Making a debut in a tournament like the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the stuff of dreams for any player. And then bringing out the best performance on the momentous day is like the cherry on the cake.
Many players have made their debuts in the IPL, though few get the desired starts. We often see batters stealing the spotlight, but bowlers are also not far behind.
In this article, we’ll list the five best bowling figures registered by bowlers on their IPL debuts.
5. Kevon Cooper (RR): 4/26 vs PBKS | 2012
Many of you may not know him, but Kevon Cooper played for Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL. He made his IPL debut against Punjab Kings (then Kings XI Punjab) in 2012.
And the Trinidadian had an instant impact with the ball. Cooper dismantled Punjab’s top order with his three strikes within a span of 17 runs. He then added the fourth victim towards the end to have the figures of 4 for 26.
Thanks to Cooper’s contribution, RR defended 191 runs and beat Punjab by 31 runs.
4. Ashwani Kumar (MI): 4/24 vs KKR | 2025
Ashwani Kumar is the latest entrant on this list. And he is the only Indian bowler present here.
With only four T20 matches to his name, Mumbai Indians (MI) handed Ashwani his IPL debut on March 31, 2025, against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). And the left-arm pacer struck his maiden wicket on the first ball of his spell. Isn’t it a dream start?
Ashwani continued his dream run with three more wickets to end up with match figures of 4 for 24 in three overs. He helped MI restrict KKR to 116, which they later chased down with ease.
3. Shoaib Akhtar (KKR): 4/11 vs DC | 2008
Shoaib Akhtar was among the few Pakistani players who featured in the inaugural IPL edition. Although he played only three IPL matches, his debut was nothing short of memorable.
The tearaway pacer choked Delhi Capitals (then Daredevils) top order with his fiery spell. Akhtar dismissed Delhi’s top four within 28 runs. His victims included Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, AB de Villiers, and Manoj Tiwary.
Akhtar’s 4 for 11 set up the match for KKR as they defended 133 while Delhi folded for 110.
Also Read | 5 Greatest India-Pakistan ODI Matches
2. Andrew Tye (GL): 5/17 vs RPSG | 2017
After a few noteworthy performances in the Big Bash League (BBL), Australia’s Andrew Tye landed in the IPL in 2017. He made his IPL debut for Gujarat Lions against Rising Pune Supergiant.
Tye put up a brilliant bowling performance as he struck his first wicket in his first over. Then he bogged down Pune’s middle and lower order to finish with 5 for 17.
With that, Tye became the first bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul on his IPL debut.
1. Alzarri Joseph (MI): 6/12 vs SRH | 2019
Taking even a wicket feels surreal on debut, but Alzarri Joseph ended up with six! The West Indies bowler was on a roll on his IPL debut in 2019.
He turned up for MI against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and ran through half of the side. Joseph got two wickets with the new ball and returned in the death overs to mint four more.
The right-arm pacer racked up six wickets in all to register the best bowling figures on his IPL debut. Joseph’s 6 for 12 are also the best bowling figures in the entire league.
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