“A dot ball in Twenty20 is like gold,” South African great Shaun Pollock once said, emphasising the difficulty of executing a dot ball in T20 cricket. The format, often criticised for being too batsman-friendly, is an extremely popular form of the game wherein a batsman can single-handedly turn a match on its head with a breathtaking cameo. But the game has evolved over the years, with bowlers having developed new skills, and they are now equally capable of winning games.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) has witnessed numerous game-changing spells. It has also provided a platform for rookie bowlers to showcase their talent. A three-wicket haul in a 20-over game is considered a remarkable achievement, and the IPL has recorded just 20 five-wicket hauls in 12 seasons.
Here’s a look at the best bowling figures in the history of IPL.
1) Alzarri Joseph: 3.4-1-12-6 (Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium)
The Mumbai Indians bowler has the best bowling figures in an IPL match. The Windies pacer picked up six wickets against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 edition in his debut season, breaking an 11-year-old record held by Sohail Tanvir. Joseph only played three matches before suffering an injury and did not pick up a single wicket in the other two matches he played, but he made a difference when his team needed it most. MI was defending a low total of 136 and Joseph’s spell helped the team bundle SRH out for 96.
2) Sohail Tanvir: 4-0-14-6 vs (Sawai Mansingh Stadium)
Sohail Tanvir of Rajasthan Royals produced a magical spell in the inaugural season of the IPL in 2008 when he took the Chennai Super Kings batting apart with a six-wicket haul. The spell, which included a staggering 17 dot balls, helped his team to a comfortable eight-wicket victory. The Pakistan pacer only played one season, but he took 22 wickets in 11 games and played a pivotal role in RR’s title win.
3) Adam Zampa: 4-0-19-6 (ACA-VDCA Stadium)
In 2016, Rising Pune Supergiants’ Adam Zampa became the second bowler in the history of the IPL to take six wickets in an innings. He ran through the Sunrisers Hyderabad line-up and restricted them to 137/8 in 20 overs. But Zampa’s side fell short of the target by four runs. The Aussie leg-spinner played 11 matches in the tournament and picked up 19 wickets, and he last featured in the IPL in May 2017.
4) Anil Kumble: 3.1-1-5-5 (Newlands)
Indian spin great Anil Kumble featured in three seasons of the IPL between 2008 and 2010, capturing 45 wickets in 42 matches. In 2009, he steered Royal Challengers Bangalore to a thumping 75-run victory against Rajasthan Royals in Newlands. RCB was defending a modest total of 133 and had reduced RR to 28-5 after 4.5 overs. Kumble was then introduced into the attack and he wrapped up the middle order and tail by picking up all the remaining five wickets. Kumble took 21 wickets that season.
5) Ishant Sharma: 3-0-12-5 (Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium)
Playing for Deccan Chargers in 2011, Ishant Sharma claimed his maiden five-wicket haul in the IPL against Kochi Tuskers Kerala. The Tuskers only needed 130 runs to win from 20 overs, but they were derailed early in the chase thanks to Sharma’s explosive opening spell. They were reduced to 6/11 after four overs, with Sharma picking five of the six wickets. Mahela Jayawardena’s side was eventually bowled out for 74. Sharma has taken 72 wickets from 89 matches in his IPL career and is currently part of Delhi Capitals.
List of other five-wicket hauls:
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