Batsmen set up the game and bowlers win them, this is even more true in the T20 format as here, apart from wickets, the frugality of the bowlers is extremely important. The word economy is an inextricable part of the Indian Premier League (IPL). After all it is the one of the biggest money spinners that the game of cricket has ever seen and has changed the fortunes of Indian cricket forever.
The economy of bowlers is the single most important statistic which is looked at by teams along with the strike rate of batsmen. It is rare to get bowlers who can keep a lid on runs and pick wickets also. Hence, economical bowlers are like a goldmine in T20 cricket.
Over the last 12 seasons some of the best bowlers in the world have played in the league and left an indelible mark on its history. If you look at the bowlers with best economy in IPL, the top most name is of South African legend Shaun Pollock. Anil Kumble and Glenn McGrath also find themselves a place in the top 5 along with the maverick Afghans Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. But none of them have played even 50 matches in the tournament. So, we have decided to make a list of top five best economies in the IPL of players with 100 matches and above. Here are the names:
BEST ECONOMY IN IPL (Minimum 100 matches)
1) Sunil Narine - Matches - 110, Economy: 6.67
Before he had to remodel his action, Narine was the most lethal weapon in the IPL and T20 leagues across the world. The man who took the term ‘mystery spinner’ to another level. He played a pivotal role in Kolkata Knight Riders’ trophy winning campaigns in 2012 and 2014.
2) Ravichandra Ashwin - Matches - 139, Economy: 6.79
It is ironic that the man who is now India’s biggest match winner in Test cricket, actually rose to fame as a white ball specialist. Ashwin’s exploits for Chennai Super Kings led to his India debut and he has been a consistent performer in the league for CSK and Kings XI Punjab. Delhi Capitals, his current team, would hope he continues the good work in their colours.
3) Harbhajan Singh - Matches - 160, Economy: 7.05
The ‘Turbanator’ was a trump card for Mumbai Indians in the long years that he ws associated with the franchise. Bhajji’s guile was a very important weapon for captain Rohit Sharma, who used him wisely. Now in the twilight of his career, Harbhajan has been taking the rabbit out of the hat for his former India captain MS Dhoni and the Chennai Super Kings.
4) Lasith Malinga - Matches - 122, Economy: 7.14
IPL’s most successful bowler in terms of wickets picked also does a great job in containing batsmen. After all it was this aspect of his bowling which helped Mumbai Indians edge CSK out in the final over of the 2019 summit clash. No batsman has found an answer to Malinga’s toe crushing yorkers and slower deliveries.
5) Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Matches - 117, Economy: 7.24
It was due to his performances in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad that Bhuvneshwar came back into reckoning for the national team. His ability to bowl with utmost discipline in both the powerplay overs and the death makes him a must have for SRH. Not to mention he has two purple caps to his name as well. – HT
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