Nothing tests a bowler’s skills better than T20 cricket. It’s one format where bowlers need to be a step ahead of the batters.
A small mistake in line and length costs them and their team a lot. And if something like this happens in the big finale, then it’s game over for the bowling side. But many bowlers have put their brains to work and delivered excellent spells.
In this piece, we’ll specifically look at the best bowling figures registered in the IPL finals.
5. Hardik Pandya (GT): 3/17 vs RR, 2022
A new team heads straight off to the final in their first attempt. And the captain pulls off a match-defining performance – not with the bat, but with the ball.
Sounds almost unimaginable, doesn’t it? But Hardik Pandya made it a reality while leading Gujarat Titans (GT) in the 2022 finale.
He bowled a tight spell not to give any chance to Rajasthan Royals (RR). The all-rounder struck on the very second ball he bowled in the ninth over. He dismissed his counterpart, Sanju Samson.
Pandya continued the spell and created more pressure without giving away any boundaries. Then in the 13th and 15th overs, he removed Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer, respectively.
Pandya’s three wickets helped GT restrict RR to 130. Later, he helped chase the target with a 34-run knock.
4. Ravichandran Ashwin (CSK): 3/16 vs RCB, 2011
Another tidy spell that ensured a victory in the final. Known for his street-smartness, Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a clever spell in the 2011 final.
And he was off the blocks on the fourth ball of the innings. Guess who was his first victim? – Chris Gayle!
Ashwin got rid of the dangerman right at the start. Two overs later, he dismissed the other opener, Mayank Agarwal, with a carrom ball to leave RCB at 16 for 2.
The off-spinner returned in the 11th over to get his third wicket. Ashwin’s 3 for 16 helped CSK defend their title successfully.
3. Karanveer Singh (Kings XI Punjab): 4/54 vs KKR, 2014
Unlike the above two performances, this one went in vain. And you, perhaps, don’t even remember the bowler and the performance.
With 199 runs to defend, Punjab seemed to be in the driver’s seat. And Karanveer Singh, too, perhaps, thought the same when he struck his first wicket in the seventh over.
But Kolkata’s batters had other plans. While Karanveer got the wickets, he went too many runs. In the end, his 4 for 54 couldn’t guarantee Punjab the desired finish.
2. Dwayne Bravo (CSK): 4/42 vs MI, 2013
Much like Karanveer, Dwayne Bravo had a slightly rough day in the 2013 summit clash. Although he was CSK’s top wicket-taker, he conceded a lot of boundaries.
Bravo bowled four of the last seven overs. While he started well, with a wicket in his second over, the next two overs were brutal.
Harbhajan Singh nailed three fours before Bravo got rid of him. Then the Trinidadian dismissed two batters in the last over to crawl back.
But Kieron Pollard’s two sixes on the last ball ruined all the hard work. Eventually, CSK faltered in the modest 149-run chase.
1. Anil Kumble (RCB): 4/16 vs Deccan Chargers, 2009
Anil Kumble dropped the best bowling figures in an IPL final back in 2009. And all this happened while he was at the helm of RCB.
The leg spinner kicked off the final with a wicket. He got the better of his opposite number, Adam Glichrist, with a googly.
Kumble later returned in the ninth over to break a 40-run partnership. He bowled Andrew Symonds with another googly.
In the 17th over, the leggie added two wickets to finish with 4 for 16. This helped RCB restrict Deccan to 143. But Kumble’s performance went in vain as RCB messed up the chase.
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