IPL 2018: Top 5 IPL spinners of all time

When T20s first started, it was believed that the spinners might not be as effective as they as in Tests and One-Days. However, that notion has been proved wrong.

Spinners form a very important part of any T20 side. Not only do they contain the run flow, they also pick up crucial wickets. We often say batsmen have learned to improvise, but even bowlers (and spinners especially) have learned to adapt to different circumstances. Most spinners today can bowl at any stage of the game – powerplay, middle-overs and the death.

Hence, we see spinners picking a lot of wickets in the shortest format. And spinners have enjoyed great success in the IPL as well. Thus, here we look at top 5 IPL spinners of all-time.

---

#5 Sunil Narine – 95 wickets

Sunil Narine was one of the few spinners who shot into the spotlight because of his T20 exploits. A mystery spinner who could turn the ball both ways, Narine had the ability to contain the batsmen and pick up wickets.

Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for USD $700,000 in 2012. And he was simply brilliant in the first three seasons. He picked up 24, 22 and 21 wickets in 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively and played a key part in two title triumphs for KKR. Narine had become the go-to bowler for skipper Gautam Gambhir and the latter often relied on the West Indian even at the death.

However, in 2015 when he returned after re-modelling his action, he wasn’t as effective as the previous seasons as he could neither pick wickets nor control the run-flow. But, he silenced his critics with a decent IPL in 2016 and a wonderful one in 2017 as an all-rounder (KKR promoted him to open the batting).

Hence, with 95 wickets in 82 IPL games at a strike-rate of 20.26 and an economy of 6.33, Narine is certainly one of the best spinners in the IPL.

#4 Ravichandran Ashwin – 100 wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin

Currently, Ravichandran Ashwin might not be in the limited-overs sides for India. But he was one of those Indian players who came into the spotlight through the IPL. A spinner who could open the bowling and then could bowl at any stage of the game, Ashwin soon became India’s No. 1 spinner across all formats.

Ashwin made his IPL debut in 2009, but he played only a couple of games in that season. It was the year 2010 that turned his career around. First, he played 12 games in the IPL and picked up 13 wickets in CSK’s first IPL title triumph, then he was the Player of the Series in the Champions League T20.

The Tamil Nadu off-spinner has an excellent record in the IPL – 100 wickets at an economy of 6.55. He uses his variations (the carom ball, the arm ball and others) brilliantly. Hence, with a century of wickets in the IPL, Ashwin is #4 on this list.

#3 Piyush Chawla – 126 wickets

Piyush Chawla

Piyush Chawla is perhaps one of the most underrated spinners playing in the IPL. With most other bowlers hogging the limelight, Chawla goes about his business quietly. He may tend to be expensive, but he has the natural knack of picking up wickets. Chawla’s main strength is his variations. He has a deceptive googly and he uses it very well.

He started his IPL career with Kings XI Punjab and was with the franchise for 6 years and did well there. But since 2014, he has played for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner is currently fourth in the leading wicket-takers list of all-time in the IPL. He has taken 126 wickets in 129 games at an average of 25.88.

#2 Harbhajan Singh – 127 wickets

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh is one of the two players to have played for the same franchise for 10 years. Bhajji (as he is fondly known as) has been Mumbai Indians’ workhorse right from the start of the IPL.

On a batting friendly Wankhede ground (which is often known as a bowler’s graveyard), he has an economy of 7 and he has picked up 49 wickets in 45 IPL games that he has played at the iconic venue.

Overall, he has played 136 matches and has taken 127 wickets and is placed third on the highest wicket-takers list of all-time in the IPL. In fact, the off-Punjab spinner has bowled the most overs in the history of the IPL (486.3 overs). Hence, with the number of overs he has bowled, an IPL-career economy of 6.99 is an excellent stat. Thus, he is #2 on the best spinners list in the IPL.

#1 Amit Mishra – 134 wickets

Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra was long seen as Anil Kumble’s replacement. However, it was a career which didn’t just take off, at least at the international level. However, his attacking leg-spin helped him take a lot of wickets in the IPL. Mishra is a wily customer and can out-fox the batsman in the air (with his flight) as well.

Amit Mishra with his 134 wickets (in 126 games) sits at the top of the tree in the best spinners of all-time in the IPL. He is the only player to take 3 hat-tricks in the IPL (in 2008, 2011 and 2013). And each hat-trick he took was for a different team (Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Charges and Sunrises Hyderabad).

He first started with Delhi Daredevils before moving to Deccan Charges and then Sunrises Hyderabad and finally moving back to Delhi. But he’s been a big wicket-taker for every franchise he’s played. Stemming the run-flow in the middle overs and picking up wickets at regular intervals. Thus, he is placed at #2 in the all-time wicket-takers list of the IPL and #1 in the spinners list.