Top 3 bowling attacks of IPL 2018

When the concept of T20 cricket came into existence, it was believed that the shortest format of cricket will be a batsman's game.

However, this perception has changed with time. Bowlers are equally, if not more, important in T20 cricket.

Especially in IPL, it has been observed that over the years teams with good bowling-attacks have been able to perform better.

A good spell of bowling or a few quiet overs can turn a match on its head. The reason behind this might be the nature of T20 cricket.

Batsmen are under constant pressure of hitting big shots and when they aren't able to do that for a few overs, they succumb to the pressure and give away their wicket in pursuance of quick runs.

Thus, a good bowling-attack is imperative for every IPL team. We will look at three teams who have the best bowling-attack going into IPL 2018.

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#3 Sunrisers Hyderabad

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan will join hands for SRH once again

Sunrisers Hyderabad did very well in the auctions as they were able to keep the core of their team intact.

They had already retained Bhuvneshwar Kumar who has won the purple cap for the last two years, and they got back Rashid Khan using the RTM card.

Bhuvi is currently one of the best-limited overs bowlers in the world and his effective bowling in the death overs has contributed tremendously in Sunrisers' success in the recent past.

Khan's success in T20 cricket is depicted in the T20 rankings, which he tops at the moment. Rashid will be joined by Bangladesh's Shakib Al Hasan.

Al Hasan has been terrific with the ball for Kolkata Knight Riders and will look to continue to do so for the Sunrisers.

The Hyderabad also bought some domestic Indian pacers who have been proven performers in the IPL.

Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, and Basil Thampi, all have done exceedingly well for their previous franchises.

They also have T20 specialist bowlers in Chris Jordan and Mohammad Nabi in their squad, which makes Sunrisers Hyderabad a team to beat in this IPL.

#2 Royal Challengers Bangalore

Washington Sundar's good performance for India will please the RCB team management

RCB has always been famous for its star-studded batting line-up. They have always prepared batting pitches at their home ground, Chinnaswamy Stadium.

This has resulted in some high-scoring matches, which is always a spectacle for the crowd, but in the process, more often than not, they have dented their bowling.

RCB bowlers have always taken a beating in the IPL, and thus, they have struggled to win an IPL title.

But this year, RCB has made a conscious effort of strengthening its bowling attack. They retained Yuzvendra Chahal using the RTM card and bought the latest bowling sensation, Washington Sundar.

With Sundar and Chahal in the ranks, their spin-bowling looks sorted. In the pace department, RCB seems to have picked up the whole of KKR's bowling-attack that decimated them for a meagre 49 runs last year.

Chris Woakes, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Umesh Yadav and Colin de Grandhomme, who bowled out RCB for 49 runs last year, will be part of RCB's bowling attack.

They also have young Indian fast bowlers in Mohd Siraj, Kulwant Khejroliya, Aniket Choudhary and Navdeep Saini in the side which makes them a force to reckon in this IPL.

#1 Kolkata Knight Riders

Kuldeep Yadav will have a huge role to play in KKR's campaign this year

KKR is one side in the IPL that has always stressed the importance of a good bowling attack. They have always spent more on buying reliable and effective bowlers at the auction.

And they were able to continue the same this year too. With Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, and Andrew Russell in the squad, they have formed a potent bowling-attack that can destroy any batting line-up in the tournament.

Apart from these bowlers, they also have a mix of experience and youth in their bowling. In Vinay Kumar and Piyush Chawla, they have old warhorses who have played all seasons of the IPL, while they also have young exciting talent from the triumphant India U19 team in Kamlesh Nagarkoti and Shivam Mavi.

Nagarkoti and Mavi impressed everyone with their pace and consistency in the recently concluded Under-19 World Cup. KKR will be anxiously waiting for Mitchell Johnson's availability for this year's IPL.

The former Australian speedster suffered a major head injury recently and there are questions on his participation in the tournament.

Johnson's availability will give an extra impetus to the already strong bowling attack. Overall, KKR has formed a lethal attack and it is going to be difficult for every batting side to get past them.