Top 5 bowling spells in the IPL

The Indian Premier League will return for its 11th season on April 7, with defending champions Mumbai Indians taking on arch-rivals, and two-time champions Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium.

Inarguably the most exciting T20 league in the world, the IPL has, over the years, seen some of the most exciting and thrilling matches of all time. As with all the T20 leagues across the globe, the IPL has seen a large number of memorable batting performances by heavyweights like Chris Gayle (175 vs PWI), Brendon McCullum (158 vs RCB) and David Warner (126 vs KKR).

However, over the years, fans have witnessed some exceptional bowling spells as well, the kind of spells that turned matches on their head.

As we expect a few exceptional bowling spells in the upcoming season as well, we take a look at the 5 best spells in the 10-year history of India's premier T20 league.

#5 Jaydev Unadkat 5/25 vs DD (2013)

Unadkat took RCB to a thrilling victory

In the 10th season of the IPL, Jaydev Unadkat ended as the second highest wicket-taker, only behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar. His fiery bowling performances won many matches for Rising Pune Supergiant en route their near-perfect campaign. However, it was not in this fairy tale season that he bowled the most memorable spell of his IPL career. It was back in 2013 when a young Unadkat, bowling with pace and aggression, took Royal Challengers Bangalore to a victory against Delhi Daredevils.

Batting first, RCB pilled up a mammoth 183 from their 20 overs, courtesy a sensational 99 from Virat Kohli. Delhi Daredevils started the chase in an explosive manner, with both Mahela Jayawardene and Virender Sehwag hitting 8 fours between themselves. However, Unadkat dismissed both the openers within the spell of three overs to reduce them to 49/2. Delhi retaliated with Unmukt Chand and Ben Rohrer taking them close to victory.

However, Unadkat returned to remove Chand and Kedar Jadhav in the 17th over. A late surge from Irfan Pathan and Morne Morkel reduced the deficit to 19 runs in the final over. Unadkat, with figures of 4/11 in 3 overs, removed Morkel and gave away 14 runs to win the thrilling contest for RCB by just 4 runs. Finishing his 4-over spell with 5 wickets and just 25 runs, Unadkat was chosen as the Player of the Match.

#4 Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5/19 vs KXIP (2017)

Bhuvneshwar breathed fire with the ball against KXIP

There are very few bowlers in the world more threatening and consistent in the limited overs format than Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Once regarded as the most promising young fast bowler in India, Bhuvi has now matured into India's premier pacer. Just 28 years of age, it's really hard to digest the fact that he has been playing the IPL for over 7 years.

Even more surprising is the fact that he is the highest wicket taker among Indian fast bowlers. However, it wasn't until the 2016 season that Bhuvneshwar became famous for his IPL exploits, and his 2017 campaign can easily be regarded as the best season by a fast bowler. His match-winning performance against KXIP is a testament to his prowess as one of the best in the IPL.

Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a respectable total of 159/6 after impressive batting by David Warner. Defending 160, Bhuvneshwar started with a bang as he dismissed the experienced Amla off the very first ball of the innings and Glenn Maxwell in the third over to reduce KXIP to 16/2.

However, Manan Vohra, playing the innings of his life, nearly took the match away from SRH single-handedly. Scoring 95 from 50 balls, he took KXIP to 144 before he was clean bowled by Bhuvi in his second spell. Completing his five-for with the wickets of Mohit Sharma and KC Cariappa, Bhuvi took SRH to a 5-run win and finished with sensational figures of 5/19 in his 4 overs.

#3 Lasith Malinga 5/13 vs DD (2011)

Malinga dismantled the DD batting line-up

By 2011, Lasith Malinga was easily the most feared fast bowler in the limited-overs formats. His toe-crushing yorkers along with his slower deliveries were wreaking havoc all over the world.

In the 2010 season of the IPL, Malinga's slinging action was instrumental in taking Mumbai Indians to the final. Hence, he was expected to perform in the same way in 2011 as well. Not only did he live up to the buzz by finishing as the highest wicket taker, he started off with a bang with his best bowling spell, in Mumbai Indians' first league match, against Delhi Daredevils.

Bowling the second over of the innings in the Feroz Shah Kotla, Malinga not only removed the dangerous Warner off his second delivery, he also dismissed young sensation Unmukt Chand two deliveries later to rattle the Delhi top order.

By the time Malinga returned for his second spell in the 16th over, Delhi had already been reduced to 87 for 6. The Sri Lankan, as he did in his first spell, delivered immediately, removing Venugopal Rao with his second delivery and then Morne Morkel with his fourth delivery. In his last over, he took out Ashoke Dinda to complete his first 5-wicket haul as Delhi were bundled out for just 95 runs.

Mumbai Indians completed the chase in only 17 overs and won the match with 8 wickets in hand. Malinga was MI's instrument of destruction that day and was rightly awarded the Player of the Match for his monumental figures of 5/13 in just 3.4 overs.

#2 Anil Kumble 5/5 vs RR (2009)

The most economical spell in IPL history

Anil Kumble's exploits as India's premier leg-spinner are well documented. Retiring from the international scene at the end of 2008, Kumble finished his career as India's highest wicket taker in both Tests and ODIs. However, he failed to live up to his name in the inaugural season of the IPL as RCB finished second from bottom.

Hence, even before the second season started, Kumble had a lot of expectations on his shoulders to carry his team. He did that with a match-winning spell in the second game of the season, dismissing the defending champions for the then lowest total in IPL history.

Batting first, RCB registered a score of 133/8 thanks to a fighting 66 by Rahul Dravid after the top order was rattled by Dimitri Mascarenhas. Rajasthan Royals' chase fell off the rails after early strikes by Praveen Kumar and Jesse Ryder, who reduced RR to just 28/4. The worst was yet to come though as Anil Kumble was brought in to the attack in the 10th over.

Kumble's stunning flippers and wrong ones were a little too much for the opposition's lower-order to handle and he took the remaining wickets to bowl RR out for a meager 58. Dravid might have won the Player of the Match award for his gutsy 66, but it was Kumble's magical spell of 5/5 in just 3 overs that delivered the Rajasthan Royals their lowest total in the IPL. Till date, Kumble's spell is the most economical spell in IPL history.

#1 Sohail Tanvir 6/14 vs CSK (2008)

The first 6-wicket haul in IPL history

Rajasthan Royals' victorious campaign in the inaugural IPL season was nothing short of a fairy tale. The Royals stunned everyone by not only topping the points table, but also defeating CSK in a thrilling final to lift the trophy.

Led by the legendary Shane Warne, the team comprised the likes of Graeme Smith and Shane Watson, but there was another man who was the prime reason for their success in 2008. The only season to feature Pakistani players, Rajasthan Royals' victorious campaign was empowered by exceptional bowling spells from Sohail Tanvir, whose awe-inspiring spell against CSK in the group match is still the best bowling figures in IPL history.

Giving Rajasthan Royals the best possible start, the left-armer removed Parthiv Patel off the very first ball of the match before sending his opening partner Stephen Fleming back to the pavilion off the 5th ball of the same over. Already rattled by the twin strikes in the first over, CSK lost Vidyut in the third over as Tanvir's unorthodox bowling reduced them to 12/3 in just 3 overs. After Watson and Warne removed the middle order, CSK were at 96/7 when Tanvir returned for his second spell, in the 17th over.

Striking twice in his third over, Tanvir removed the well-settled Albie Morkel off his first delivery before knocking down the stumps to send Muralitharan packing off the 4th ball, registering his first five-for in the IPL. He clean bowled Ntini after two boundaries to take his sixth wicket, ending with figures of 6/14 in 3.4 overs. Royals completed the chase in just 14.2 overs and won the match with 8 wickets in hand.

Deservedly, Tanvir won the Match of the Match award for his sensational figures of 6/14 and ended the season as the highest wicket taker. 10 years later, his bowling figures are still the best by a bowler in the history of the IPL.