see how he helps his teammates in this new role.