A famous quote about cricket states, “Batsmen win your matches, bowlers win your tournaments.” Bowlers’ contributions are not often given the limelight they deserve. But, they are imperative in every tournament like they were in this year’s IPL. A few bowlers stood tall amongst the rest, and one of them deservingly got the purple cap.
We have brought you the list of the top 5 wicket-takers in IPL 2022. Three spinners and two pacers occupy the list. Also, we have analyzed their performances along with some essential stats of their bowling in IPL season 15.
So, are you excited to get started? Let’s go, then.
Yuzvendra Chahal
The leggie’s long run with RCB finally ended as he moved to Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022 mega auction. There was a lot of talk about his form and performance as he was going through a bad patch. But he put all those discussions to an end with a stellar season.
In this year’s IPL, Chahal bagged 27 wickets in 17 games to lay his hands on the purple cap. Apart from taking wickets, he also controlled the flow of runs and conceded just 7.75 runs per over. He was easily the best bowler in the tournament and played a vital role in the Royals’ success.
Chahal went wicketless on just 4 occasions and got three 3-for and one 5-for in the tournament. That 5-for was also his best performance in the tournament as he helped RR edge ahead of KKR in a high-scoring thriller.
Wanindu Hasaranga
We have got another leg spinner on the list of the top 5 wicket-taker in IPL 2022. Hasaranga was going head to head with Chahal in the purple cap race, but the latter edged ahead while playing one extra game. However, Hasaranga was not far behind, as he picked up 26 wickets in 16 games.
His economy rate of 7.54 was even better than Chahal’s and the best on the list of top 5 bowlers in IPL 2022. In those 16 games, he picked up one or more wickets on 14 occasions, and those 26 wickets included a 3-for and a 5-for. The more impressive thing is that he conceded more than 40 runs in just one game.
Sri Lanka’s leggie produced one of the best spells in the competition against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In his 5 overs, Hasaranga went for just 18 runs while picking up his maiden IPL fifer. His magic with the ball drove RCB to a massive 67-run victory.
Kagiso Rabada
KG is one of the top fast bowlers across the world and is known for his pace and swing. He was leading the Punjab Kings’ bowling attack last season, and they had a lot of hopes for him. South Africa’s premier fast bowler didn’t disappoint them and was the best of the pacers in IPL’s 15th edition.
In just 13 games, Kagiso Rabada grabbed 23 wickets with the help of one 3-for and two 4-for. Despite bowling tough overs at the death, his economy rate of 8.45 was pretty decent. Rabada’s best display with the ball in hand was against Gujarat Titans, as he snaffled 4 wickets for just 33 runs. His fiery spell helped the Punjab Kings cruise to a comfortable 8-wicket win.
Umran Malik
As far as India’s domestic talent is concerned, Umran Malik was the pick of the tournament in IPL 2022. Jammu’s speedster made a name for himself by bowling regularly at 145+clicks. He is undoubtedly the fastest bowler in India right now.
But he proved that his bowling is not just about pace. Instead, he has the ability to pick wickets regularly and win games for his side. His 22 wickets in just 14 matches made him only the 2nd bowler to be included in the list of top 5 wicket-takers in IPL 2022. His economy rate of more than 9 (9.03 to be precise) is quite expensive, but we know that extra pace can go for some extra runs.
His 22 wickets included three 3-for along with a 5-for. That fifer was also his best performance in the tournament. He bowled an extraordinary spell of 5 for 25 against Gujarat Titans, where the average economy rate was 9.6. Also, he was the only wicket-taker for SRH in that game. So, Umran was, without a doubt, one of the top 5 bowlers in IPL 2022.
Kuldeep Yadav
IPL 2022 was quite fun for wrist spinners, wasn’t it? Kuldeep is the third wrist spinner on the top 5 wicket-taker in IPL 2022 list. The chinaman spinner picked up 21 scalps in 14 IPL games with an economy rate of 8.45. Ideally, he would have liked to be more economical, but these numbers are certainly not bad.
Like Chahal, he was also under pressure because of his ordinary run of form since 2019. But, this season must have brought back his confidence as he grasped a 3-for and two 4-for. In all those 14 games, he conceded more than 40 runs only twice, which is quite impressive for a wrist spinner.
The chinaman bowler’s best figures of 3 overs, 4 for 14 in the tournament, were in a crunch game against his old team Kolkata Knight Riders. His incredible spell reduced KKR to 146 runs, which Dehli Capitals chased down with just 4 wickets and 6 balls to spare.
List of Top 5 Wicket Takers in IPL 2022
Here’s the list, along with some important stats:
| Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Best Performance |
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 17 | 27 | 7.75 | 5/40 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | 16 | 26 | 7.54 | 5/18 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 13 | 23 | 8.45 | 4/33 |
| Umran Malik | 14 | 22 | 9.03 | 5/25 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 14 | 21 | 8.43 | 4/14 |
