5 left-arm bowlers with the most IPL wickets
Left-arm bowlers are rare compared to right-arm bowlers in world cricket. Left-arm bowlers have a different flair and skill in their bowling, especially the pacers. Many right-handed batters tend to struggle against the spin of these bowlers. In the Indian Premier League (IPL), few left-handed bowlers have made their mark in the competition with over or close to 100 wickets to their name.
Let’s take a look at 5 left-arm bowlers with the most wickets in the history of the IPL:
5.Jaydev Unadkat (91)
Left-arm medium-pacer Jaydev Unadkat has played for six different teams namely, Mumbai Indians (MI), Delhi Capitals (DC), Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS), and Rajasthan Royals (RR). He has taken the fifth most wickets (91). In 91 matches, he has an average of 30.52 and an economy rate of 8.79. His best bowling figure is 5/25 and Unadkat has taken a five-wicket haul twice in his IPL career.
4.Axar Patel (101)
Axar Patel completed the landmark of 100 wickets in the ongoing 2022 season. The spinner, who has played for DC and Punjab Kings (PBKS), has taken 101 wickets in 121 matches at an average of 30.26 and an economy rate of 7.23 with the best bowling figures of 4/21. He is one of the two left-arm spinners to achieve the milestone of a century of wickets. With no five-wicket haul to his name, Axar has taken four-for only once.
3.Zaheer Khan (102)
Indian pacer Zaheer Khan is the third name on this list. He has appeared for three franchises in his IPL career namely MI, DC, and RCB. Zaheer played exactly 100 matches in the competition and took 102 wickets at an average of 27.27 and an economy rate of 7.58 with the best bowling performance of 4/17. He is one of the two pace bowlers to pick 100 scalps.
2.Ashish Nehra (106)
Ashish Nehra has taken the second most wickets by a left-arm bowler in the history of the tournament. He has achieved 106 wickets in 88 matches playing for MI, DC, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Pune Warriors India (PWI), and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His average and economy rate are 23.53 and 7.84 respectively, with the best bowling of 4/10. Like Zaheer, Nehra also grabbed a four-wicket haul only once.
1.Ravindra Jadeja (132)
Ravindra Jadeja is the leading wicket-taker in this category. He has featured for RR, Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK), Gujarat Lions (GL), and CSK. The slow left-arm orthodox bowler has taken 132 wickets in 210 matches at an average of 30.78 and an economy rate of 7.60. His best bowling figures are 5/16 and has also taken four-wicket hauls three times. He is playing IPL since the inaugural 2008 season in which he also lifted the trophy with RR.
