Which bowler has the Most Wickets in the IPL? The IPL's Best Bowlers!

The Indian Premier League is one of the most glamorous cricket leagues in the world providing captivating entertainment to all the sports fans. The unreal batting, smacking the ball out of the ground, and the drama that unfolds is what aid the excitement of this tournament. While the batsmen often steal the spotlight with electrifying batting knocks, it's essential not to overlook the indispensable contributions of bowlers. If you have read the IPL Purple Cap Winners List article, you must have noticed that the team of the Purple Cap winning bowlers usually go deeper in the tournament, often even in the finals. That shows how important the bowlers have been in a team’s success, not only in the IPL but also overall in the T20 Cricket Formats. 

So, in this article, let’s pay homage to the best bowlers in the IPL and list down the most wicket-takers in the IPL history. 

Top 10 Bowlers with the Most Wickets in IPL History:

Player	Matches	Wickets	Best Bowling	Economy Rate
Yuzvendra Chahal	145	187	5/40	7.66
Dwayne Bravo	161	183	4/22	8.38
Piyush Chawla	181	179	4/17	7.90
Amit Mishra	161	173	5/17	7.36
Ravichandran Ashwin	197	171	4/34	7.01
Lasith Malinga	122	170	5/13	7.14
Bhuvaneshwar Kumar	160	170	5/19	7.39
Sunil Narine	162	163	5/19	6.73
Ravindra Jadeja	226	152	5/16	7.60
Harbhajan Singh	163	150	5/18	7.07

 

Yuzvendra Chahal – Highest Wicket Taker in IPL History: 187 wickets in 145 matches

 

 Credit: NDTV Sports

The 2022 IPL Purple Cap winner, Yuzi Chahal is the highest wicket taker in the IPL history. He has picked up 187 wickets in 145 matches. The crazy thing is that he has only played in the IPL for 10 seasons, from 2013 – 2023, and is still going strong. Being an important part of the Rajasthan Royals team, he can easily smash through the 200 wicket mark in the 2024 IPL season. Chahal is known for his clever leg spin bowling. He is excellent at deceiving batsmen and taking wickets in the middle overs. His ability to bowl tight lines and control the run rate makes him a valuable asset for RR.

Dwayne Bravo: 183 wickets in 161 matches

Credit: Hindustan Times

Dwayne Bravo is without a doubt the best pacer in the IPL. His fast bowling variation, the slower balls, the pinpoint yorkers, and the cutters were sure to deceive any batsman. He could bowl in any part of the match, be it in the powerplays, the middle overs or the death overs. Bravo has picked up 183 wickets in 161 matches and recently retired from the IPL as one of the best all rounders in the league. He also picked up the most wickets in IPL 2013 and 2015 seasons and won the IPL Purple Cap in those two years. Bravo's experience and versatility make him a crucial player for the Chennai Super Kings and MS Dhoni’s frontline weapon to break any team's batting backbone.  

Piyush Chawla: 179 wickets in 181 matches

Credit: IPL

Piyush Chawla is one of the veterans of the Indian Premier League and recently has been a part of the Mumbai Indians’ side. Across 181 matches from 2008 to 2023, he has claimed 179 wickets with his subtle variations in flight and pace with this leg spin bowling. Though not the bowler you can rely on to win your matches, his ability to bowl economically in any phase of the match proves his worth. 

Amit Mishra: 173 wickets in 161 matches

Credit: News18

Mishra is a leg-spinner who is known for his sharp turn and flight. He is a wicket-taking bowler who can also bowl economically. With the status of the legend of the league, Amit Mishra has picked up a staggering 173 wickets in 161 IPL matches, for various teams, from Delhi Capitals to Sun Risers Hyderabad. 

Ravichandran Ashwin: 171 wickets in 197 matches

Credit: News18

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the smartest spin bowlers   who is known for his off-spin, his spin bowling variations and his ability to control the run rate. He is a wicket-taking bowler who can also bowl economically. His skills to vary his pace and use subtle changes in trajectory and a knack for picking up crucial wickets has made him a successful bowler in the powerplay over with the new leather ball. In 197 matches played for CSK, Punjab Kings and the Rajasthan Royals, Ravichandran Ashwin has picked up 171 wickets. 

Lasith Malinga: 170 wickets in 122 matches

Credit: Scroll.in

Lasith Malinga has been one of the most lethal fast bowlers in IPL’s history. With a slingy bowling action and bowling devastating yorkers at speeds of 140+ kmph, Malinga was a goldmine for the Mumbai Indians Team. If not for his fitness conditions, he could have played for more seasons with the 5 Times IPL winners. What’s mind boggling is the number of wickets he has picked up in the number of the matches. He has scalped 170 wickets in just 122 IPL games, CRAZY! He is an undoubted legend of the IPL and is currently working as the bowling coach for MI. 

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar: 170 wickets in 160 matches

Credit: Tribune India

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, the swing king has been one of the best fast bowlers in the Indian Premier League in the past few seasons. Playing for the SunRisers Hyderabad, he has picked up 170 wickets in 160 matches. Bhuvi is a brilliant swing bowler known for his accuracy and ability to move the new leather ball in both directions. His wicket-taking ability in the powerplays economical bowling in the death overs proved very important in SRH’s IPL winning season in 2016. He is also a two time IPL Purple Cap winner in 2016 and 2017. 

Sunil Narine: 163 wickets in 162 matches

 

Credit: Times of India

Sunil Narine's mystery spin has bamboozled batsmen in the IPL. Across 162 matches from 2012 to 2023, he has picked up 163 wickets with his unorthodox bowling action and subtle variations. His ability to strangle opposition batsmen, especially in the powerplay overs and pick important wickets at crucial moments have helped Kolkata Knight Riders immensely. Though he has been getting found out both, with bat and ball in the past few seasons, his contributions with both have often turned the course of the game in favour of Kolkata, making him a match-winner on many occasions.

Ravindra Jadeja: 152 wickets in 226 matches

Credit: Times of India

Though Ravindra Jadeja's significantly fewer wickets in more matches don’t make a lot of sense as one of the best bowlers in the IPL, there’s no denying that his left-arm spin, electric fielding, and strong middle order batting displays have cemented him as one of the best all rounder in the IPL. With 152 wickets in 226 matches from 2008 to 2023, Jadeja's accuracy and ability to vary his pace have been his strengths. Moreover, his exceptional fielding skills and ability to contribute with the bat have made him a key player for the Chennai Super Kings in all aspects of the game.

Harbhajan Singh: 150 wickets in 163 matches. 

Credit: Onmanorama

Another veteran on this list is the Turbanator, Harbhajan Singh. With 150 wickets in 163 matches, he is the tenth-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. His off spin bowling, experience and ability to smack balls out of the park while batting both for the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings have given him Legend status in the IPL. 

Also Read: Most Wickets in Cricket History

IPL Purple Cap Winners List: Most Wicket Takers in Every Season

Year	Player	Team	Matches	Wickets	Economy Rate	Average	Best Bowling
2008	Sohail Tanvir	Rajasthan Royals (RR)	11	22	6.46	12.09	6/14
2009	RP Singh	Deccan Chargers	16	23	6.98	18.13	4/22
2010	Pragyan Ojha	Deccan Chargers	16	21	7.29	20.42	3/26
2011	Lasith Malinga	Mumbai Indians (MI)	16	28	5.95	13.39	5/13
2012	Morne Morkel	Delhi Capitals	16	25	7.19	18.12	4/20
2013	Dwayne Bravo	Chennai Super Kings	18	32	7.95	15.53	4/42
2014	Mohit Sharma	Chennai	16	23	8.39	19.65	4/14
2015	Dwayne Bravo	Chennai	17	26	8.14	16.38	3/22
2016	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	Sun Risers Hyderabad	17	23	7.42	21.30	4/29
2017	Bhuvneshwar Kumar	Hyderabad	14	26	7.05	14.19	5/19
2018	Andrew Tye	Punjab Kings	14	24	8.00	18.66	5/17
2019	Imran Tahir	Chennai	17	26	6.69	16.57	4/12
2020	Kagiso Rabada	Delhi	17	30	8.34	18.26	4/24
2021	Harshal Patel	Royal Challengers Bangalore	15	32	8.14	14.34	5/27
2022	Yuzvendra Chahal	Rajasthan	17	27	7.75	19.71	5/40
2023	Mohammed Shami	Gujarat Titans	17	28	8.03	18.64	4/11

IPL Purple Cap Winner 2008 - Sohail Tanvir:

Wickets: 22
Matches: 11
Economy Rate: 6.46
Best Bowling: 6/14

IPL Purple Cap Winner 2009 - RP Singh

Wickets: 23
Matches: 16
Economy Rate: 6.98
Best Bowling: 4/22

IPL Purple Cap holder 2010 - Pragyan Ojha

Wickets: 21
Matches: 16
Economy Rate: 7.29
Best Bowling: 3/26

IPL Purple Cap Winner in 2011 - Lasith Malinga

Wickets: 28
Matches: 16
Economy Rate: 5.95
Best Bowling: 5/13

IPL Purple Cap winner in 2013 - Dwayne Bravo

Wickets: 32
Matches: 18
Economy Rate: 7.95
Best Bowling: 4/42

IPL Purple Cap winner in 2014 - Mohit Sharma

Wickets: 23
Matches: 16
Economy Rate: 8.39
Best Bowling: 4/14

2015 IPL Purple Cap Holder - Dwayne Bravo

Wickets: 26
Matches: 17
Economy Rate: 8.14
Best Bowling: 3/22

2016 IPL Purple Cap Winner - Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Wickets: 23
Matches: 17
Economy Rate: 7.42
Best Bowling: 4/29

IPL Purple Cap winner 2017 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Wickets: 26
Matches: 14
Economy Rate: 7.05
Best Bowling: 5/19

IPL 2018 Purple Cap Winner - Andrew Tye

Wickets: 24
Matches: 14
Economy Rate: 8.00
Best Bowling: 5/17

IPL 2019 Purple Cap Winner - Imran Tahir

Wickets: 26
Matches: 17
Economy Rate: 6.69
Best Bowling: 4/12

2020 IPL Purple Cap Winner - Kagiso Rabada

Wickets: 30
Matches: 17
Economy Rate: 8.34
Best Bowling: 4/24

Most Wickets in 2021 IPL: Purple Cap 2021 Winner - Harshal Patel

Wickets: 32
Matches: 15
Economy Rate: 8.14
Best Bowling: 5/27

Most Wickets in IPL 2022: Purple Cap 2022 Winner - Yuzvendra Chahal

Wickets: 27
Matches: 17
Economy Rate: 7.75
Best Bowling: 5/40

Most Wicket in 2023: Purple Cap Winner in IPL 2023 - Mohammad Shami

Wickets: 28
Matches: 17
Economy Rate: 8.03
Best Bowling: 4/11

Also Read: Orange Cap Winners List

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