Presenting the unique bowling records in IPL
The 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) edition will be underway in less than two weeks. Defending champions Chennai Super Kings will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore on March 22. Like every season, the cash-rich league will witness several records tumble. Meanwhile, the bowlers would once again face the challenge of performing in the run-fests. Here are some of the unique bowling records in the IPL.
Most wickets for a franchise
Legend Lasith Malinga troubled the batters in the IPL throughout his career. At the time of his retirement, he was the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Malinga picked up 170 wickets, all for five-time champions Mumbai Indians. He has the most wickets for a franchise in the cash-rich league. Sunil Narine is just behind him, with 163 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads this tally
Among Indians, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the most wickets for a franchise in the IPL. He has snapped up 146 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The Indian seamer has also represented Pune Warriors India in the league.
Three bowlers with 30 wickets in a season
Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Dwayne Bravo scripted in IPL 2013 history by taking 32 wickets at an incredible average of 15.53. In 2021, Indian seamer Harshal Patel matched Bravo's record of taking the most IPL wickets in a season. He finished with 32 scalps from 15 matches for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Kagiso Rabada is the only bowler with 30 wickets in a season (2020).
A first in IPL
Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, and Mohit Sharma were the stars for Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023. They finished as the runners-up after losing to CSK. While Shami finished as the season's highest wicket-taker (28), Rashid (27) and Mohit (27) followed him. As per ESPNcricinfo, it was the first instance of the top-three wicket-takers emerging from the same team in the IPL.
MI own most fifers
It is worth noting that MI have recorded the most five-wicket hauls by a team in the IPL (six). Alzarri Joseph, Akash Madhwal, Munaf Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Malinga, and Harbhajan Singh have recorded a fifer each for MI. Notably, Joseph has the best match figures in IPL history (6/12 vs SRH, 2019). No other franchise own more than four fifers in the tournament.
A look at other notable numbers
Bhuvneshwar is the only Indian to have bowled over 1,500 dot balls in the IPL (1,534). Narine (1,478) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1,477) follow him. Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra has taken three hat-tricks, the most in the cash-rich league. Only thre bowlers have taken four wickets in the IPL finals - Anil Kumble (2009), Bravo (2013), and Karanveer Singh (2014).