Great bowlers from all around the world have graced the stage of the biggest cricketing league in the world – the Indian Premier League (IPL).
T20 cricket might be dominated by batters but the fate of the game, however, could be altered by an exceptional bowling spell.
The league has seen legends like Shane Warne, Dale Steyn, and Anil Kumble who have played for different franchises over the years. But do you know who holds the record for best bowling figures in IPL?
Let’s take a look at the best IPL bowling figures.
We’ve observed that the bowlers have shown great skills to outfox the batters and produce some of the best figures on a given day. The development of world-class bowlers has added a new dimension to the IPL.
Here is the list of 10 players who have the best IPL bowling figures anyone can dream of.
Have a look.
| Player | Overs | Runs | Wickets | Team | Opposition | Ground |
| Alzarri Joseph | 3.4 | 12 | 6 | MI | SRH | Hyderabad |
| Sohail Tanvir | 4 | 14 | 6 | RR | CSK | Jaipur |
| Adam Zampa | 4 | 19 | 6 | Supergiants | SRH | Visakhapatnam |
| Anil Kumble | 3.1 | 5 | 5 | RCB | RR | Cape Town |
| Akash Madhwal | 3.3 | 5 | 5 | MI | LSG | Chennai |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 4 | 10 | 5 | MI | KKR | DY Patil |
| Mohit Sharma | 2.2 | 10 | 5 | GT | MI | Ahmedabad |
| Ishant Sharma | 3 | 12 | 5 | Chargers | Kochi | Kochi |
| Lasith Malinga | 3.4 | 13 | 5 | MI | Daredevils | Delhi |
| Ankit Rajpoot | 4 | 14 | 5 | Kings XI | SRH | Hyderabad |
Topping the chart, we have Alzarri Joseph who recorded the best bowling figures in IPL history for Mumbai Indians. In the 2019 season, in a group match against SRH, Joseph took six wickets in 3.4 overs and gave away only 12 runs.
His feat also included a maiden over in the inning. His six-fer helped Mumbai Indians beat SRH by defending a small target of 137 runs. It was a performance for ages. Wickets were falling one after another.
Sohail Tanvir, the speedster from Pakistan is the second on the list of best bowling figures in IPL. It was a time when Pakistani players were allowed to participate in the league. In 2008, the IPL had many Pakistani players.
Sohail was part of the RR unit in 2008 and won the purple cap after taking 22 wickets. His best performance came in a league fixture against CSK. The pacer from Pakistan took six wickets while conceding only 14 runs in the process.
The leading white ball spinner from Australia has a great record in the IPL as well. He has been quite successful in the best cricketing league in the world. In 2016, Adam was part of the Rising Pune Supergiants when RR was not part of the competition. MS Dhoni, the best cricket captain captained the team for two years.
That season, the Australian spinner Zampa took six wickets while giving away just 19 runs. His spell contributed significantly to restricting Hyderabad to 137 runs.
Also Read: Highest Partnership in IPL History: All Records
Now comes the man, the myth, the Legend, Anil Kumble. The most successful Indian spinner showed his class in the second edition of IPL while playing for RCB.
In 2009, Anil created history by being the most economical bowler in IPL. Kumble took five wickets while giving away just five runs in 3.1 overs. The Rajasthan team surrendered to Kumble and was eventually bundled out for 58 runs. It was RR’s lowest total in IPL as well.
Akash Madhwal is a young and upcoming talent from India who plays for Mumbai Indians. In the 2023 IPL eliminator, he was the star of the show. The Indian speedster destroyed the batting lineup of LSG.
He ran rout in the LSG camp and took five wickets by giving away only five runs. It took him just 3.5 overs to snatch those five wickets. Mumbai beat the LSG in that match by a margin of 81 runs to reach the second qualifier of the 2023 IPL season. It was the best figure in IPL for Akash Madhwal.
We all know and love Jasprit Bumrah (fastest bowler in India) for the discipline he brings to the field. All of us expect Jasprit to always do well and never have a bad day.
Jasprit has 145 wickets under his belt and has helped Mumbai Indians secure victories countless times. He recorded his best IPL best bowler in a match against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022. In that inning, he fetched 5 wickets and gave away only 10 runs in his spell of four overs. His performance helped Mumbai in beating the KKR by 52 runs.
Now comes Mohit Sharma, the silent killer. We rarely talk about the bowling exploits of Mohit Sharma in the IPL. However, He is one of the best bowlers available in the IPL.
Mohit, playing against the most dangerous team in IPL history, took five wickets and gave away only 10 runs. The top-notch performance from Mohit Sharma against MI secured GT’s berth for the final of IPL 2023. Mohit bowled only 2.2 overs to send five batters back to the pavilion. His wicket-taking spree didn’t allow Mumbai to recover and they fell short by 62 runs in the end.
Also Read: What is an Impact Player in IPL? – Impact Player Rule Explained
Ishant Sharma’s name is not usually associated with being a great T20 bowler, however, he has played a crucial role with many IPL franchises.
In a match against Kochi in 2011, Ishant Sharma demolished the opposition by taking a fifer. The Indian speedster gave away only 12 runs in his three-over spell. His outstanding performance led Kochi to be bundled out for only 74 runs.
Lasith Malinga is another bowler who was feared by opposition batters. He is one of the most dangerous bowlers in the IPL as well. He had the ability to bowl yorkers at will. This ability of Lasith made him one of the most threatening bowlers on the face of the planet.
Lasith Malinga, a member of Mumbai Indians, bowled out his best spell in IPL against Delhi Daredevils in 2011. The legend from Sri Lanka ripped apart the Delhi batting lineup and took five wickets by giving away just 13 runs. There was also a maiden over in his 3.4 overs.
Now, we have an uncapped player from India, Ankit Rajpoot. Playing for Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), the Indian pacer hogged all the limelight by taking five wickets in a match against SRH.
The team is known as one of the unsuccessful IPl teams due to less winning performances. Still, Ankit’s performance gave it a limelight in 2018 and made it unforgettable. It came in a group match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. He gave his heart out on the field in the pursuit of making his team win. Despite his extraordinary performance in that match, Punjab ended up losing the game by just 13 runs.
Suggested Read: List of Most Centuries in IPL History from 2008 to 2024
So, these are the players with the best bowling figures in the IPL. There are some names here that might not be familiar to some of the fans. Don’t be disappointed, this stat depends heavily on how the player is feeling on that day and how the opposition is batting.
On the other hand, Players like Bumrah and Malinga have made the IPL famous by playing in it.
What do you think about this list of players with the best figures in the IPL? Do share your thoughts in the comments down below.
