Most Wickets in IPL History: Updated List of All-Time Top Wicket Takers
🚨 Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for most wickets in IPL history with 221 wickets in 174 matches, making him the most successful bowler the tournament has ever seen. With IPL 2026 starting March 28, several active bowlers are chasing hard to close the gap. Check out all IPL 2026 team rosters to see which top wicket takers are playing this season.
Most Wickets in IPL: Top 20 All-Time Wicket Takers
The table below covers every bowler who has taken 119 or more wickets in IPL history across all 17 seasons.
| Rank | Player | Team | Wickets | Matches | Best | 4W | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuzvendra Chahal | PBKS | 221 | 174 | 5/40 | 8 | 22.77 | 7.96 |
| 2 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | RCB | 198 | 190 | 5/19 | 2 | 27.33 | 7.69 |
| 3 | Piyush Chawla | MI | 192 | 192 | 4/17 | 2 | 26.60 | 7.96 |
| 4 | Sunil Narine | KKR | 192 | 189 | 5/19 | 7 | 25.64 | 6.80 |
| 5 | Ravichandran Ashwin | CSK | 187 | 221 | 4/34 | 1 | 30.23 | 7.20 |
| 6 | Jasprit Bumrah | MI | 183 | 145 | 5/10 | 3 | 22.02 | 7.25 |
| 7 | Dwayne Bravo | CSK | 183 | 161 | 4/22 | 2 | 23.82 | 8.38 |
| 8 | Amit Mishra | LSG | 174 | 162 | 5/17 | 4 | 23.84 | 7.38 |
| 9 | Lasith Malinga | MI | 170 | 122 | 5/13 | 6 | 19.80 | 7.14 |
| 10 | Ravindra Jadeja | CSK | 170 | 254 | 5/16 | 3 | 30.52 | 7.67 |
| 11 | Rashid Khan | GT | 158 | 136 | 4/24 | 2 | 23.84 | 7.09 |
| 12 | Harshal Patel | SRH | 151 | 118 | 5/27 | 4 | 23.70 | 8.86 |
| 13 | Harbhajan Singh | KKR | 150 | 163 | 5/18 | 1 | 26.87 | 7.08 |
| 14 | Sandeep Sharma | RR | 146 | 137 | 5/18 | 2 | 27.88 | 8.03 |
| 15 | Umesh Yadav | GT | 144 | 148 | 4/23 | 3 | 29.83 | 8.45 |
| 16 | Trent Boult | MI | 143 | 120 | 4/18 | 2 | 26.20 | 8.38 |
| 17 | Mohit Sharma | DC | 134 | 120 | 5/10 | 3 | 26.22 | 8.77 |
| 18 | Mohammad Shami | SRH | 133 | 119 | 4/11 | 2 | 28.19 | 8.63 |
| 19 | Axar Patel | DC | 128 | 162 | 4/21 | 1 | 31.61 | 7.35 |
| 20 | Andre Russell | KKR | 123 | 140 | 5/15 | 2 | 23.28 | 9.51 |
Yuzvendra Chahal: The King of IPL Bowling Records
Chahal overtook Dwayne Bravo to become the all-time leading wicket taker in IPL history and has never looked back since. What makes his record extraordinary is his consistency across different franchises, different pitches and different batting line-ups over 17 seasons.
He started his IPL journey with Mumbai Indians, then spent his best years at Royal Challengers Bengaluru where he formed one of cricket’s most feared spin attacks. He now plays for Punjab Kings and continues to take wickets every season without any sign of slowing down.
Yuzvendra Chahal IPL Career Highlights
- 221 wickets in 174 matches, the most by any bowler in IPL history
- 8 four-wicket hauls in IPL, also an all-time record
- Best figures of 5/40 in a single innings
- Economy rate of 7.96 across 630 overs bowled
- Average of 22.77, outstanding for a T20 spinner
His ability to take wickets in the powerplay, middle overs and at the death separates him from every other spinner in IPL history. Most leg-spinners are match-up bowlers but Chahal has always been a wicket-taking threat in every phase.
Key Battles: Pace vs Spin in the IPL Wickets List
One of the most interesting patterns in the all-time IPL wickets list is how closely pace and spin bowlers compete at the top. Looking at the top 20, spin bowlers actually hold a slight edge in terms of overall wickets and economy rates.
Pace vs Spin: Top 10 Comparison
| Category | Best Pace Bowler | Wickets | Best Spin Bowler | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Most Wickets | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 198 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 221 |
| Best Average | Jasprit Bumrah | 22.02 | Lasith Malinga | 19.80 |
| Best Economy | Sunil Narine | 6.80 | Sunil Narine | 6.80 |
| Most 4W Hauls | Kagiso Rabada | 6 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 8 |
Sunil Narine deserves special mention here. His economy rate of 6.80 across 724 overs is the best among any bowler with 100 or more wickets in IPL history. For a bowler who operates primarily in the powerplay and middle overs, that number is simply remarkable.
Active Bowlers Who Can Climb the Wickets List in IPL 2026
Several bowlers still active in IPL 2026 have a genuine chance of moving up the all-time standings this season. The race behind Chahal is genuinely exciting.
- Jasprit Bumrah sits on 183 wickets and is the most likely bowler to eventually threaten Chahal’s record given his age and consistency
- Rashid Khan has 158 wickets in just 136 matches and his wickets-per-match ratio is among the best in the list
- Kagiso Rabada has taken 119 wickets with an outstanding 4-wicket haul count of 6 and improves every season
- Kuldeep Yadav sits on 102 wickets and could push into the 120 to 130 range this season with DC
- Arshdeep Singh has 97 wickets and is likely to cross the 100-wicket mark in IPL 2026 with PBKS
Track every wicket these bowlers take this season through the IPL 2026 live match updates and stats and stay on top of every record being chased as the tournament unfolds. For all broadcast and OTT streaming details to watch these bowlers live, the complete IPL 2026 streaming guide covers every platform in India and overseas.
FAQs
Who has taken the most wickets in IPL history?
Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record with 221 wickets in 174 matches. He plays for Punjab Kings and is still active in IPL 2026.
Who is second on the most wickets in IPL list?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second with 198 wickets in 190 matches. He plays for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026.
Which bowler has the best economy rate in IPL history?
Sunil Narine of KKR holds the best economy rate among bowlers with 100 or more wickets, conceding only 6.80 runs per over across 724 overs in IPL history.
Who has the best bowling average in IPL history?
Lasith Malinga holds the best bowling average among high-wicket bowlers with 19.80, taking 170 wickets in 122 matches for Mumbai Indians.
Which bowler has taken the most four-wicket hauls in IPL?
Yuzvendra Chahal again leads this record with 8 four-wicket hauls in IPL history, one more than Lasith Malinga who took 6 in his career.
Which active bowler is most likely to break Chahal’s wickets record?
Jasprit Bumrah on 183 wickets is the most realistic challenger given his age, fitness and the number of IPL seasons he likely has ahead. Rashid Khan on 158 wickets is another strong candidate given his outstanding wickets-per-match ratio.
