Gone for plenty: Top 5 worst bowling figures in IPL history

T20 cricket is an extremely harsh format for the bowlers. Smaller boundaries, larger bats, and fitter cricketers have made no score impossible. It is not rare to see batsmen taking on at least one bowler from the opposition to keep up with the scoring rate. It goes the same with the IPL with batsmen targeting the last five overs to up their scoring rate and bowlers end up bagging an embarrassing record. Here are the bowlers who conceded the worst bowling figures in the history of IPL.

5. Sandeep Sharma 1/65 – KXIP v SRH, 2014

IPL veteran Sandeep Sharma is among the elite group of Indian pacers who have picked up more than 100 wickets in their IPL career. In the game against SRH in 2014, he had a good start, giving away just 13 runs in his first 2 overs. He then started his 3rd over with 2 no-balls, and Dhawan cashed in on that opportunity- scoring 26 runs off that over. Naman Ojha then continued the thrashing, smashing Sandeep for 26 runs again in his final over. Sharma got the solitary wicket of Moises Henriques as a consolation in an otherwise poor day for him. Kings XI ended up chasing down 206 runs with 6 wickets to spare.

4. Umesh Yadav 0/65 – DD v RCB, 2013

India’s Test pacer Umesh Yadav has been underperforming in the Indian Premier League in the last couple of years under RCB. However, his worst performance came against his current franchise for the Delhi Daredevils. Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers smoked him for 65 runs in his quota on a day no other Delhi bowler conceded more than 35 runs. RCB won the match by 4 runs, as Kohli’s 99 and Unadkat’s five-wicket haul ended up being the difference between the two sides.

3. Mujeeb Ur Rahman 0/66 – KXIP v SRH, 2019

Afghanistan offie Mujeeb Ur Rahman has impressed everyone with his skills in the limited over formats. However, Hyderabad bestowed no mercy upon him, as he made the record for the most runs conceded by a spinner in the IPL. He was introduced in the powerplay by captain Ravi Ashwin, as openers Warner and Saha attacked him from the start itself. Mujeeb’s fellow countryman Mohammad Nabi, batting at number 4, hit 2 sixes off his bowling. Sunrisers posted 212 runs in the first innings, as they won the match by 45 runs.

2. Ishant Sharma 0/66 – SRH v CSK, 2013

India’s Test regular Ishant Sharma has not been as impactful in the shortest format of the game. His worst bowling spell came against Chennai Super Kings at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Hyderabad. Murali Vijay went all guns blazing against him, smashing him for 3 sixes in his second over after he conceded 11 runs in his first. Raina then tonked him for 25 runs in the 18th over of the match as CSK reached 223/2. They won the match comfortably by 77 runs.

1. Basil Thampi 0/70 – SRH v RCB, 2018

BREAKING: 4-0-70-0

Basil Thampi now holds the world record for the worst figures by a bowler in T20 history. #IPL

— Srini Mama (@SriniMaama16) May 17, 2018

The Kerala born speedster was playing for the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2018 edition of the Indian Premier League. He conceded a record 70 runs against the star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore. He was brought in to bowl in the 9th over by captain Kane Williamson after which Moeen Ali and AB de Villiers took him apart. He conceded 19,18, 14, and 19 runs respectively in his four overs, which led to Bangalore posting a humongous 218/6 on the board.