Bowling in the Powerplay – the first six overs of every innings – in Twenty20 cricket is an art not many bowlers have excelled at. It is a phase where batters often don their ultra-aggressive hat and go after the bowling to maximise the field restrictions.
Brendon McCullum set the mandate in the first-ever match in IPL history, in 2008, plundering 61 runs in the Powerplay. That set the platform for Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 222.
Over years, the bowlers have added skills to their armoury and relied on swing, change of pace and alteration of lengths to outfox their counterparts.
In this list, we look at the IPL bowlers with the most wickets in the first six overs and compare their overall numbers against that in the Powerplay phase.
Zaheer Khan (2008-17)
Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals)
IPL career: M 100 | W 102 | Ave 27.27 | Econ 7.58
In Powerplay: W 52 | Ave 27.92 | Econ 6.74
Zaheer’s brittle body never allowed him to achieve his full potential, but he knew how to toy with the batters. From claiming the first wicket of the IPL, that of Sourav Ganguly, to his leadership role with Delhi, Zaheer remained a threat with his variations and ability to move the ball. His economy rate of under seven is a testimony that batters preferred to see him through in the initial phase.
Sandeep Sharma (2013 till date)
Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) and Sunrisers Hyderabad
IPL career: M 98 | W 112 | Ave 25.27 | Econ 7.79
In Powerplay: W 52 | Ave 28.65 | Econ 6.96
IPL was natural graduation for Sandeep, who was one of the stars for India in the 2012 U-19 World Cup. Accuracy and the ability to swing the ball remain his primary strengths, making him a difficult bowler to score off. In the early part of his IPL career, he was Punjab’s go-to bowler in the Powerplays and death overs.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2011 till date)
Pune Warriors India and Sunrisers Hyderabad
IPL career: M 129 | W 141 | Ave 24.88 | Econ 7.31
In Powerplay: W 50 | Ave 30.22 | Econ 5.94
Like Sandeep and his Uttar Pradesh teammate Praveen Kumar, Bhuvneshwar relies on swing and accuracy for success. One of the vital cogs of the Indian white-ball set-up, his ability to succeed in the Powerplay and death overs have been critical to Sunriser’s success in the past many years.
He may not be consistent in taking wickets in the first six overs, but he excels in keeping the flow of runs down. A Powerplay economy rate of under six is phenomenal.
On Monday, against Rajasthan Royals, he dismissed Evin Lewis to claim his 50th wicket in Powerplay.
Umesh Yadav (2010 till date)
Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore
IPL career: M 121 | W 119 | Ave 30.07 | Econ 8.51
In Powerplay: W 45 | Ave 30.73 | Econ 7.72
Consistency has been an issue for Umesh in the shortest format, where his form has oscillated between the extremes of delights and disappointments. But he has had his moments in the Powerplay, most notably in the IPL 2018 against Punjab, where he dismissed Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch and Yuvraj Singh in the same over. He benefits from his experience and the volume of matches to make it to the list.
Dhawal Kulkarni (2008 till date)
Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions
IPL career: M 92 | W 96 | Ave 28.76 | Econ 8.3
In Powerplay: W 44 | Ave 28.88 | Econ 7.49
Kulkarni has played in every IPL season to date. He benefits from that experience and can be relied upon in crunch moments. Sporadic appearances have hampered his numbers, but he had his highs in the mid-2010s. Suresh Raina used him well in the Powerplay for Gujarat Lions during the IPL 2016.
Ishant Sharma (2008 till date)
Kolkata Knight Riders, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Rising Pune Supergiant, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi Capitals
IPL career: M 93 | W 73 | Ave 37.02 | Econ 8.09
In Powerplay: W 44 | Ave 33.9 | Econ 7.08
Despite a promising start to his IPL career, Ishant could not keep up the momentum as a Twenty20 bowler. Like Umesh, he finds himself on the list for the volume of games he has played. With his accuracy, he is more effective in the Powerplay, where he keeps the proceedings tight.
R. Ashwin (2009 till date)
Chennai Super Kings, Rising Pune Supergiant, Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings), Delhi Capitals
IPL career: M 161 | W 140 | Ave 27.28 | Econ 6.89
In Powerplay: W 43 | Ave 23.76 | Econ 6.44
The first spinner in the all-Indian list, Ashwin is probably the best of the lot inside the Powerplay. He can generate turn, alter lengths and has many variations, including leg-spin. For a spinner, he has excellent control over the new ball, which helps him pick wickets as well as contain in the first six overs.
The combined prowess sees him return to the national side for the 2021 T20 World Cup after a gap of four years.
Others in the top 10 list: Deepak Chahar (42 wickets), Ashish Nehra (40 wickets), Praveen Kumar (39 wickets) and Lasith Malinga (37 wickets).