5 highest wicket takers in the IPL

Since its inception in 2008 the IPL has always captured the imagination of cricket fans in India and around the world. With its glitz and glamour, fans are glued to their TV sets in April-May every year as this sporting extravaganza gets played out in India. It is the most watched cricket league in the world, so much so that the ICC provides a separate calendar to it every year - a time when most of the international cricketing action takes a break.

Even though we generally associate T20 with explosive hitting and powerful batting it is actually the bowlers who are the trump cards. No matter the runs put up on the board, if the bowlers are unable to defend the target, it turns out to be futile in the end.

With the 2018 IPL auction around the corner quality bowlers are likely to in great demand. Several wonderful bowlers have made their mark in the Indian Premier League over the years. So, how many of them make into the list of the top 5 bowlers? Let us take a look

Here is a list of the top 5 wicket takers in the IPL over the years:

#5 Dwayne Bravo

Dwayne Bravo enjoyed his best years in the IPL with CSK.

Dwayne Bravo is the quintessential Caribbean cricketer, with his flair and passion for the game. An all rounder, he is a treat to watch when he bats with his wristy flicks reminding us Indian fans of VVS Laxman. With the ball, he is equally effective with his range of variations including a slower delivery with which he can deceive the best of batsmen.

Dwayne Bravo started his IPL career with the Mumbai Indians. After spending three seasons with them, he was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings in the 2011 season, with whom he enjoyed his most productive seasons. He won the purple cap-awarded to the highest wicket taker twice, once in 2013 when he picked up a whooping 32 wickets and again in 2015 with 26 wickets. After the two-year suspension handed to the Chennai Super Kings in 2015, he moved to the Gujarat Lions for the past two seasons.

Overall, he has picked up a total of 122 wickets in 106 matches, picking up two four wicket hauls on the way to occupy the number 5 position on the list.

#4 Piyush Chawla

Piyush Chawla in action for KKR.

Indian leg spinner Piyush Chawla burst into the scene very early- as a 15-year-old, he represented India at the U-19 level and his home state Uttar Pradesh in the U-22 level. He caught everyone's attention when he dismissed the great Sachin Tendulkar with a googly in the 2006 Challenger Trophy. He does not turn the ball much, but his weapon is his potent googly, with which he has picked up loads of wickets.

Piyush Chawla started his IPL career with Kings XI Punjab in 2008 and stayed with them till 2013. He was picked up by the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2014 after he was not retained by Punjab. He has performed consistently with the ball in all the seasons without ever setting the stage on fire. His best performance came in his début season when he picked up 17 wickets.

In all he has picked up a total of 126 wickets in 129 matches so far with best figures of 4/17. He has also picked up 2 four wicket hauls on the way.

#3 Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh has played a key part in all of Mumbai's wins.

Harbhajan Singh or 'The Turbanator' as he is popularly known has been a wonderful servant of Indian Cricket. The wily off spinner has provided many moments to remember over the years, including his famous hat trick in the 2001 test match against Australia in Kolkata. This passionate cricketer became even more successful after he added even more variation to his repertoire with the doosra - which turns away from the right hander.

In the IPL Harbhajan has stuck with the same team since the very beginning - Mumbai Indians, and he has become a fan favourite here. He even led the team for a short duration when Sachin Tendulkar was out injured.

He has picked up a total of 127 wickets in the IPL in 136 matches, with a five wicket haul along the way. However, his most impressive statistic is his economy rate - 6.95. To concede under 7 runs an over for 10 years as an off spinner on the usually flat pitches prepared in the IPL is an astounding achievement.

#2 Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra is the most successful spinner in the IPL.

Amit Mishra is today the forgotten spinner of Indian cricket. He is a conventional leg spinner - with his classical leg spin, relying mostly on flight, drift and a leg break that turns big. He also puts in the odd googly to bamboozle the batsmen.

In the IPL Amit Mishra has played for a number of teams so far - he started with the Delhi Daredevils moved to the Deccan Chargers then to the Sunrisers Hyderabad and finally returned back to Delhi. He is the first and only player in the history of the IPL to take three hat tricks, having taken one with each of the teams he has played with.

Overall, he has taken 134 wickets in the IPL so far in 126 matches with best figures of 5/17. He also picked up three four wicket hauls and a solitary five-for on the way.

#1 Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga is the most successful IPL bowler.

This flamboyant cricketer from Sri Lanka with his fast searing yorkers, perfectly disguised slower deliveries and an excellent bouncer is one of the great limited overs bowlers in his prime. With his slingy round-arm action batsmen knew what was to come, but rarely they could do anything to counter it.

Malinga has been with the Mumbai Indians since the inception of the IPL in 2008. Although he has won the purple cap only once he has been extremely consistent - picking up 20 or more wickets in 4 of the 8 seasons he has played (he missed the 2008 and 2016 seasons with injuries).

He has picked up a whooping 154 wickets so far in just 110 matches - he is 20 ahead of the second placed Amit Mishra. He also had the most four wicket hauls in the IPL and he has picked up those wickets at an economy rate of just 6.86. Lasith Malinga is thus an IPL legend.