In a season dominated by high scores, it is the team with the best bowlers for every phase of the innings stands out. Here are bowlers who stand out with the most success in the current edition (2026) of the Indian Premier League: Most Wickets, Dot Balls, 4-Wicket Hauls, and Best Economy Rates.
IPL 2026: The Purple Cap Race (Most Wickets)
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling (Innings) | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | 4W/5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravi Bishnoi (RR) | 3 | 7 | 4/41 | 11.71 | 9.11 | 7.71 | 1/0 |
| Prasidh Krishna (GT) | 3 | 6 | 3/29 | 20.66 | 10.33 | 12.00 | 0/0 |
| Rashid Khan (GT) | 3 | 5 | 3/17 | 17.00 | 7.08 | 14.40 | 0/0 |
| Lungi Ngidi (DC) | 3 | 5 | 3/27 | 17.00 | 7.28 | 14.00 | 0/0 |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak (PBKS) | 2 | 5 | 3/34 | 14.40 | 9.00 | 9.60 | 0/0 |
| Nandre Burger (RR) | 3 | 5 | 2/21 | 15.20 | 8.44 | 10.80 | 0/0 |
| Prince Yadav (LSG) | 3 | 5 | 2/20 | 20.20 | 9.18 | 13.20 | 0/0 |
| Jacob Duffy (RCB) | 2 | 5 | 3/22 | 16.00 | 10.00 | 9.60 | 0/0 |
| Vaibhav Arora (KKR) | 3 | 5 | 2/38 | 27.40 | 11.41 | 14.40 | 0/0 |
| Anshul Kamboj (CSK) | 3 | 5 | 2/27 | 24.40 | 11.43 | 12.80 | 0/0 |
Last Season Winner: Prasidh Krishna. The Gujarat Titans bowler, in 2025, took 25 wickets, and he was closely followed by Chennai Super Kings’s Noor Ahmad.
Only three bowlers have picked up 30+ wickets in an IPL season. Check out the IPL bowlers’ 30s club here.
Best Bowling Figures in IPL 2026
| Player | Bowling Figures (Overs) | Economy | Innings | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessing Muzarabani (KKR) | 4/41 (4.0) | 10.25 | 1 | SRH | Eden Gardens | 2 Apr 2026 |
| Ravi Bishnoi (RR) | 4/41 (4.0) | 10.25 | 2 | GT | Ahmedabad | 4 Apr 2026 |
| Rashid Khan (GT) | 3/17 (4.0) | 4.25 | 2 | DC | Delhi | 8 Apr 2026 |
| Jaydev Unadkat (SRH) | 3/21 (3.0) | 7.00 | 2 | KKR | Eden Gardens | 2 Apr 2026 |
| Jacob Duffy (RCB) | 3/22 (4.0) | 5.50 | 1 | SRH | Bengaluru | 28 Mar 2026 |
| Lungi Ngidi (DC) | 3/27 (3.4) | 7.36 | 1 | LSG | Lucknow | 1 Apr 2026 |
| Prasidh Krishna (GT) | 3/29 (4.0) | 7.25 | 2 | PBKS | New Chandigarh | 31 Mar 2026 |
| T Natarajan (DC) | 3/29 (4.0) | 7.25 | 1 | LSG | Lucknow | 1 Apr 2026 |
| Vijaykumar Vyshak (PBKS) | 3/34 (4.0) | 8.50 | 1 | GT | New Chandigarh | 31 Mar 2026 |
| Shardul Thakur (MI) | 3/39 (4.0) | 9.75 | 1 | KKR | Wankhede | 29 Mar 2026 |
The above are the single-match bowling performances that turned the tide for their franchises.
Best Economy Rate in IPL 2026
| Player | Innings | Overs Bowled | Maiden Overs | Runs Conceded | Economy | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohsin Khan (LSG) | 1 | 4.0 | 1 | 19 | 4.75 | 1 |
| Mohammed Shami (LSG) | 3 | 12.0 | 0 | 64 | 5.33 | 3 |
| Yuzvendra Chahal (PBKS) | 3 | 7.0 | 0 | 49 | 7.00 | 3 |
| Suyash Sharma (RCB) | 2 | 7.0 | 0 | 49 | 7.00 | 2 |
| Rashid Khan (GT) | 3 | 12.0 | 0 | 85 | 7.08 | 5 |
| Axar Patel (DC) | 3 | 10.0 | 0 | 71 | 7.10 | 2 |
| Lungi Ngidi (DC) | 3 | 11.4 | 0 | 85 | 7.28 | 5 |
| Jofra Archer (RR) | 3 | 10.0 | 0 | 74 | 7.40 | 3 |
| Sunil Narine (KKR) | 3 | 11.0 | 0 | 82 | 7.45 | 2 |
| Harsh Dubey (SRH) | 3 | 9.0 | 0 | 70 | 7.77 | 4 |
Control is king. These bowlers above are the most difficult to score against this season.
Most Dot Balls & Maidens in IPL 2026
| Player | Innings | Dot Balls | Maiden Overs | Total Overs | Runs Conceded | Wickets | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammad Shami (LSG) | 3 | 39 | 0 | 12.0 | 64 | 3 | 5.33 |
| Jofra Archer (RR) | 3 | 30 | 0 | 10.0 | 74 | 3 | 7.40 |
| Mukesh Kumar (DC) | 3 | 29 | 0 | 10.0 | 98 | 4 | 9.80 |
| Vaibhav Arora (KKR) | 3 | 29 | 0 | 12.0 | 137 | 5 | 11.41 |
| Khaleel Ahmed (CSK) | 3 | 28 | 0 | 10.0 | 82 | 0 | 8.20 |
| Lungisani Ngidi (DC) | 3 | 28 | 0 | 11.4 | 85 | 5 | 7.28 |
| Prince Yadav (LSG) | 3 | 27 | 0 | 11.0 | 101 | 5 | 9.18 |
| Kagiso Rabada (GT) | 3 | 27 | 0 | 11.0 | 108 | 3 | 9.81 |
| Prasidh Krishna (GT) | 3 | 27 | 0 | 12.0 | 124 | 6 | 10.33 |
| Nandre Burger (RR) | 3 | 27 | 0 | 9.0 | 76 | 5 | 8.44 |
The first maiden over of this season was bowled by Mohsin Khan of Lucknow Super Giants against Delhi Capitals.
Mohsin returned with figures of 1/19 in 4 overs (including the maiden). See here who has bowled the most maiden overs in IPL history.
Another LSG bowler, Mohammed Shami, returned with figures of 2/9 in his 4 overs against Sunrisers Hyderabad, which is the most economical spell by a bowler in a match this season. Shami’s economy rate in that game was a remarkable 2.25.
Most 4-Wicket Hauls & 5-Wicket Hauls in IPL 2026
| Player | Innings | 4W Hauls | 5W Hauls | 4 or More Wickets | Best Bowling (Innings) | Total Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blessing Muzarabani (KKR) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4/41 | 4 |
| Ravi Bishnoi (RR) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4/41 | 7 |
Blessing Muzarabani of Kolkata Knight Riders picked the first 4-wicket haul of this season.
Only three times in IPL history a bowler has picked 6-wickets for his team in an innings. Check them all here.