The bowlers have a crucial position in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where the batters usually dominate the proceedings of the games. Though the players have not been so stagnant in their game, each aspect is essential.
The IPL has witnessed many aggressive and composed bowlers like Rashid Khan, Shane Warne, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, etc. But not all of them are so economical in their bowling.
Here are the top 10 bowlers who have bowled in the IPL with the best economy rates throughout their careers.
Note: We have fixed the criteria of players who have bowled a minimum of 50 overs/300 balls in their IPL career for this top 10 selection.
Best Economy Rate by Bowlers in IPL
| Player | Innings | Runs Conceded | Overs Bowled | Economy | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 42 | 1058 | 160.5 | 6.57 | 45 |
| Glenn McGrath | 14 | 357 | 54.0 | 6.61 | 12 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran | 66 | 1696 | 254.0 | 6.67 | 63 |
| Roelof van der Merwe | 21 | 498 | 73.5 | 6.74 | 21 |
| Sunil Narine | 186 | 4880 | 720.1 | 6.77 | 190 |
| Daniel Vettori | 34 | 879 | 129.3 | 6.78 | 28 |
| Jayant Yadav | 20 | 445 | 65.0 | 6.84 | 8 |
| Dale Steyn | 95 | 2508 | 362.4 | 6.91 | 97 |
| Johan Botha | 34 | 800 | 115.4 | 6.91 | 25 |
| Dimitri Mascarenhas | 13 | 356 | 51.2 | 6.93 | 19 |
Key Insights
Anil Kumble, the Karnataka-born leg-spin legend, stands out among all bowlers. Kumble featured in 42 IPL matches and took 45 wickets with an economy of 6.57, which is the best in the IPL.
Among the bowlers with 150 or more IPL wickets, only Sunil Narine and Rashid Khan have economy rates below seven. As per our criteria, only 12 bowlers have sub-seven economy rates in the league.
Muttiah Muralitharan, who is third on this list, has the best economy rate in an edition of the IPL. The former Sri Lankan spinner conceded 5.22 runs per over in the 2009 season held in South Africa while playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
