Ever since the inception of the IPL, teams have opted for a batsman to lead the franchise. But during the first few seasons of the IPL, there were a few bowlers who captained their teams. A few of these bowlers gave match-winning performances with the ball in hand.
Let us look at the top 10 best bowling figures registered by captains in the IPL.
Best Bowling Figures by Captains in IPL
| Player | Bowling Figures (Overs) | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardik Pandya (MI) | 5/36 (4.0) | LSG | Lucknow | 4 Apr 2025 |
| Anil Kumble (RCB) | 4/16 (4.0) | Deccan Chargers | Johannesburg | 24 May 2009 |
| Anil Kumble (RCB) | 4/16 (3.3) | Deccan Chargers | Navi Mumbai | 24 Apr 2010 |
| JP Duminy (DC) | 4/17 (3.0) | SRH | Visakhapatnam | 18 Apr 2015 |
| Shane Warne (RR) | 4/21 (4.0) | Deccan Chargers | Nagpur | 5 Apr 2010 |
| Yuvraj Singh (Pune Warriors) | 4/29 (4.0) | DC | Navi Mumbai | 17 Apr 2011 |
| Anil Kumble (RCB) | 3/9 (3.5) | RR | Bengaluru | 18 Mar 2010 |
| Yuvraj Singh (PBKS) | 3/13 (4.0) | Deccan Chargers | Johannesburg | 17 May 2009 |
| Shane Watson (RR) | 3/13 (2.0) | SRH | Ahmedabad | 8 May 2014 |
| Shane Warne (RR) | 3/16 (4.0) | Kochi Tuskers Kerala | Jaipur | 24 Apr 2011 |
Key Insights
The best bowling figures in the IPL by a captain belong to Hardik Pandya. He became the first-ever captain to pick up a five-wicket haul in the IPL. Pandya returned with figures of 5 for 36 against Lucknow Super Giants in 2025, though Mumbai Indians lost the match.
Anil Kumble is the only captain with two identical four-fors against the same opposition. He delivered the figures of 4 for 16 twice against Deccan Chargers, almost a year apart.
Interestingly, Kumble’s both performances are the best in the playoffs. His first four-wicket haul came in the 2009 final, while the second came in the 2010 third-place play-off game.
Shane Warne has the most three-wicket hauls as a captain in the IPL. While leading Rajasthan Royals (RR) for four seasons, the Australian leg spinner picked up three-wicket hauls in five matches.
Warne was also the first bowling captain to lift the trophy back in IPL 2008. He also leads the wicket chart with 57 scalps in 54 innings as RR’s skipper.
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