While the Indian Premier League is known for the power-hitting talent on display and is often termed as a graveyard for bowlers, we have still seen plenty of phenomenal bowling performances across the years. From Malinga’s toe crushers to Rashid’s leg-spinners to Kagiso Rabada’s thunderbolts, numerous batters have been made to look foolish by the best in the business. In celebration of the great bowling performances witnessed over the years, here are our top 5 bowling spells in IPL history.
5. Harshal Patel – 5 for 27 vs Mumbai Indians, 2021
Harshal Patel emerged as RCB’s go-to option at the death with this majestic spell against the defending champions in the opening game of the season in 2021. Patel became the first player to take a 5-wicket haul against the Mumbai Indians in IPL history, dismissing Ishan Kishan, Kieron Pollard, Marco Jansen and the Pandya brothers to restrict Mumbai to only 159 with the bat. The Bangalore bowler used his slower deliveries and variations to great effect, neutralizing the Mumbai lower order muscle and giving RCB the perfect start to the tournament.
4. Lasith Malinga – 5 for 13 vs Delhi Daredevils, 2011
Lasith Malinga was at his unstoppable best in 2011 as he ran through the entire Delhi Daredevils batting unit to pick up his only IPL 5-fer. Four of his five wickets were clean bowled, and no batter had any answers to his speed and unerring accuracy. Malinga first got rid of aWarner and Unmukt Chand with two searing toe crushers before coming back to clean the rest of the middle order to restrict Delhi to 95.
3. Anil Kumble – 5 for 5 vs Rajasthan Royals, 2009
At number three, we go all the way back to the 2009 season in South Africa. Playing in an RCB side which was littered with legends of the Test arena, Kumble bowled one of the finest spells in IPL history to help RCB defend a modest total of 133. Kumble was introduced into the attack after Praveen Kumar had broken through Rajasthan’s top order, and the leg-spinner wasted no time to clean through the rest of the Royals lineup and dismiss them for only 58. Kumble picked up his 5 wickets in only 3.1 overs and didn’t even concede a single boundary in this spell.
2. Sohail Tanvir – 6 for 14 vs Chennai Super Kings, 2008
Sohail Tanvir was an absolute menace in the first edition of the IPL with his unorthodox left-arm action that helped him pick up the purple cap for inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals. Tanvir even held the record for the best figures in IPL history for 11 long years as he took apart the Chennai Super Kings lineup in 200. Tanvir dismissed CSK openers Parthiv Patel and Stephen Fleming in the very first over of the innings and finished with six wickets to restrict Chennai to a target of just 109.
1. Alzarri Joseph – 6 for 12 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2019
Alzarri Joseph has only played three IPL games in his career, but the West Indian pacer arguably bowled the greatest spell in the tournament’s history on his debut. Roped in as a replacement for Adam Milne in IPL 2019, Joseph was chucked straight into the cauldron against the in-form Sunrisers Hyderabad. Defending a below-par total of 136, Joseph had a dream start as he castled the stumps of orange-cap holder David Warner with his first ball in the competition. Joseph continued to run through the SRH batting unit with his pace and bounce to register the best figures in IPL history.
[Featured Image Credit: ANI]
Shivaan Shah