Death overs are quite crucial for both batting and bowling teams. Batters look to score as many runs as possible, while bowlers try to restrict them.
So, in such a tense situation, the value of a dot ball can’t be overstated. It’s a respite for the bowlers, and they would like to have more of it. And a few bowlers have done this by bowling dot balls one after another.
This article will discuss the bowlers who have bowled nine or more dot balls in death overs in the IPL, i.e., the overs between 16-20.
| BOWLER | DOT BALLS | OPPOSITION | YEAR | WICKETS PICKED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jasprit Bumrah (MI) | 11 | KKR | 2022 | 3 |
| Ravindra Jadeja (GL) | 10 | RPSG | 2016 | 2 |
| Jasprit Bumrah (MI) | 9 | KKR | 2024 | 3 |
| Imran Tahir (DD) | 9 | MI | 2015 | 3 |
| Praveen Kumar (RCB) | 9 | RR | 2010 | 3 |
| Brett Lee (KXIP) | 9 | CSK | 2009 | 0 |
| Brett Lee (KXIP) | 9 | DD | 2009 | 2 |
| Mohammed Shami (KXIP) | 9 | DC | 2019 | 2 |
| Chris Morris (RR) | 9 | KKR | 2021 | 4 |
| Mustafizur Rahman (DC) | 9 | PBKS | 2022 | 0 |
| Mustafizur Rahman (CSK) | 9 | KKR | 2024 | 2 |
| Sunil Narine (KKR) | 9 | MI | 2014 | 3 |
| Sohail Tanvir (RR) | 9 | MI | 2008 | 4 |
| Shardul Thakur (CSK) | 9 | RCB | 2021 | 0 |
Key Insights
Jasprit Bumrah, in his spell 5 for 10 against KKR in match 56 of IPL 2022, created a record of bowling 11 dot balls in the death overs. No other bowler has ever done this in the tournament’s history. He is easily one of the best death overs specialists in the IPL.
In his bowling performances of 5/10 in four overs, including a maiden, he bowled the 18th and 20th overs for his team, picking up three wickets and 11 dot balls. While coming in to bowl the final over of the KKR innings, Bumrah was 5/9 and had the opportunity to pick his sixth wicket. If he had picked his sixth wicket, that could have ended the stint of Alzarri Joseph, who currently holds the best bowling performance in the league.
The Indian pace-head, Bumrah, also features in the list of bowlers who have bowled the most dot balls in the tournament’s history.
Ravindra Jadeja is the other bowler to bowl 10 dot balls in this phase of an innings. He did so against Rising Pune Supergiants while playing for Gujarat Lions in 2016.
Chris Morris and Sohail Tanvir were able to pick four wickets in the death overs while bowling nine dot balls in the same phase.
