Updated October 2026 | All stats are as of the end of IPL 2026 (final played 31 May 2026).
Quick answer: The best bowling attack IPL history has produced is Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sunil Narine and Yuzvendra Chahal: three fast bowlers and two spinners who between them have taken 1,023 IPL wickets. We chose them by ranking the top 20 wicket takers on wickets, economy and balls per wicket. Malinga came first, and Chahal, Narine and Bumrah were next.
| Bowler | Role in the attack | Mat | Wkts | Econ | Balls per wkt | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | Death bowler, with yorkers | 122 | 170 | 7.14 | 16.6 | 4 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | New ball and death | 158 | 187 | 7.34 | 19.4 | 3 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | New-ball swing, and the death | 206 | 226 | 7.71 | 20.4 | 3 |
| Sunil Narine | Mystery spin, middle overs | 202 | 207 | 6.79 | 22.5 | 3 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | Leg-spin, middle and late overs | 188 | 233 | 8.05 | 17.3 | 0 |
Five is the right number. Every IPL team needs at least five bowlers, because no one can bowl more than four overs, and five bowlers with four overs each fill the whole innings with no sixth bowler needed. Two of the five, Malinga and Narine, are overseas players, so the attack also fits the rule of four overseas players in an XI.
Selection Criteria and the Rules We Applied
We wanted an attack that could be defended with numbers. The pool is the top 20 wicket takers in IPL history, using the figures on our most wickets in IPL history page, which run from the first season to the 2026 final. Everyone in the pool has taken at least 134 wickets.
- Three measures. We rank the 20 on wickets (more is better), economy rate (lower is better) and balls per wicket (lower is better). Wickets show volume, economy shows control, and balls per wicket shows how often a bowler strikes.
- Equal weight. A bowler’s score is the sum of his three positions, and the lowest total is first. Where two bowlers are level on a measure, they share the average of the positions.
- Tie-breaks. Equal points are broken by titles, then by player of the match awards. At the cut-off for fifth place, a gap of less than one point is treated as a tie.
- Five bowlers, four overs each. We take the top five who also satisfy the overseas rule of no more than four.
- IPL only. International records are ignored.
Positions use the figures as they are shown in the tables, economy to two decimal places and balls per wicket to one, so bowlers with the same shown figure share a position.
The method says nothing about style, so we checked the balance afterwards. The top five are three fast bowlers and two spinners, which gives the attack a pace and a spin option in every phase.
The ranking of the top ten
| Rank | Bowler | Wkts | Econ | Balls per wkt | Wkts position | Econ position | Strike position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lasith Malinga | 170 | 7.14 | 16.6 | 11 | 3 | 2.5 | 16.5 |
| 2 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 233 | 8.05 | 17.3 | 1 | 12 | 5 | 18 |
| 3 | Sunil Narine | 207 | 6.79 | 22.5 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 20 |
| 4 | Jasprit Bumrah | 187 | 7.34 | 19.4 | 5.5 | 6 | 8.5 | 20 |
| 5 | Rashid Khan | 179 | 7.28 | 19.7 | 9 | 5 | 10 | 24 |
| 6 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 226 | 7.71 | 20.4 | 2 | 9.5 | 13 | 24.5 |
| 7 | Dwayne Bravo | 183 | 8.38 | 17.0 | 7 | 14 | 4 | 25 |
| 8 | Amit Mishra | 174 | 7.38 | 19.4 | 10 | 7 | 8.5 | 25.5 |
| 9 | Piyush Chawla | 192 | 7.96 | 20.1 | 4 | 11 | 11.5 | 26.5 |
| 10 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 187 | 7.20 | 25.2 | 5.5 | 4 | 19 | 28.5 |
Narine and Bumrah are level on 20 points. Each has three titles, so the tie is broken by player of the match awards, 18 against 10, and Narine goes ahead. Rashid Khan finished half a point ahead of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 24 against 24.5, which is inside the one-point band, so the tie-break applies: Bhuvneshwar has three titles and Rashid one, and Bhuvneshwar takes the fifth place.
A worked example: Chahal scores 18
Yuzvendra Chahal has the most wickets in IPL history, 233, so he gets 1 point. His economy of 8.05 is 12th lowest of the 20, so he gets 12. He takes a wicket every 17.3 balls, fifth best, so he gets 5. The total is 1 + 12 + 5 = 18, second behind Malinga.
The Best Bowling Attack IPL Fans Could Pick, Bowler by Bowler
Lasith Malinga: the strike bowler
Malinga is first in the ranking because he strikes so often. He took a wicket every 16.6 balls, level with Harshal Patel and behind only Kagiso Rabada, and he did it at an economy of 7.14, third best of the 20. He played 122 matches, all for Mumbai Indians, between 2009 and 2019.
His best season was 2011, when he took 28 wickets in 16 matches at an economy of 5.95, won the Purple Cap, and set the cheapest economy rate of any bowler with 25 or more wickets in an IPL season. His best spell, 5/13 against Delhi Daredevils on 10 April 2011, took only 22 balls: two wickets in the powerplay and three at the death, which was the pattern of his career. He won four titles, in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019, and he bowled the last over of the 2019 final, which Mumbai won by one run.
Yuzvendra Chahal: the wicket taker
Chahal is the all-time leader with 233 wickets, and he became the first bowler to reach 200 in 2024. He has the most hauls of four or more wickets, nine, and two hat-tricks, the second against Chennai Super Kings on 30 April 2025, which put him level with Yuvraj Singh behind Amit Mishra’s three.
His economy of 8.05 is the weakest of the five, and he has no title. But he is the only leg-spinner in the group, and the one who bowls at the end of innings as well as in the middle. His best season was 2022, when he took 27 wickets for Rajasthan Royals and won the Purple Cap, including a hat-trick in a five-wicket haul against Kolkata Knight Riders. His career page has the full record.
Sunil Narine: the squeeze
Narine has the best economy rate of the 20, 6.79, and 207 wickets, the third most in the league. He is slower to strike, a wicket every 22.5 balls, which is why his place depends on the economy and on the rest of the attack. He took a hat-trick against Kings XI Punjab on 16 April 2013.
He won the tournament award in 2012, when his 24 wickets as a mystery spinner whom few batters could read helped Kolkata win their first title, and he won it again in 2018 and 2024 when he bowled four overs nearly every game while also opening the batting. He has three titles, in 2012, 2014 and 2024. His best figures, 5/19 against Kings XI Punjab in 2012, came in a match his team lost.
Jasprit Bumrah: the specialist who does everything
Bumrah has 187 wickets at an economy of 7.34 and a wicket every 19.4 balls, which puts him fourth in the ranking. He is the one bowler in the group who is equally at home with the new ball and at the death, and our greatest IPL XIs hub describes him bowling in the powerplay and at the death.
His 5/10 against Kolkata Knight Riders on 9 May 2022 were the best figures of that season, though Mumbai lost the match. His best season was 2020, when he took 27 wickets at an economy of 6.73 as Mumbai won the title, and he has won three titles, in 2017, 2019 and 2020. See his career page.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar: the swing bowler
Bhuvneshwar has 226 wickets, second only to Chahal, at an economy of 7.71, and a wicket every 20.4 balls. He is the only bowler to have won the Purple Cap in back-to-back seasons, with 23 wickets in 2016 and 26 in 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and he has played 16 seasons, from 2011 to 2026.
He is known for swing with the new ball and control at the death, and he has won three titles, in 2016, 2025 and 2026. His best season came late: 28 wickets in 2026 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, one fewer than Kagiso Rabada’s 29. See his career page.
Full Stats Table for the Attack
| Bowler | Seasons | Mat | Wkts | Econ | Balls per wkt | Best | Titles | Purple Caps | POM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lasith Malinga | 2009 to 2019 | 122 | 170 | 7.14 | 16.6 | 5/13 | 4 | 1 (2011) | 6 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 2013 to 2026 | 158 | 187 | 7.34 | 19.4 | 5/10 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 2011 to 2026 | 206 | 226 | 7.71 | 20.4 | 5/19 | 3 | 2 (2016, 2017) | 7 |
| Sunil Narine | 2012 to 2026 | 202 | 207 | 6.79 | 22.5 | 5/19 | 3 | 0 | 18 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 2013 to 2026 | 188 | 233 | 8.05 | 17.3 | 5/40 | 0 | 1 (2022) | 7 |
Combined, the five have taken 1,023 wickets, one every 19.3 balls, at an economy of about 7.41, and they have won 13 titles and four Purple Caps between them. These combined figures are calculated from the career totals above, so the economy is a weighted average and is shown to two decimals.
How the five fit together
- New ball: Bhuvneshwar’s swing and Bumrah’s pace. Both have bowled in the powerplay for years.
- Middle overs: Narine’s mystery spin and Chahal’s leg-spin.
- Death overs: Malinga’s yorkers and Bumrah’s accuracy, with Bhuvneshwar and Chahal also bowling at the end of innings.
The Hardest Calls and Who Narrowly Missed Out
The table lists the next five bowlers in the ranking.
| Bowler | Wkts | Econ | Balls per wkt | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | 179 | 7.28 | 19.7 | 24 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 183 | 8.38 | 17.0 | 25 |
| Amit Mishra | 174 | 7.38 | 19.4 | 25.5 |
| Piyush Chawla | 192 | 7.96 | 20.1 | 26.5 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 187 | 7.20 | 25.2 | 28.5 |
Rashid Khan is the toughest omission. He is fifth in the ranking on points and has 179 wickets at an economy of 7.28 with a wicket every 19.7 balls, and he took a hat-trick against Kolkata in 2023. He loses the tie-break to Bhuvneshwar on titles, three to one. Dwayne Bravo, with a wicket every 17.0 balls and 32 wickets in 2013, loses mainly on economy, 8.38. Amit Mishra (174 wickets at 7.38) and Piyush Chawla (192 at 7.96) complete the list. Ashwin’s economy of 7.20 is the fourth best of the 20, but he is the slowest striker of the ten.
Honourable Mentions
- Kagiso Rabada: the best strike rate of the top 20, a wicket every 15.5 balls, with Purple Caps in 2020 (30 wickets) and 2026 (29). His economy of 8.80 keeps him out.
- Harshal Patel: 32 wickets in 2021 equalled the single-season record, and he won the Purple Cap again in 2024. See the most wickets in a season page.
- Amit Mishra: the record of three hat-tricks, in 2008, 2011 and 2013. See most hat-tricks in IPL history.
- Mohammed Shami: 28 wickets in 2023 for Gujarat Titans, the year three of their bowlers took 25 or more.
The Bench and Impact Options
The Impact Player rule allows one change during a match. A team could name a sixth bowler among its five substitutes and bring him in when conditions suit. Our Impact Player guide explains how it works.
| Option | Why he is on the bench | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Rashid Khan | A leg-spinner who can also bat | 179 wickets at 7.28, 635 runs at a strike rate of 156.40 |
| Dwayne Bravo | A death bowler with a record season | 183 wickets, 32 in 2013, two Purple Caps |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | A spinner who bowls in the powerplay | 187 wickets at 7.20 |
| Kagiso Rabada | The fastest striker among the top 20 | A wicket every 15.5 balls |
The best use of the Impact Player in this attack is to replace a batter with one of the bench bowlers when a match calls for another option. A flat pitch might call for Rashid, a turning pitch for Ashwin, and a high-scoring chase for Bravo at the death.
Where Readers Will Disagree
- Chahal’s economy. His 8.05 is the weakest of the five and 12th of the 20. We picked him on wickets and strike rate. Anyone who wants an attack that restricts scoring will prefer Rashid or Ashwin.
- Narine’s strike rate. A wicket every 22.5 balls is 16th of the 20. His place rests on economy and on his tournament awards.
- Malinga’s career length. He played 122 matches, fewer than any of the other four. His case is the rate at which he took wickets, not the volume.
- Era. Scoring has risen: the average first-innings total was 167.0 from 2020 to 2022 and 189.7 from 2023 to 2026. Malinga played in a lower-scoring period, in which his 5.95 economy in 2011 stands out, while Bhuvneshwar, Bumrah, Narine and Chahal have all bowled into the higher-scoring years.
- Three measures. We did not use dot-ball percentage or bowling in the playoffs, because we do not have reliable figures for every bowler on those measures.
For the full side that these bowlers would join, see our all-time IPL XI page and the greatest IPL XIs hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who would make an all-time IPL XI?
Our all-time IPL XI is Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni, Andre Russell, Ravindra Jadeja, Sunil Narine, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal. Four of the five bowlers on this page, all but Malinga, are in it.
Who is the greatest IPL player ever?
There is no single agreed answer. Virat Kohli has the most runs, Yuzvendra Chahal the most wickets, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma the most titles as captain (five each), and Sunil Narine is the only three-time winner of the IPL’s most valuable player award.
Who has taken the most wickets in the IPL?
Yuzvendra Chahal, with 233 wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second with 226 and Sunil Narine third with 207.
Who has the best economy rate among the top 20 IPL wicket takers?
Sunil Narine, at 6.79 runs an over. Harbhajan Singh is next at 7.08 and Lasith Malinga third at 7.14.
What are the best bowling figures in IPL history?
Alzarri Joseph took 6/12 for Mumbai Indians in 2019, the best figures in IPL history. Jasprit Bumrah’s 5/10 in 2022 is the best of the five bowlers in this attack.
Why is Lasith Malinga first in your ranking?
He takes a wicket every 16.6 balls, among the quickest of the top 20, at an economy of 7.14, the third best. That gives him the lowest total on the three measures, even though he played fewer matches than the other four.