Sunrisers Hyderabad’s title triumph was a testament to the fact that bowlers command equal importance in the game, even in the shortest format. Their bowling attack troubled the best of batting line-ups, right till the last match when RCB lost their way in the face of some shrewd bowling. In a format that is projected to be a batsman’s game, these bowlers have managed to consistently trouble the best of batsmen, inspite of short boundaries and broad bats.
Here’s a list of ten top performers with the ball this season:
#10 Shane Watson
A invaluable all-rounder who recently concluded his international career, Watson was more effective with the ball this time, carrying the weight of a bowling attack that flattered to deceive. He ended with as many as 20 wickets, picking bucket loads of victims in the middle overs.
He was smart with his bowling variations, slipping in the odd yorker or the slower bouncer to add onto his gentle medium pace.
#9 Ashish Nehra
It is unfortunate that Nehra got to play only 10 matches this season, but did enough in that period to set the platform for Sunrisers to make it to the playoffs, and eventually grab the title.
The left arm pacer started from where he had left off in the World T20, picking up wickets, this time in the company of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the initial overs. His length deliveries, with just the right amount of movement, made it difficult to score off him in the initial overs.
With best figures of 3-15, his economy hovered around 7.6.
#8 Adam Zampa
The leg-spinner, often compared with the legendary Shane Warne, showed what the fuss is all about, by picking 11 victims in five matches, which included an astonishing spell of 6-19 against champions Hyderabad.
His loopy action, which has the ability to extract bite and turn from the pitch, makes him a tricky bowler, with his deceptive googly being the icing on the cake. His 6-19 was the second best spell in all IPL matches.
#7 Chris Morris
Morris is a valuable asset as a whole package, yet his bowling stood out in a Delhi campaign that imploded under the weight of continuous team changes. His ability to control the ball in the final overs, with an incessant barrage of yorkers at the death, made him a dangerous customer to face in the latter part of the innings.
He picked up 13 wickets from 12 matches, bowling at a tight economy of 7 and a strike rate of 20, with best figures of 2-30.
#6 Sandeep Sharma
The unsung hero in a failed Punjab campaign, he was effective with both the new and the old ball, combining with Mohit Sharma to get the wickets column ticking, even when their batting failed them.
He didn’t get more than two wickets in any innings, yet managed as many as 15 wickets in the tournament. He bowled at an economy of 7.3, giving Punjab breakthroughs in the initial overs, match after match. He also combined with the other Sharma, Mohit, to stall the flow of runs in the final overs, hurling yorkers readily at batsmen.
#5 Mitchell McClenaghan
The left arm pacer from New Zealand carried his form from the previous edition, taking 17 wickets from 14 matches, although his efforts couldn’t take Mumbai to the playoffs.He was equally effective in the start and end overs with his sharp, aggressive bursts of pace. He was also the Purple Cap holder for a large part of the tournament.
Although his form tailed off a little in the final few matches, he was one of the most consistent performers, sharing the new ball with Tim Southee, and subsequently Vinay Kumar for Mumbai.
#4 Dhawal Kulkarni
Kulkarni has been part of the IPL since the inaugural year, first for the Mumbai Indians and then the Rajasthan Royals. He got a more prominent role for the Gujarat Lions this season, sharing the new ball with Praveen Kumar. And he stepped up to the challenge with style.
He picked up as many as 18 wickets in 14 matches this season, with a strike rate of 16 and an economy of less than 7.5. That included a deadly spell of 4-14 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy stadium.
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal
The leg-spinner carried on his form from the previous edition, breathing fire into an insipid Bangalore attack and taking them till the final hurdle with inspired spells of bowling throughout.
He took 21 wickets from 13 matches, taking crucial wickets in the middle overs even when the opening bowling was not as effective. He was the leading wicket taker for his side, taking wickets in heaps along with Shane Watson. His best figures were 4-25 against Punjab.
#2 Mustafizur Rahman
Just 20 years old but already a star, Mustafizur Rahman had been a revelation throughout the previous year and right through this IPL, producing unplayable deliveries using his slow off cutter and uncanny variations. He picked up 17 wickets from 16 matches, at an economy of 6.90.
His ability to strangle the flow of runs in the middle overs, combined with his ability to produce the odd wicket taking delivery, made him the best-emerging player of this season.
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Coming into this season having dealt with injuries and a lack of form, Bhuvneshwar Kumar came to his own this time, using the new ball to a telling effect. He spearheaded an SRH attack that was jolted by the untimely absence of Ashish Nehra, but maintained his intensity to end with 23 wickets, a good two wickets clear of Chahal, who was on second position.
He bowled at a miserly economy of 7.42, ending with the Purple Cap and capping it off with a title win for Hyderabad.
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