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.

Read Also | From riding an auto to playing for Mumbai: Juned Khan's story will inspire millions 

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.

Read Also | Exclusive: Inspired by Easwaran's work ethic, a more mature Abishek Porel wants to score big hundreds for Bengal in Ranji Trophy 2024-25 

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

We have all heard multiple times that T20 cricket is a batter’s game. However, one thing is to be noted that it is a bowler who turns the game for his team most times. The teams across the world have understood the fact that they need a good set of bowlers to win a tournament. This is true in the biggest T20 tournament IPL as well.

Over the years, it has been seen that teams who possess quality bowlers perform quite well, while those who struggle in this department generally lag behind.

So, let's take a look at the bowlers with the most wickets in IPL history.

Also Read: Fastest 50 IPL Wickets Among Pacers (by Matches)

Top 10 bowlers with most wickets in IPL history:

10. Ravindra Jadeja | 166 Wickets

Ravindra Jadeja is easily the most well-rounded cricketer India has ever produced. A major portion of his success needs to be credited to the IPL, as the Saurashtra superstar built his international career by learning in the IPL under cricketing greats like Shane Warne, MS Dhoni, Stephen Fleming, and others. 

Apart from missing the 2010 season, Ravindra Jadeja has played all the other seasons with him representing Chennai Super Kings (CSK) since 2012. He has played 249 games taking 166 wickets with the ball with an average of 30.43 and an economy rate of 7.64.

His generational fielding skills have also shined, as the 36-year-old has taken 103 catches in the competition, making him ‘The Ultimate All-rounder’ as he is the only player to have 1000+ runs, 100+ wickets, and 100+ catches, fulfilling his 3-dimensional abilities to the fullest. 

9. Lasith Malinga | 170 Wickets

Lasith Malinga, who is undoubtedly the greatest pacer in the IPL history has taken 170 wickets in 122 games he has played. Malinga averages 19.79 with the bowl and maintained an economy rate of 7.14 in the cash-rich league. 

Though 108 of these wickets have come in death overs where batters try to score at a faster pace and often get out in the process, still his overall numbers are too good to be questioned.

Malinga started playing for Mumbai Indians in the 2009 season, and last appeared in the 2019 season. His final over in the 2019 final was enough to prove his greatness even at that stage of his career.

8. Amit Mishra | 174 Wickets

The next bowler on the list is Indian leggie Amit Mishra who has picked 174 wickets in 162 games. The eighth-highest wicket-taker in the history of IPL, Mishra, went unsold in the mega auction of IPL 2025. 

He has recorded an impressive economy of 7.37 in the league and has been crucial in taking wickets in middle overs. However, previously he has played for Lucknow Super Giants.

7. Jasprit Bumrah | 174 Wickets

Jasprit Bumrah, the game-changer of the game has put his name at no. 7 on this list of bowlers who scalped the most wickets in IPL history. Bumrah has been playing for Mumbai Indians since the 2013 season, in which the franchise bought him at a cheap price.

Bumrah has scalped 174 wickets in 139 games with an average of 22.38. Meanwhile, Bumrah has bowled at an economy rate of 7.30 in the franchise cricket league. This year he is playing for MI again as the franchise retained him before the mega auction.

6. Dwayne Bravo | 183 Wickets 

Dwayne Bravo with 183 wickets is the sixth name on the list. Bravo had been a vital cog in Chennai’s bowling lineup, particularly in the death overs. With MS Dhoni being captain, Bravo’s potential has been used very cleverly for the team’s benefit. 

The all-rounder has played 161 IPL games and averages 23.82 with the ball. He played his last IPL match in the 2022 season for Chennai.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Best Economy in IPL Since 2024

5. Ravichandran Ashwin | 185 Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin is always known as a great bowler in Test cricket but he has also proved his ability in the shortest format of the game. Meanwhile, Ash comes at number five on this list of bowlers with the most wickets in IPL history. 

Ashwin has picked 185 wickets in 219 matches with an average of 30.22. He has also maintained an economy rate of 7.18. 

Ashwin went on to play for Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals, and returns to the CSK fold after having featured for Rajasthan Royals for the last three seasons.

The Indian off-spinner was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs. 9.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. Ashwin had burst onto the scene in 2009 with CSK under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. He represented Super Kings till 2015 and was part of two title-winning campaigns, in 2010 and 2011. 

4. Sunil Narine | 190* Wickets

The next bowler on this is none other than the West Indies magician Sunil Narine. Narine has taken 190 wickets in 186 games with an average of 25.39 and bowls with an economy rate of 6.77. 

He has been a crucial member of the Kolkata-based franchise KKR, as the franchise won the league back in 2012, 2014, and 2024.

Narine has also played as an opener under Gambhir's captaincy. However, currently, he is with the KKR franchise as they retain the off-spinner before the IPL 2025 mega auction.

3. Piyush Chawla | 192 Wickets

Piyush Chawla, who was bought by Mumbai Indians for IPL 2021 in the mini-auction is the third-highest wicket-taker in the league history. He has picked 192 wickets in 192 matches with an average of 26.60 and an economy being 7.96. 

Piyush Chawla has earlier featured for Chennai, Punjab, and Kolkata-based franchises in the cash-rich league.

Over the last two years, Chawla was the lead spinner for Mumbai Indians. But, no teams went for him in IPL 2025 auction.

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 193 Wickets

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with 193 wickets is the second name in this list of players with the most wickets in IPL. Bhuvi has played in 185 matches in which he took those 193 wickets at an average of 27.01. However, he has bowled with an economy rate of 7.60 in the league. 

Meanwhile, Bhuvi is playimg for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru franchise as they bought him in the IPL 2025 mega auction at a whopping 10.75 crore price.

Also Read: Most Dot Balls Bowled in IPL History: No one is catching Bhuvi

1. Yuzvendra Chahal | 214 Wickets

Yuzvendra Chahal has taken the most wickets in IPL history. Chahal has played in 169 games in which he has scalped 214 wickets with an average of 22.63. Moreover, he has an economy of 7.90 in the league.

Previously Chahal has played for RCB till 2021 and this season he is featuring the Punjab Kings as they bought him in the IPL 2025 mega auction.

Chahal was with Rajasthan Royals since the 2022 season, claiming 66 wickets in 46 games. He has also represented Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians earlier in the IPL. He is among the 19 bowlers to have claimed a hat-trick in the IPL.

The leg-break bowler also won the Purple Cap for being the leading wicket-taker during the 2022 season, with 27 wickets to his name in 17 games at an average of 19.51 and an economy of 7.75.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a tournament where batsmen dominate more. But, in the history of the cash-rich league, there have been many bowlers who fool the batsmen with their clever bowling and deprive them of scoring runs by bowling dot balls.

Fast cricket is being seen in every season of IPL, where batsmen hit a lot of fours and sixes. On the other hand, bowlers seem helpless most of the time. To get out of this situation, you need to have bowlers who can control the run flow of the opposition team by bowling dot balls.

Also Read: IPL facts: Every player to make IPL debut before turning 18

In this article, we will be discussing about the top 10 bowlers with most dot balls bowled in IPL history.

Most Dot Balls Bowled in IPL

10. Amit Mishra | 1191

Amit Mishra has been among the top wicket-takers in the IPL. He is also the only bowler to take three hat-tricks in IPL history.

The experienced leg spinner has outfoxed batters with his flighted deliveries and leg breaks. Mishra was in his prime in the initial seasons of the league, taking heaps of wickets. Over the years, Mishra has bowled 1191 dot balls in 162 games while picking up 174 wickets. 

9. Umesh Yadav | 1203

Umesh Yadav has sent down 1203 dot balls in his IPL career. The right-arm fast bowler grabbed everyone’s attention with his quick pace. He then showcased his ability in the IPL, making his debut for Delhi in 2010. Yadav can move the ball in and out while hitting above 135 kmph consistently.

Thus far, the Vidarbha bowler has represented four teams and took 144 wickets in 148 matches.

8. Harbhajan Singh | 1268

Harbhajan Singh delivered 1268 dot balls in his 163-match IPL career. The former off-spinner was a crucial member of Mumbai Indians (MI) for 10 seasons between 2008 and 2017. He played a major role in Mumbai winning the league three times, especially in 2013, when he racked up 24 wickets. 

Harbhajan then moved to Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), playing his last game in 2021. Harbhajan got the better of batters with his varying length and pace while using his off-spin tricks. He took 150 wickets in 160 appearances at an economy rate of 7.08.

7. Yuzvendra Chahal | 1272

Yuzvendra Chahal is the most successful bowler in IPL history, sitting at the top of the wicket chart. The leg spinner has bagged 214 wickets in 168 matches while giving away 7.90 runs per over. On top of that, Chahal has delivered 1272 dot balls in the league. 

What makes his achievement special is he bowled most of his overs at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where batters find it easy to score runs. Despite that, the leggie put up a break on run scoring, which is evident from his numbers.

6. Ravindra Jadeja | 1273

One of the best all-rounders, Ravindra Jadeja has kept batters calm with his accurate bowling. The elite left-arm spinner bowls wicket-to-wicket, not giving much room to batters to score runs.

This has resulted in him bowling 1273 dot deliveries in 219 innings. Jadeja also boasts 165 wickets at an economy of 7.65 while representing four teams.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Best Economy in IPL Since 2024

5. Jasprit Bumrah | 1301

Jasprit Bumrah’s rise in world cricket is phenomenal. The right-arm pacer came to the IPL in 2013 and turned everyone’s heads around with his unorthodox slingy action. Thanks to his exploits in the league, Bumrah soon entered the Indian team, emerging as one of the greatest fast bowlers from the country. 

Mumbai Indians scouts unearthed the rookie talent, who has been playing for them ever since. Bumrah’s awkward release point makes it hard for batters to play him, helping him put a lid on run scoring. Thus far, he has fired down the fifth-most dot balls, with 1301 dots in 137 innings while adding 169 wickets at an economy rate of 7.30.

4. Piyush Chawla | 1337

One of the most successful bowlers in IPL history, India's dangerous leg-spinner Piyush Chawla has bowled 1337 dot balls in the tournament. He has managed to secure the fourth position in this list.

Additionally, with an impressive economy rate of 7.96 and an excellent bowling average of 26.6, Chawla holds the record for taking the second-highest number of wickets (192) in the history of the tournament.

3. Ravichandran Ashwin | 1606

India's experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is third on this list with 1606 dot balls in 215 IPL innings. His economy in the league is impressive at 7.19 and he has also taken 4 wickets once.

Ashwin captained the Punjab Kings franchise for two seasons and played for Delhi Capitals in the 2020 and 2021 seasons and is currently playing for Chennai Super Kings. He has taken 185 wickets in an average of 30.23.

2. Sunil Narine | 1651

West Indies mystery spinner Sunil Narine made his IPL debut in 2012. Since then, this star all-rounder has been an important player for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Batters often find it hard to navigate his mystery spin, resulting in fewer runs and more wickets.

In the history of IPL, Narine has bowled 1651 dot balls and he is second on this list. Narine has taken a total of 187 wickets in 181 IPL innings.

Also Read: IPL Facts: Lowest Total Defended in IPL

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 1736

India's experienced right-arm fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes first in the list of most dot balls bowled in IPL history. Bhuvi, who has the ability to swing the new ball both ways, has bowled 1736 dot balls in the cash-rich league. 

Bhuvi started playing in the IPL in 2011 with Pune Warriors before moving to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in 2014. Since then, he has shown his incredible control over the ball, often putting a break on the run flow of the batting sides. He will now represent Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 2025 season.

The Indian fast bowler has taken 189 wickets in 183 innings at an average of 27.14 and an economy of 7.57.

In the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL), some bowlers have distinguished themselves with their skills and tactics in taking wickets in the first over. Bowling the powerplay in T20 cricket is not an easy task, especially when the game is more in favor of the batsmen. 

In the IPL, we often see teams scoring more than 200 runs. Batsmen also attack the bowlers from the very first ball. In such a situation, some bowlers have become experts in the art of taking wickets in the first over with the new ball, which puts the opposition under pressure right from the start. 

In this article, we will discuss the list of bowlers who have taken the most wickets in 1st over of IPL.

Also Read: Most Fifties (and over) in IPL History

Most Wickets in 1st Over of IPL

1. Trent Boult | 31 Wickets 

New Zealand left-arm pacer Trent Boult has the most wickets in 1st over of IPL. He is in high demand in franchise cricket because of his exceptional ability to take wickets in the powerplay. He has played for five teams in the IPL—Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders. His total wicket tally is over 120, and 31 of them have come in the first over.

Boult played his first IPL match on April 11, 2015, against Chennai Super Kings. So far, he has taken 126 wickets in 110 matches in the league at an average of 27.14 and an economy rate of 8.35. His best performance during this period has been taking 4 wickets while giving 18 runs. His IPL win for Mumbai Indians in 2020 and his 'Player of the Match' award in the final are testament to his achievements.

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 27 Wickets

When it comes to ranking some of the best bowlers in IPL history, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is right up there at the top. Although, he is not at the peak of his powers at the moment, the Indian pacer will be regarded as one of IPL's all-time greats. 

The Indian pacer holds the Indian record for taking the most wickets in 1st over of IPL. The experienced bowler can bowl at all levels in T20Is, but his main strength is taking wickets with the new ball. He has been a key player for Sunrisers Hyderabad for a long time.

Bhuvneshwar's total wickets in his IPL career are 187, the most among Indian pacers. Of these, 27 came in the first over. He won the Purple Cap in two consecutive seasons in 2016 and 2017, which is a testament to his consistency. His swing and accuracy make him a nightmare for batsmen in the first over.

3. Praveen Kumar | 15 Wickets

The right-arm seamer Praveen Kumar has the third most wickets in 1st over of IPL. He has had a 10-year-long IPL career, in which he has taken 15 wickets in the first over to his name and has deceived the batters with his immaculate control. 

Praveen has played 119 matches and picked 90 wickets at an average of 36.12. Kumar famously picked up a hat trick in the 2010 edition of the tournament against Rajasthan Royals and became the sixth player in the history of the tournament to achieve the feat.

Also Read: Most Ducks in IPL: Rohit Sharma equals Dinesh Karthik's record

4. Deepak Chahar | 14 Wickets

Deepak Chahar rose to prominence in the IPL 2018 campaign, where MS Dhoni entrusted the youngster with the new ball. There was no looking back for Chahar, as he repaid his captain’s faith in him, and has become a mainstay in the Chennai Super Kings side for the last six seasons.

Deepak Chahar generally bowls about three overs in the powerplay overs, as he is most effective with the new ball. The 31-year-old pacer has picked up 14 wickets in the first over of IPL. Overall, the talented pacer has 82 wickets in his 87 IPL matches at an average of 28.93.

Chahar has won the IPL title three times for Chennai Super Kings, and his swing bowling has played a vital role for the team.

5. Sandeep Sharma | 13 Wickets

Rajasthan Royals player Sandeep Sharma, undoubtedly one of the better bowlers with the new ball, has the fifth highest wickets in 1st over of IPL. Sandeep has 13 scalps to his name in the first over of IPL at an average of 28.92, and an economy rate of just 5.29. 

The pacer has picked up 142 wickets in 133 IPL outings at an average of 27.49. The former Sunrisers Hyderabad player’s best bowling figure in IPL came against Delhi Capitals in 2017, where he picked up four wickets, whilst conceding just 20 runs in four overs. A certain achievement in the pacer’s career is that he holds the record for dismissing Virat Kohli on most occasions in IPL. 

Also Read: Most fifty in IPL history

6. Zaheer Khan | 12 Wickets

One of the greatest bowlers in the history of Indian cricket, Zaheer Khan has 12 wickets when he bowled the first overs in the IPL. The veteran Indian pacer ranks sixth on the list of most wickets in 1st over of IPL.

In his IPL career, Zaheer has clinched 102 wickets with an appreciable economy of 7.59 in 100 matches, making him one of the best bowlers in the league. Due to his great sense of cricket, he has also captained Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals). He had a perfect blend of brawns and brain with an astute cricketing mind and ability to match.

A total of 20 matches have been played in IPL 2025 till April 7 and most of the matches have been exciting. Many records have been made in these matches on the basis of the excellent performance of the batsmen and bowlers. 

At the same time, if we talk about the most wickets for a pacer in IPL then Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar overtook West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo to become the pacer with the most wickets in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Bhuvneshwar achieved this milestone during the IPL match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. During the match, Bhuvneshwar gave away 48 runs but got a crucial wicket of Tilak Varma, who threatened to take the game away from RCB.

Also Read: MI vs RCB: Most Wickets against RCB in IPL

In this article, we will be discussing about the most wickets for a pacer in IPL. 

Most Wickets for a pacer in IPL

4. Jasprit Bumrah | 165 Wickets

One of the most lethal pacers in modern-day cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has been Mumbai Indians’ spearhead since his debut. He has taken 165 wickets in 134 matches, with a best performance of 5/10, finishing as the team’s leading-wicket taker during three title-winning campaigns (2017, 2019 and 2020). His ability to bowl in the powerplay and nail yorkers at the death makes him a standout bowler.

Bumrah made his long-awaited injury comeback after he was picked in the Mumbai Indians Playing XI for the IPL 2025 encounter against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The 31-year-old has been missing from action since he suffered a back problem during the final Test of India’s series defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

3. Lasith Malinga | 170 Wickets

Arguably the greatest fast bowler in IPL history, Lasith Malinga was a key figure in Mumbai Indians’ success. With his deadly yorkers and deceptive slower balls, he took 170 wickets in 122 matches, boasting a stunning best of 5/13. His economy rate of 7.14 and strike rate of 16.62 highlight his dominance.

Malinga made his debut for his only IPL team Mumbai Indians, in the year 2009. He bagged a purple cap in 2011 for his exceptional performance of 28 wickets in just 16 matches.

2. Dwayne Bravo | 183 Wickets

Former West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo is at second place in the list of most wickets for a pacer in IPL. Bravo's slower balls and variations made him a CSK legend. He remains one of IPL's most iconic and successful death over specialist. 

Bravo, who last played in the IPL in 2022, has 183 scalps to his name. Bravo has played a total of 161 matches in IPL for three different teams. His best performance was 4 wickets for 22 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke Bravo's record against Mumbai in Wankhede.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL as a Captain

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 184 Wickets

RCB's fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the most wickets in IPL as a pacer. Kumar has taken 184 wickets in 179 matches. His best performance is 5 wickets for 19 runs. 

The right-arm swing bowler is also the third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. Above him are Punjab Kings (PBKS) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (206 wickets in 162 matches at an average of 22.83 and best figures of 5/40) and Piyush Chawla (192 wickets in 192 matches at an average of 26.60, with best figures of 4/17). 

Bhuvi is one of the finest bowlers in the history of the IPL, and is still going strong at the age of 35. He played for Pune Warriors initially, and then was the one of the pillars of SRH unit for a long time. He played a big role in their success and picked wickets both with the new ball and at the death, and is now doing the same for RCB in IPL 2025.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2025 Match 8 tonight at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

This is Koushik Biswas, with all the LIVE Updates for you from the web desk.

Five-time champions CSK commenced their IPL 2025 campaign with a dominating 4-wicket victory over arch-rivals Mumbai Indians. On the other hand, RCB salvaged a famous 7-wicket win against defending IPL champions KKR in the opening game of the season.

Read Also | 9 Facts from CSK vs RCB Clash That Might Surprise You

As two of the most iconic franchises are about to take on each other tonight at Chepauk, sit back and relax as we start the live coverage of the CSK vs RCB match for you. Keep refreshing the page for all the latest updates.

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