The 15th season of the Indian Premier League is set to return to India with the first game of the season to be played between defending champions Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders on March 26. Bowling in a format which is largely dominated by batsmen is a tough job, which is why being on the list of top 10 wicket-takers in IPL history is a huge achievement. Let’s find out which bowlers comprise the elite list.
Lasith Malinga
Sri Lankan spin wizard Lasith Malinga is the highest wicket-taker in IPL history. Winner of the Purple Cap in IPL 2011, Malinga bagged 170 wickets in 122 games at an economy of 7.41. We won’t be seeing the yorker king in IPL 2022 as he announced retirement from franchise cricket in January 2021.
Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo, who has been a permanent member of the CSK family since joining them in 2011, is the second-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. The West Indian has 167 wickets in 151 games and needs just four more scalps to go past Malinga and become the highest wicket-taker in the league. Bravo is the only bowler to have won the Purple Cap twice – in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
Amit Mishra
Third on the list is Amit Mishra with 166 wickets from 154 games at an economy rate of 7.35. The leggie, who has played for Deccan Chargers, Delhi Capitals, Delhi Daredevils and Sunrisers Hyderabad, was the oldest player in the IPL 2022 auction and had no takers.
Piyush Chawla
With 164 wickets in 165 games, Piyush Chawla is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. He was among the notable Indian players to go unsold in the 2022 auction. Chawla, who started his IPL career with Kings XI Punjab, bowled most of his spells for KKR.
Harbhajan Singh
Fifth on the list is Harbhajan Singh with 150 wickets in 163 games. The veteran spin bowler started his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians, before moving to CSK and then KKR. For the second year in a row, Singh went unsold in the IPL 2022 auction after keeping his base price at Rs 2 crore.
Ravichandran Ashwin
Ashwin, sold to Rajasthan Royals for Rs 5 crore in the 2022 auction, has previously played for DC, CSK, RPSG and KXIP. With 164 wickets in 167 games, he is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL.
Sunil Narine
Sunil Narine, who made his IPL debut with KKR in 2012 and has been with them since, is the seventh-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. The spinner has 143 wickets in 134 games at an economy of 6.74. The West Indies all-rounder was retained by KKR ahead of the 2022 auction.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who started his IPL career with the now-defunct Pune Warriors before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad, has 142 wickets in 132 IPL games. After Bravo, Kumar is the second player to win two purple caps, and the first to win them in two consecutive seasons – 2016 and 2017, respectively.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Ninth on the list is Yuzvendra Chahal with 139 wickets in 114 games. Chahal had been RCB’s bowling spearhead for the last few years, but will play for the Royals this season, who signed him for Rs 6.5 crore.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah, one of the best finds of IPL and Mumbai Indians’ trump card with the ball, has 130 wickets in 106 games since making his debut in 2013. The yorker specialist was retained by the five-time champions for the 2022 season along with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard.
