IPL is a massive domestic league and a tournament of such stature requires important bowlers to turn the match events against the opposition. Being a format of only 20 overs, batters make sure to hit big during the power play and the death overs. Middle overs are the part where the bowlers can successfully diminish the opposition's focus and stabilize the innings to their favor. This is also one of the reasons why we witness so many dots during this time. With that being said let's take a look at the IPL 2022 stats of the most dot balls bowled in IPL history.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

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Bhuvneshwar Kumar is playing in the lucrative league since 2011. He started his journey with the now-defunct team Pune Warriors India and was a part of it for 3 seasons. Later, in 2014, he joined Sunrisers Hyderabad and is now playing his 9th season for the franchise. The pacer leads the IPL 2022 stats of the most number of dot balls bowled in IPL history with 1281 dots in 133 IPL matches. Meanwhile, he also scalped 145 IPL wickets.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin secured the second position on this incredible list of IPL stats. Currently playing for Rajasthan Royals, Ashwin remained a part of quite a few IPL franchises. He started with Chennai Super Kings in 2008 and played there till 2015. Then he joined Rising Pune Supergiant, Kings XI Punjab, Delhi Capitals, and now Rajasthan Royals. Since the inaugural year of IPL, the Indian leg spinner bowled 1273 dot balls in 168 IPL matches.

Sunil Narine

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Sunil Narine is one of the key players of the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise presently. He is a part of the team since his debut year, 2012, and has established himself to be one of the pivotal players over these years. With 1272 dot balls in 136 IPL matches, Narine is securing the third position on this list.

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh made it to this list with 1268 dot balls in 163 IPL matches. The former cricketer started his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians in IPL 2008 and played for the franchise till 207. He joined Chennai Super Kings in 2018 and played there till 2020. He retired in 2021 and before that he played for Kolkata Knight Riders for a year.

Lasith Malinga

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Lasith Malinga, the greatest of all, is sitting in the fifth position on this list with 1155 dot balls in 122 IPL matches. The former cricketer was a part of IPL since the inaugural edition and played for Mumbai Indians till 2019, before retiring. Malinga is also the highest wicket-taker of this lucrative tournament with 170 wickets.

Amit Mishra

With 1154 dot balls in 154 IPL matches, Amit Mishra secured the sixth position on this list. The former Indian cricketer played for Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers, and Sunrisers Hyderabad from the 2008 IPL to the last year. Unfortunately, he went unsold in the IPL 2022 mega auction.

Pink Ball Test, a five-day match contested under lights like a One Day International, was first held in November 2015 after a lot of trials in First-Class cricket across the globe. Day-Night Test was introduced to add more to the longer format as white-ball especially the T20s has taken over the game with crowds preferring the shorter format.

Also Read: Most Runs for India in Pink Ball Test

India are set to play their second Test match of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Adelaide. After winning the Perth Test match by a massive margin of 295 runs, India will face Australia against the pink ball, under lights. So before the start of the series, let's take a look at the Indian bowlers who took the most wickets in the Pink Ball Test. 

1# Ravichandran Ashwin | 18 Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin is the highest wicket taker for India in the pink ball test. He appeared in all 4 of India's matches, taking 18 wickets at an average of 13.83. In his Test career, he played 105 matches, in which he took 536 wickets at an average of 23.95. Meanwhile, he has taken 5 wickets in 37 innings. Ashwin did not play in the first Test of the current series.

2# Axar Patel | 14 Wickets

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel has played only 2 matches with the pink ball, taking 14 wickets with a strong average of 9.14. In 2021, he took a total of 11 wickets in the day-night test played against England in Ahmedabad. He took 5 wickets in both the innings. In his Test career so far, Axar has taken 55 wickets in 14 matches at an average of 19.34.

3# Umesh Yadav | 11 Wickets

Indian fast bowler Umesh Yadav has also had a strong performance in the day-night test. The Indian fast bowler has taken 11 wickets in 2 matches with an excellent average of 15.54. In his Test career, Umesh has played 57 matches, in which he has taken 170 wickets at an average of 30.95. He is currently out of the Indian team. Umesh played his last Test in 2023.

4# Jasprit Bumrah | 10 Wickets

Jasprit Bumrah, who led the Indian team on the first test, has taken 10 wickets in the pink ball test. Bumrah has taken 10 wickets in 3 day-night tests. He took 5 wicket haul against Sri Lanka. Bumrah is currently on Australia tour. He took a total of 8 wickets in the first Perth Test of the series.

5# Ishant Sharma | 10 Wickets

Ishant Sharma has also taken 10 wickets each in the Pink Ball Test. Ishant took 10 wickets in 2 tests. He took a total of 9 wickets in the match against Bangladesh. He is currently out of the Indian team. Ishant played his last Test in 2021.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Indian pacer who last played for the Indian team in 2022, recently became the first Indian pacer to take more than 300 T20 wickets during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Tournament 2024. Captaining the Uttar Pradesh team, the medium pacer showcased even at his age, how he can be good with the ball in hand. In the UP vs Himachal Pradesh match, he claimed his 300 T20 wicket. 

Indian bowlers with most T20 wickets

As Bhuvneshwar Kumar became the first Indian pacer to achieve feat, we will give the list of Indian bowlers with most T20 wickets. 

4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 304 T20 wickets

The 35-year-old medium pacer has been one of the highest wicket-takers for India in T20I cricket. In T20 internationals for India, Bhuvnewshwar Kumar has taken 90 wickets in 87 T20I matches at an outstanding economy rate of 6.96, including two five-wicket hauls. 

In Indian Premier League, while playing for Pune Warriors and Sunrisers Hyderabad, Buvi has taken 181 wickets in 176 matches at an excellent economy rate of 7.56 runs per over. In total, Bhuvneshwar so far has taken 304 wickets in T20 cricket in 290 matches at 7.29 runs per over.

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He stands as the fourth highest wicket-taker among Indians in T20 cricket and is the only Indian fast bowler to take more than 300 wickets in shortest format of the game.

3. Ravichandran Ashwin | 310 T20 Wickets

A test legend in his own rights, Ravichandran Ashwin had started his career with the T20s. It was Chennai Super Kings who had found the spark in him which helped him gain the exposure to evantually get selected for India and flourish as an all-format bowler. The off-spinner from Tamil Nadu has played 324 T20 games so far in his career and took 324 wickets at an astonishing economoy rate of 7.06. 

In IPL, he has played for teams like CSK, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Royals, Rising Pune Supergiants and Delhi Capitals along with playing for the Indian team and Tamil Nadu in his career. In his 212 IPL games, he has taken 180 wickets at 7.12 runs per over. For India, in T20Is, Ashwin has the off-spinner took 72 wickets in only 65 games. 

2. Piyush Chawla | 319 T20 Wickets

The leg spinner has been playing T20s since 2007 and has played a total 297 T20 matches so far in his career. In his career, he has taken 319 T20 wickets with an economy rate of 7.53. However, he only played 7 T20 internationals for India and took only 4 wickets for the country.

In the Indian Premier League, he has featured in 192 games for Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians. Chawla has been one of the most successful bowlers in the tournament with 192 wickets with an economy rate of 7.96 runs per over.

Moreover, he has played for overseas teams like Sussex in Vitality Blast Tournament in England. 

1. Yuzvendra Chahal | 363 T20 Wickets

Yuzvendra Chahal is perhaps the most Indian successful bowlers in the shortest format of the game. The leg-spinner from Haryana started his career with IPL teams like Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore and made a name for yourself to get into the Indian team.

Chahal spent eight seasons with Royal Challengers Bangalore and with 113 wickets, is still their highest wicket-taker in Indian Premier League history. However, RCB decided not to retain him in the 2022 mega auction, and Chahal headed to Rajasthan Royals. 

In IPL 2025 Mega acution, he became the most expensive spinner in the tournament's history as Punjab Kings bought him for INR 18 cr. Till now, in IPL, Chahal has taken 205 wickets, and is the most successful bowler in the tournament's history. For India, he has played 80 T20I games and once was the highest wicket-taker for India in T20Is with 96 wickets.

On the first day of the second Test match being played between India and New Zealand at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Cricket Stadium in Pune, the first innings of the Kiwi team was reduced to 259 runs. New Zealand's batsmen could not stand against the Indian spinners and despite a good start, they fell apart like a pack of cards after lunch. 

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India's talented all-rounder Washington Sundar etched his name in record books with a stunning bowling display. He bowled four maidens and took seven wickets for 59 runs in 23.1 overs. This is the fourth-best figure scored by any Indian bowler against New Zealand. Let's take a look at the bowlers with the best figures for India vs New Zealand in Test cricket.

Best figures for India vs New Zealand (Test)

1# Srinivas Venkataraghavan | 8/72 (1965)

An off-spinner who was both accurate and effective, Srinivas Venkatraghavan was a member of the famous spin quartet which foxed the best batsmen in the 60’s and 70’s. In his fourth Test, Venkat captured 8 New Zealand wickets for 72 runs in the first innings of the four-day Test at Delhi. He, in fact, was lucky to be playing in the Test. Venkat had made his debut in the first match of the series. He had bowled decently in 3 drawn Tests, capturing nine wickets at 27 apiece. 

2# Erapalli Prasanna | 8/76 (1975)

Indian bowling legend, Erapalli Prasanna is known for deceiving batsmen with his magical spin. The best spell in Erapalli’s legendary career came in January 1976, in the city of Auckland. The New Zealand side batted first and scored 266. Bhagwat Chandrasekar picked up a sensational six-wicket haul for India in the first innings. India replied with a massive total of 414, with Sunil Gavaskar and Surinder Amarnath slamming centuries.

In the 2nd innings, Prasanna completely outplayed the Kiwi batsmen. The crafty spinner gobbled up the entire New Zealand batting lineup, and picked up 8 wickets, giving away 76 runs, as New Zealand were bowled out for 215. India was set a paltry target of 68, and they comfortably cantered home with 8 wickets to spare.

3# Ravichandran Ashwin | 7/59 (2016)

Ravichandran Ashwin, one of the best spinners of the current generation, achieved his best Test bowling figures against New Zealand in 2016, where he took 7 wickets for 59 runs in the second innings. One of the few cricketers who have represented India in more than 100 Test matches, Ashwin had achieved the distinction of becoming the fastest Indian to reach 500 wickets in Tests.

In the third Test in Indore in 2016 against New Zealand, India thoroughly dominated in both batting and bowling departments. Ashwin picked up 6 for 81 in the first innings, and followed it up with 7 for 59 in the second innings to end up with extraordinary match haul figures of 13 for 140 in the Test.

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4# Washington Sundar | 7/59 (2024)

India have their noses in front of New Zealand after the end of day one in the ongoing Pune Test after Washington Sundar spun a fine web around the Kiwi batters and claimed his first-ever five-wicket haul in international cricket. Sundar was the wrecker-in-chief for India as he returned figures of 7/59 and allowed India to put a bridle on New Zealand.

With this stellar performance, Sundar also matched his senior partner Ravichandran Ashwin's record of 7/59 against New Zealand in Tests (2016), achieving the feat in just his fifth Test appearance. Sundar’s figures were the best by an Indian spinner other than R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja since Anil Kumble claimed 7-48 against Australia at Chennai in 2004/05. Even among seamers, Irfan Pathan equalled Sundar’s figures (against Zimbabwe at Harare in 2005) but no one went past them.

During India's first test against New Zealand in Bengaluru, Jasprit Bumrah overtakes Ravichandran Ashwin to become the highest wicket taker in tests for the 2024 calendar year.

Bumrah took his tally to 39 wickets in 15 innings after taking Tom Blundell's wickets. Earlier, Ravichandran Ashwin had 38 wickets, sharing positions with other prominent bowlers like England's Gus Atkinson, Pakitan's Shoaib Bashir and Sri Lanka's Prabhat Jayasuriya.

Bumrah had a standout performance against England in February (6/45). In January, he had another stellar performance against South Africa, scalping 6 wickets and giving away 61 runs.

Most Test wickets taken in 2024

Match Summary

Rachin Ravindra scored his second test hundred and also became the first Kiwi after 12 years to score a century at Bangalore. It was Ross Taylor who scored 113 runs at the same venue. 

Having Tim Southee by his side, who scored a gritty 49 before entering the lunch, Rachindra gave his team a healthy lead of 299.

The day started with a good note as Mohammed Siraj got Daryl Mitchell, and Bumrah got Blundell. Jadeja took Glenn Phlilip and Matt Henry's wicket, however New Zealand bounced back strongly.

Is this the end of the road for Bhuvneshwar Kumar? The Indian Pacer was not included in the Uttar Pradesh Ranji Trophy squad for the first two games of the season. The Aryan Juyal-led side have Aaqib Khan and Ankit Rajpoot as the main pacers as Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed out on selection despite taking 13 wickets in 2 matches in Ranji Trophy 2024.

Last season, Bhuvnewshwar Kumar played two games from Uttar Pradesh and took 13 wickets including an 8/41 against Bengal in Kanpur. However, this time he will not be in action as Bengal travel to Kanpur to face UP in the Ranji Trophy 2024-25.

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With his exclusion from the UP team, it suggests that this might be the end for the Indian Pacer. However, it will be interesting to see what happens in the IPL 2025 mega auction, as that might be the last hope for the swing king.

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UP squad for Ranji Trophy 2024-25

Aryan Juyal (C) (WK), Swastik Chikara, Priyam Garg, Akshdeep Nath, Nitish Rana, Saurabh Kumar, Ankit Rajpoot, Aaqib Khan, Vipraj Nigam, Yash Dayal, Shivam Sharma, Siddhartha Yadav, Madhav Kaushik, Vijay Kumar, Aaditya Sharma (WK), Kritagya Singh.

Standby: Atal Bihari Rai, Prince Yadav, Abhishek Goswami, Vineet Panwar, Vaibhav Chaudhary, Kartikey Jaiswal