If you’ve followed cricket for the long haul, it’s no secret that Ravichandran Ashwin is a great cricketer, not just a bowler. Concluding his IPL journey ahead of 2026, Ashwin’s tally of 187 wickets in 221 games cements his legendary status.
What is even crazier to consider? Some of the biggest names in the bowling department—bowlers that put the fright into batters—have fewer IPL wickets than Ashwin. Hard to believe? Well, let’s move into the article and check out five of the best who just couldn’t compete with Ashwin’s wicket total in the league.
Dale Steyn
When Dale Steyn ran in, you could almost hear the fear in the crowd. That rhythmic action, the whippy release, and then… thunderbolts at 150 kph. Steyn was pure box-office entertainment.
Despite his fearsome reputation, Steyn’s IPL journey wrapped up with a curious stat line—97 wickets in 95 games, a storm contained on paper if not in memory. His economy rate of 6.91 and best figures of 3/8 show how he strangled batters with pace and accuracy. Injuries and workload management cut his IPL appearances short, but Steyn at full throttle was every batter’s nightmare—even if the wickets column doesn’t scream “legend.”
Zaheer Khan
Before Jasprit Bumrah made yorkers look stylish, Zaheer Khan was still the hipster of yorkers; deadliest swing and seam bowler, he made even the best, the most complimentary deck-driving star – think twice before driving on the up.
Across stints with RCB, MI, and Delhi, Zaheer snared 102 wickets in 100 games, boasting a career-best of 4/17.
Though like Steyn, statistics do not tell the entire story with Zaheer. He was a leader. He was the bowler who taught a generation of young cricketers how to think and out-think batsmen. In IPL, Zaheer had control, not chaos. His economy was a modest 7.58–he was the bowler who didn’t give runs for free.
Lasith Malinga
Malinga had just one speed—deadly. Armed with that iconic slingy release, he fired in yorkers like heat-seeking missiles, leaving batters groping for answers. Across 122 matches for the Mumbai Indians, he took 170 wickets, falling short of Ashwin’s tally despite being MI’s go-to man in crunch moments.
His economy of 7.14 and four IPL titles show that wickets alone can’t measure greatness. When the death overs came, Malinga wasn’t bowling. He was performing surgery with a cricket ball.
Dwayne Bravo
To conclude, Dwayne Bravo – the Caribbean ingredient of CSK’s trophy cabinet. Dwayne Bravo wrapped up his IPL career with 183 wickets across 161 matches, narrowly trailing Ashwin’s tally.
Bravo was a bowler, but he was also a finisher, entertainer, and CSK’s “death-over DJ”. Bravo’s variations allow him to be regarded as one of T20’s greats, even though Ashwin has more wickets.
The retirement of Ashwin demonstrates the lengths numbers can go to represent a portion of your career. The likes of Steyn, Zaheer, Harbhajan, Malinga, and Bravo have contributed to the IPL in a fashion that statistics will never show.
FAQs
- Who is the highest wicket-taker among the bowlers mentioned in the blog?
Ravichandran Ashwin leads with 187 wickets in the IPL.
- How many wickets did Harbhajan Singh take in the IPL?
The veteran spinner secured 150 wickets in 163 IPL matches before hanging up his boots.
- Who had the closest wicket tally to Ashwin among these legends?
Dwayne Bravo came the closest, ending just four wickets shy of Ashwin.
