Yuzvendra Chahal holds the record for the most wickets in IPL cricket, with 233 from 184 matches for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Rajasthan Royals. Bhuvneshwar Kumar sits just seven behind on 226, and Sunil Narine is third with 207.
The list uses ball-by-ball data from all 1,243 IPL fixtures, covering 18 Apr 2008 through 31 May 2026. Wickets in super overs do not count. Each bowler is one row even if he moved franchises, so the team label shows his main one or two sides.
Who has the most wickets in IPL history
Only three bowlers have passed 200 IPL wickets in the record book’s data: YS Chahal (RCB/RR) with 233, B Kumar (SRH/Pune Warriors) with 226 and SP Narine (Kolkata Knight Riders) with 207. Chahal’s average of 23.25 is also the sharpest of that group, so he has taken his wickets cheaply as well as often.
The spread of styles is wide. Leg spin, swing and mystery spin fill the top three. Narine, listed only under KKR, has the best economy in the top 25 at 6.79 runs an over. At the other end, AD Russell (KKR/DC) concedes 9.51 and SN Thakur (CSK/DC) 9.57, but both still strike often enough to make the list.
For pure strike value, SL Malinga (Mumbai Indians) stands apart: 170 wickets in only 122 games, and no one in the top 25 averages less than his 19.80. JJ Bumrah, also of Mumbai Indians, sits on 187 at 23.75 and has two five-wicket hauls.
Most Wickets in IPL History: Top 25 Bowlers
| Bowler | M | Inns | Wkts | Best | Avg | Econ | 5w |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| YS Chahal RCB/RR | 184 | 184 | 233 | 5/40 | 23.25 | 8.05 | 1 |
| B Kumar SRH/Pune Warriors | 206 | 206 | 226 | 5/19 | 26.16 | 7.71 | 2 |
| SP Narine Kolkata Knight Riders | 200 | 200 | 207 | 5/19 | 25.42 | 6.79 | 1 |
| PP Chawla PBKS/KKR | 191 | 191 | 192 | 4/17 | 26.60 | 7.96 | 0 |
| JJ Bumrah Mumbai Indians | 158 | 158 | 187 | 5/10 | 23.75 | 7.34 | 2 |
| R Ashwin CSK/RR | 217 | 217 | 187 | 4/34 | 30.22 | 7.20 | 0 |
| DJ Bravo CSK/MI | 158 | 158 | 183 | 4/22 | 23.83 | 8.38 | 0 |
| RA Jadeja CSK/Gujarat Lions | 237 | 237 | 180 | 5/16 | 30.36 | 7.71 | 1 |
| Rashid Khan GT/SRH | 153 | 153 | 179 | 4/24 | 23.92 | 7.28 | 0 |
| A Mishra DC/Deccan Chargers | 162 | 162 | 174 | 5/17 | 23.82 | 7.38 | 1 |
| SL Malinga Mumbai Indians | 122 | 122 | 170 | 5/13 | 19.80 | 7.14 | 1 |
| HV Patel RCB/SRH | 121 | 121 | 151 | 5/27 | 24.68 | 8.92 | 1 |
| Sandeep Sharma PBKS/SRH | 142 | 142 | 151 | 5/18 | 28.44 | 8.16 | 1 |
| Harbhajan Singh MI/CSK | 160 | 160 | 150 | 5/18 | 26.87 | 7.08 | 1 |
| K Rabada DC/PBKS | 101 | 101 | 148 | 4/21 | 22.69 | 8.80 | 0 |
| TA Boult MI/RR | 124 | 124 | 145 | 4/18 | 27.14 | 8.49 | 0 |
| Mohammed Shami PBKS/GT | 132 | 132 | 145 | 4/11 | 29.02 | 8.67 | 0 |
| UT Yadav KKR/DC | 147 | 147 | 144 | 4/23 | 29.98 | 8.49 | 0 |
| AR Patel DC/PBKS | 173 | 173 | 139 | 4/21 | 31.88 | 7.43 | 0 |
| MM Sharma CSK/PBKS | 119 | 119 | 134 | 5/10 | 26.22 | 8.77 | 1 |
| Mohammed Siraj RCB/GT | 125 | 125 | 128 | 4/17 | 30.55 | 8.78 | 0 |
| AD Russell KKR/DC | 121 | 121 | 123 | 5/15 | 23.28 | 9.51 | 1 |
| SN Thakur CSK/DC | 109 | 109 | 119 | 4/34 | 29.53 | 9.57 | 0 |
| JD Unadkat RR/SRH | 115 | 115 | 114 | 5/25 | 30.74 | 8.94 | 2 |
| Kuldeep Yadav DC/KKR | 107 | 107 | 112 | 4/14 | 28.21 | 8.29 | 0 |
Most Wickets in an IPL Season
| Player | Wickets | Season | M | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DJ Bravo Chennai Super Kings | 32 | 2013 | 18 | 15.53 |
| HV Patel Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 32 | 2021 | 15 | 14.34 |
| K Rabada Delhi Capitals | 30 | 2020 | 17 | 18.27 |
| K Rabada Gujarat Titans | 29 | 2026 | 17 | 21.59 |
| Mohammed Shami Gujarat Titans | 28 | 2023 | 17 | 18.64 |
| B Kumar Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 28 | 2026 | 16 | 17.89 |
| JP Faulkner Rajasthan Royals | 28 | 2013 | 16 | 15.25 |
| SL Malinga Mumbai Indians | 28 | 2011 | 16 | 13.39 |
| Rashid Khan Gujarat Titans | 27 | 2023 | 17 | 20.44 |
| YS Chahal Rajasthan Royals | 27 | 2022 | 17 | 19.52 |
| JJ Bumrah Mumbai Indians | 27 | 2020 | 15 | 14.96 |
| MM Sharma Gujarat Titans | 27 | 2023 | 14 | 13.37 |
| Imran Tahir Chennai Super Kings | 26 | 2019 | 17 | 16.58 |
| PWH de Silva Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 26 | 2022 | 16 | 16.54 |
| DJ Bravo Chennai Super Kings | 26 | 2015 | 16 | 16.38 |
IPL Purple Cap Winners by Season
| Season | Player | Wickets | M | Avg | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | K Rabada Gujarat Titans | 29 | 17 | 21.59 | 9.68 |
| 2025 | M Prasidh Krishna Gujarat Titans | 25 | 15 | 19.52 | 8.27 |
| 2024 | HV Patel Punjab Kings | 24 | 14 | 19.88 | 9.73 |
| 2023 | Mohammed Shami Gujarat Titans | 28 | 17 | 18.64 | 8.03 |
| 2022 | YS Chahal Rajasthan Royals | 27 | 17 | 19.52 | 7.75 |
| 2021 | HV Patel Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 32 | 15 | 14.34 | 8.15 |
| 2020 | K Rabada Delhi Capitals | 30 | 17 | 18.27 | 8.35 |
| 2019 | Imran Tahir Chennai Super Kings | 26 | 17 | 16.58 | 6.70 |
| 2018 | AJ Tye Punjab Kings | 24 | 14 | 18.67 | 8.00 |
| 2017 | B Kumar Sunrisers Hyderabad | 26 | 14 | 14.19 | 7.05 |
| 2016 | B Kumar Sunrisers Hyderabad | 23 | 17 | 21.30 | 7.42 |
| 2015 | DJ Bravo Chennai Super Kings | 26 | 16 | 16.38 | 8.14 |
| 2014 | MM Sharma Chennai Super Kings | 23 | 16 | 19.65 | 8.40 |
| 2013 | DJ Bravo Chennai Super Kings | 32 | 18 | 15.53 | 7.95 |
| 2012 | M Morkel Delhi Capitals | 25 | 16 | 18.12 | 7.19 |
| 2011 | SL Malinga Mumbai Indians | 28 | 16 | 13.39 | 5.95 |
| 2010 | PP Ojha Deccan Chargers | 21 | 16 | 20.43 | 7.29 |
| 2009 | RP Singh Deccan Chargers | 23 | 16 | 18.13 | 6.99 |
| 2008 | Sohail Tanvir Rajasthan Royals | 22 | 11 | 12.09 | 6.46 |
Most wickets in an IPL season
Two bowlers share the single season record of 32 wickets: DJ Bravo, in 2013 with Chennai Super Kings, and HV Patel, in 2021 with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Bravo needed 18 matches, while Harshal Patel got there in 15 at an average of 14.34.
K Rabada appears twice near the top, with 30 wickets in 2020 (Delhi Capitals) and 29 in 2026 (GT). Four bowlers reached 28 in a season, among them SL Malinga in 2011 at an average of just 13.39, the cheapest return in that top 15.
GT bowlers fill four of those 15 places, three of them from the 2023 season alone: Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan and MM Sharma. The season pages, such as IPL 2023 records, show every bowler’s tally for one year.
Purple Cap winners and how to read the list
The Purple Cap table shows who led the wickets column each season in our data. B Kumar is the only bowler to top it in back-to-back years, with 23 in 2016 and 26 in 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. Bravo, HV Patel and Rabada have also led twice. The 2009 and 2010 leaders both bowled for Deccan Chargers, who no longer exist and are listed apart from SRH.
Team labels use today’s names, so M Morkel’s 25 in 2012 shows under Delhi Capitals and AJ Tye’s 24 in 2018 under Punjab Kings. AS Joseph holds the best figures in one IPL match, 6/12 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 6 Apr 2019.
If you want the run scorers instead, see the IPL run scorers list, or the separate Purple Cap page and the full IPL records hub.
Questions about Most IPL wickets
Who has the most wickets in IPL history?
YS Chahal has the most IPL wickets with 233 in 184 matches, playing for RCB and Rajasthan Royals. B Kumar is second with 226 and SP Narine third with 207.
What is the record for most wickets in an IPL season?
The record is 32 wickets, held jointly by DJ Bravo (Chennai Super Kings, 2013) and HV Patel (Royal Challengers Bengaluru, 2021). K Rabada is next with 30 for Delhi Capitals in 2020.
Which bowler has the best figures in a single IPL match?
AS Joseph took 6/12 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad on 6 Apr 2019. That is the best return in one IPL innings in the record book’s data from 2008 to 2026.
Which fast bowler has the most IPL wickets?
B Kumar leads the pace bowlers with 226 wickets, mostly for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and he has two five-wicket hauls. JJ Bumrah of Mumbai Indians has 187 at an average of 23.75.
Who was the Purple Cap winner in IPL 2026?
K Rabada of GT led the 2026 season with 29 wickets in 17 matches. In 2025 it was M Prasidh Krishna, another GT bowler, on 25.
Source: ball-by-ball match data from Cricsheet.org (ODC-BY). See how we compile these records.