5 greatest IPL bowlers of all time

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has favoured batsmen like any other T20 competition, but many bowlers have managed to stamp their authority on the tournament over the years.

In an era of small boundaries, big bats and field restrictions, both pacers and spinners have evolved constantly to keep up with the times.

In this article, we attempt to rank the 5 greatest IPL bowlers of all time.

Honorable Mentions: Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla

Both players haven't done much wrong. They are placed at #6 and #3 on the wicket-takers charts, and both have multiple IPL titles to their name.

But while Ashwin has averaged over one wicket per game only 3 times in 12 seasons, Chawla has conceded runs at above 8 an over in each of his last 4 IPL campaigns with only 36 wickets to show for.

It is also slightly tough to accommodate spinners on this list since they mostly bowl in the middle overs, where the batsmen are at their most sedate. The following players have arguably had a bigger impact on their team's success and on T20 cricket overall.

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#5 Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The leading wicket-taker among Indian pacers in IPL history, Bhuvneshwar Kumar slots in at a deserved #5 on this list. The Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer has been the leader of his team's attack for quite a few years now, and even became one of the only bowlers to be entrusted with captaincy in the IPL.

Bhuvneshwar has been next to impossible to get away in the powerplay, and unbelievably accurate with his yorkers at the death. A bowler who always gives his captain 4 overs in the toughest situations, he has taken 136 wickets in 121 games at an average of 23.91 and an economy rate of 7.23.

Bhuvneshwar has been troubled by injuries recently, and unless he brings himself back to full fitness soon, he could find himself excluded from this list.

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#4 Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra, who has taken 160 wickets in 150 games at an average of 24.19 and an economy rate of 7.34, enters this list at the #4 position. The veteran leggie has picked up more wickets than any other spinner in IPL history, and pips the likes of Ashwin and Chawla to this list owing to his better record and style of bowling.

Mishra has always been an orthodox leg-spinner who relies on flight and guile to get wickets. He has carved a niche for himself as someone who is traditional yet extremely effective - something that is very rare in the modern T20 game.

Barring his injury-hit 2020 season, Mishra has taken double-digit wickets in all but two campaigns (9 wickets in 2015 and 7 wickets in 2014). He has also taken as many as three hat-tricks in the IPL.

Mishra is getting on in years at 38, and we might not see him at the top level for much longer.

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#3 Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh has been one of the IPL's most consistent performers over the years for the Mumbai Indians and the Chennai Super Kings. The off-spinner has picked up 150 wickets in 160 games at an economy rate of 7.05, and makes it to #3 on this list due to the major impact he had on his teams' title triumphs.

Often bowling in the powerplay, Harbhajan has managed to keep most opposition batsmen in check throughout his career. He has the third-best economy rate among all bowlers to have played over 100 games, and his wicket-taking output has been high enough to pip the likes of Ashwin to this list.

Harbhajan didn't feature in IPL 2020 and is now 40 years old, but he's still expected to find a buyer at this year's auction - such is his greatness.

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#2 Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine

Sunil Narine is a slightly left-field choice at #2 as 7 bowlers have taken more wickets than him in IPL history. But the West Indian mystery spinner has revolutionised the way spinners bowl in T20 cricket, and his prime was so much higher than the other bowlers in consideration.

Bamboozling batsmen with his carrom balls and speed through the air, Narine was a force to be reckoned with during his first few years in the IPL. Issues with his action may have restricted the carrom ball to the rare appearance, but the 32-year-old is still one of the first names on the teamsheet for the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Narine has taken 127 wickets in 120 games at a stupendous economy rate of 6.77 (the highest among all bowlers who've played over 100 games). He has never conceded more than 8 runs per over in any of his IPL campaigns, and has taken over 15 wickets in a season 4 times.

A case could be made for Narine to be considered an all-rounder and not a bowler, but his batting is a recent discovery and didn't make itself known in most of his 9 IPL seasons.

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#1 Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga

Was there ever any doubt as to who would top this list? The leading wicket-taker in IPL history with 170 wickets in just 122 games at an average of 19.8 and an economy rate of 7.14, Lasith Malinga is easily the greatest bowler the league has ever seen.

Impeccable with his yorkers and slower balls, the Sri Lankan speedster played perhaps the most important role in most of the Mumbai Indians' title victories. Malinga was next to unplayable in his prime, and as his pace dropped with age, he adjusted brilliantly to remain a potent threat.

Malinga may not be part of the IPL anymore after being released by MI, but he is likely to be present on this list even a few years down the line.