As seen over the years, cricket is more of a batsman-oriented sport and the same is the case with the Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. With the increase in use of technology, the modern type of cricket bats and shorter boundaries, the hardwork for the bowlers keeps on piling up to a great extent. However, there have been some exceptional performances by the bowlers in the Indian Premier League history. It is a big fact of the game that batters are bound to dominate the majority of the proceedings, but it is the bowlers who eventually decide the outcome by picking up wickets at crucial intervals. In this article piece, we take a look at the list of bowlers who have taken the most wickets in IPL history. 

Most Wickets in IPL history. Check details

1. Yuzvendra Chahal

Right-arm legspinner Yuzvendra Chahal is currently the highest wicket taker in IPL history with as many as 199 wickets in his tally. The leggie has represented three teams so far in the T20 competition, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals. However, Chahal came into the limelight when he emerged as a regular wicket-taker for the Royal Challengers Bangalore especially at their home venue in Bengaluru on a relatively smaller cricket ground. In his very first season for the Rajasthan Royals, the 33-year-old legspinner ended up winning the Purple Cap IPL 2022 season with a total of 27 scalps. While talking about his overall IPL stats, he has an impressive economy of under 8 and a bowling average of 21.47. He is also present in the list of bowlers with most wickets in IPL 2024. 

2. Dwayne Bravo

West Indies' pace bowling all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is definitely regarded as one of the best bowlers in the history of the Indian Premier League. The current Chennai Super Kings bowling coach has picked up a total of 183 wickets from as many as 161 IPL matches with amazing best figures of 4 for 22. Bravo ended up being crowned as the leading wicket-taker both in IPL 2013 and 2015 season. The right-arm pacer also holds the record for taking the most wickets in a single IPL season when he picked up 32 scalps in 2013 for the Chennai Super Kings. He has a brilliant economy rate of 8.39 and a bowling strike-rate of 17.04 in the IPL. 

3. Piyush Chawla

India's veteran leg-spinner Piyush Chawla is the third highest wicket-taker in the history of the cash-rich T20 league. In his entire career so far, he has played for the Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. While talking about his overall IPL numbers, Chawla has taken as many as 181 wickets from 185 games at an amazing economy of less than 8. At the age of 34 while playing for the Mumbai Indians, he ended up picking 22 scalps from 16 matches at an economy of 8.11. 

4. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

While talking about the best bowlers in the history of the IPL, right-arm pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is hard to be left behind. He is surely one of the most consistent bowlers in the IPL history having taken as many as 174 wickets in 167 matches at a fine economy rate of less than 8. After Dwayne Bravo, Bhuvneshwar is just the second player in the T20 competition to win the Purple Cap twice in IPL 2016 and 2017. He ended up taking a total of 23 and 26 wickets in consecutive IPL seasons in 2017 and 2017. The 34-year-old paceman has a bowling average of just under 27 and a strike-rate of 21.47 overall in the IPL. He is also part of the list containing the bowlers with most wickets in IPL during a single season. 

5. Amit Mishra

Amit Mishra is at the fifth position when talking about players with most wickets in IPL history having picked up a total of 173 wickets from as many as 161 games. The veteran right-arm legspinner has played for different franchises in his entire IPL career so far including Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals and Lucknow Super Giants. While talking about the IPL records, Mishra is the only cricketer to take as many as three IPL hat-tricks so far. The leggie has picked up a total of 4 four-wicket hauls and 1 fifer with an excellent average of less than 20. 

While talking about the ongoing season, Mumbai Indians' speedster Jasprit Bumrah has currently taken the most wickets in IPL 2024 being the current holder of the Purple Cap. He has taken 13 wickets from 7 games at an average of 12.85. Yuzvendra Chahal is also part of the highest wicket taker list.