IPL is not just the most high profile T20 league taking place in the cricketing globe but is also the most competitive one. It is being followed by millions of audience, and the games are analysed by number of critics and experts.
Hence the performance and achievements done in the IPL hold a lot of value for a player, more than any league in the world. And their T20 calibre is often judged by how they fare in the IPL.
This is one of the reasons why most of the IPL games have high intensity associated with them, and we see a lot of them going down to the wire. The pressure involved for everyone in a typical IPL game is high, and one can imagine what it would be for players during an IPL playoff.
Here in this article, we will discuss the bowlers who successfully overcame any sort of pressure in IPL knockouts and bowled the best figures in these games.
Best Bowling Figures in IPL Playoffs
| Player | Bowling Figures | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akash Madhwal (MI) | 5/5 | LSG | Chennai | 24 May 2023 |
| Mohit Sharma (GT) | 5/10 | MI | Ahmedabad | 26 May 2023 |
| Doug Bollinger (CSK) | 4/13 | Deccan Chargers | Mumbai | 22 Apr 2010 |
| Dhawal Kulkarni (GL) | 4/14 | RCB | Bengaluru | 24 May 2016 |
| Jasprit Bumrah (MI) | 4/14 | DC | Dubai | 5 Nov 2020 |
| Anil Kumble (RCB) | 4/16 | Deccan Chargers | Johannesburg | 24 May 2009 |
| Karn Sharma (MI) | 4/16 | KKR | Bengaluru | 19 May 2017 |
| Sunil Narine (KKR) | 4/21 | RCB | Sharjah | 11 Oct 2021 |
| Shane Watson (RCB) | 4/29 | Gujarat Lions | Bengaluru | 24 May 2016 |
| Kagiso Rabada (DC) | 4/29 | SRH | Abu Dhabi | 8 Nov 2020 |
Note 1: While the first three editions had winners decided by contesting Semifinals and the Final, the 2011 season saw the concept of Qualifiers and Eliminators being introduced. As a result, IPL playoffs include Qualifier 1, Qualifier 2, Eliminator, Semifinal and Final.
Note 2: The Deccan Chargers (DC) and Gujarat Lions (GL) franchises have now become defunct.
Key Insights
13: This is the number of times a bowler has taken four wickets or more in an IPL playoffs game. Apart from the entries in the above list, Naveen-ul-Haq (LSG) took 4/38 against MI in the 2023 Eliminator, CSK’s Dwayne Bravo took 4/42 versus MI in the 2013 Final, and finally Karanveer of PBKS took 4/54 against KKR in the 2014 Final. Interestingly, all three impressive efforts went in vain as their respective sides lost the game.
8: The number of instances from the above list resulting in wins for their sides. In the top 10, only Dhawal Kulkarni’s 4/14 for now defunct Gujarat Lions in 2016 Qualifier 1 game against RCB and Kumble’s 4/16 in the 2009 IPL final for RCB came in a loss for their respective side.
2: Only two bowlers have taken a five-wicket haul in an IPL playoff game. The first one was by a relatively unknown pacer, Akash Madhwal, who took his career best figures of 5/5 while playing for MI against LSG in the 2023 IPL season’s Eliminator game.
Two days later in Qualifier 2, history repeated but this time, Mumbai Indians were on the opposite side as GT’s Mohit Sharma rolled them over with 5/10 in Ahmedabad.
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