Published on: Jul 8, 2021 5:03 pm IST|Updated on: Aug 23, 2021 2:19 pm IST
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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