From the archives: Highest Wicket Taker from each team in IPL 2010

The third edition of the Indian Premier League came back to India after being shifted to South Africa due to general elections in 2009.

The tournament commenced on 12th March 2010 in Mumbai with the final being played on 25th of April 2010 at the same venue. The old guns dominated the format yet again with a couple of youngsters stepping up their game.

Mumbai Indians dominated the Round Robin stage winning ten out of the fourteen games with Deccan Chargers finishing second on the points table. Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore were positioned at 3 and 4 respectively, with 14 points each.

The round robin was very competitive and it came down to the Net Run Rate as four teams finished with the same points. Mumbai and Chennai made it to the finals of the tournament with Chennai defeating the home team at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai. The semis and the final of the tournament were screened in 3D format across theaters in India to show the perfect mix of cinematic experience with sporting thrill.

There were some impressive bowling performances from each team and here we are looking at the highest wicket-taker from each team in the third edition of the Indian Premier League:

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#1 Deccan Chargers- Pragyan Ojha (21 Wickets)

Pragyan Ojha won the Purple Cap in that edition of the tournament

Pragyan Ojha represented Deccan Chargers in the first four editions of the Indian Premier League and finished as the best bowler to have represented the team having picked up 60 wickets in 54 matches.

However, his best season was in 2010 when he went on to win the ‘Purple Cap’ for being the highest wicket-taker in the tournament. In 16 matches, he claimed 21 wickets at an impressive average of 20.42 and played a key role in taking his team to the knockout stage.

His best figures came in the match against Mumbai Indians where he got 3 wickets for just 26 runs in his quota of four overs. He was very consistent throughout the tournament and picked up some important wickets at key junctures for his team. His bowling strike rate of 16.80 vouches for the impact he had in that tournament.

#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore - Anil Kumble (17 wickets)

Kumble showed his class in the shortest format as well

The legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble repeated his impressive bowling performance in 2010 IPL. Under his captaincy, RCB had finished as the Runner-up in the second edition in which Kumble had a significant contribution. Once again, it was Kumble’s efforts with the ball that guided RCB into the semi-finals.

Having led the side in 16 outings, he picked 17 wickets at an average of 23.94 which included a four-wicket haul in the third-place face-off against Deccan Chargers in Mumbai. He conceded only 16 runs and got the important wickets of Adam Gilchrist and Dwayne Smith.

As a leg-break bowler, his economy of 6.42 was phenomenal and it was his variations and the extra bounce he created that made a huge difference.

This helped him finish the 2010 season as the second highest wicket-taker for a second consecutive year. This was the last time the world saw him in action as he retired from IPL after this season.

#3 Delhi Daredevils - Amit Mishra (17 wickets)

Amit Mishra bowled exceptionally well in that edition of the tournament

The spinners dominated the third edition of IPL as Amit Mishra finished as the third highest wicket taker of the tournament. He had been very consistent with the ball taking 25 wickets in 17 matches before the start of the third season. Due to these performances, he cemented a place in the eleven and played all the matches of the season for the first time for the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals).

Even though his team failed to make it to the top four in the points table, it was Amit Mishra’s bowling that provided them some sweet victories. In the 14 matches he played, he scalped 17 wickets at an average of 21.35 and a more than decent economy of 6.84.

His best figures of 3 for 25 were achieved in the game against Rajasthan Royals at his home ground that paved the way for a 67-run victory. Having taken a hattrick in the first edition, Mishra continued to be an effective force against the batsmen.

#4 Mumbai Indians – Harbhajan Singh (17 wickets)

Harbhajan Singh was a key force behind Mumbai's emphatic display

Apart from Sachin Tendulkar’s effort with the bat, it was Harbhajan Singh's performance with the ball that took Mumbai Indians to the top of the table. In the previous edition, he was regarded as one of the most economical bowlers and he was keen on carrying on from where he left.

He did so by taking 17 wickets in 15 matches at a very impressive strike rate of 18.88. In a match against Deccan Chargers in Mumbai, he took two wickets giving away just 16 runs in 3 overs.

However, his best performance came against the same team but in a different match. He took 3 for 31 which won them the game by 31 runs.

Apart from bowling efforts, he was also effective with the bat down the order scoring some useful runs for his team. He also won a ‘Man of the Match’ award for his all-round performance.

#5 Chennai SuperKings- Muttiah Muralitharan (15 wickets)

The spin wizard cast his 'bowling spell' to make CSK Champions

One of the greatest spin bowlers to have played the game, Muttiah Muralitharan played for CSK in the first three editions of IPL. His bowling was top notch in the first two editions where CSK made it to the knockouts on both the occasions.

In the third edition, he was an integral part of the squad that won its maiden IPL title as he played in 12 matches and claimed 15 wickets at an average of 21.93. His best performance came against Kings XI Punjab in Chennai where he got 3 wickets for 16 runs.

It is very difficult to control the run flow in a T20 match, but, Muttiah did that with ease and gave runs at an economy rate of 6.85 only. He was able to deceive the batsman with his flight and doosra and was the leading wicket-taker for the side in that edition.

His contribution to the team’s success was immense which was quite evident when they won the championship.

#6 Kings XI Punjab – Irfan Pathan (15 wickets)

Irfan Pathan fought hard for an otherwise disappointing KXIP stint in the tournament

The third edition of IPL was a forgettable one for the Kings XI Punjab team as they emerged victorious on only four occasions while they lost on the other ten occasions to finish bottom of the table. In spite of all this, there were consistent performances from individuals that increased the morale of the unit.

One such performance was from the all-rounder, Irfan Pathan. He was very handy with the ball taking 15 wickets in the 14 matches he played. Against Delhi Daredevils in Delhi, he scalped 3 wickets for 24 runs which contributed to team’s win. When Punjab won against Mumbai, it was Pathan’s three-wicket haul that played a big role.

He finished as the leading wicket-taker for his team. Apart from this, he scored 276 runs in 13 innings at an average of 34.50 with a half-century to his name. Overall, it was Pathan’s all-round ability that helped the team to come close to a win.

#7 Rajasthan Royals - Siddharth Trivedi (11 wickets)

Trivedi was one of the few shining lights in an otherwise disappointing campaign for RR

After winning the inaugural IPL title, Rajasthan Royals struggled in the second season. This continued in the third season as they finished seventh in the points table after the round robin.

When everyone in the team was struggling to make a mark, it was Siddharth Trivedi who made the most of the opportunity that was provided to him by picking up 11 wickets in 10 innings he played, becoming the highest wicket-taker in the team.

He along with the Captain, Shane Warne bowled beautifully in a match against Deccan Chargers where the young lad picked up his best figures of 3 for 16.

It was his style of bowling in the middle overs that created a lot of pressure for the oppositions. His strike-rate of 19.36 was the one thing that stood out as a young fast bowler.

All this success earned him a place in the Ranji squad.

#8 Kolkata Knight Riders – Murali Kartik (9 wickets)

Kartik was very economical even though he didn't pick many wickets

Murali Kartik was a part of KKR from the inaugural season of the IPL. Because of his inconsistency, he was part of the eleven in only six matches in 2008.

In the second edition of the tournament, even though he couldn’t pick wickets he was one of the most economical bowlers of the 2009 IPL giving less than six runs per over.

In the third edition, KKR missed the semifinal berth because of lower net run rate. However, Murali Kartik had a decent outing picking 9 wickets in 10 matches at a strike rate of 26. Even in terms of economy, he was the best in the team conceding six and a half runs per over.

He won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his efforts with the ball against Mumbai Indians at the Eden Gardens. In that match he picked up two wickets, giving away just 20 runs in four overs. He was by far, the best bowler of the team in the third season.