It is a famous saying in Cricket, “Batsmen wins you games but the bowlers win you the tournament”. Similarly, the bowlers are going to play a key role in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League. The 12th season of the IPL will commence from March 23 with the first match between reigning champions Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore. We at Cricket Addictor take a look at the top five contenders for the leading wicket-takers of IPL 2019.
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Meanwhile, Andrew Tye was the leading wicket-taker in the previous season of IPL as the Australian pacer had taken 24 wickets for Kings XI Punjab. Thus, Tye will like to once again TIE down the opposition batsmen.
The bowlers will play a key role in getting their side to go all the way in the tournament. In fact, we had seen Sunrisers Hyderabad qualify for the final of the IPL 2018 on the back of their bowlers. Three out of the top five leading wicket-takers of IPL 2018 were from Sunrisers Hyderabad camp.
Here are the five bowlers who could earn the Purple cap in IPL 2019:
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav has been in fine form in the recent past. The mystery chinaman spinner has breathed down the neck of the opposition batsmen. Yadav has a lot of arrows in his quiver which helps in bamboozling the batsmen.
Here are Kuldeep Yadav’s IPL stats.
| IPL Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average |
| 31 | 35 | 8.22 | 24.51 |
Yadav had taken 45 wickets in 19 One Day Internationals in 2018. Yadav scalped 21 wickets in nine T20I matches in 2018. Thus, the southpaw spinner is bowling at the top of his game and would like to deliver the goods for Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Uttar Prades spinner had taken 17 wickets in the 16 matches of IPL 2018.
Andrew Tye
Andrew Tye was the leading wicket-taker of the previous season of the Indian Premier League. Tye had bowled with aplomb while playing for Kings XI Punjab. The pacer had scalped 24 wickets in 14 matches of the season. He had bowled with an average of 18.66.
IPL stats:
| IPL Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average |
| 20 | 36 | 7.65 | 16.36 |
Tye’s most potent weapon in his armoury is the knuckleball. In fact, Tye is accurate with his variation which helps in getting the better of the batsmen. Furthermore, Tye can land the wide yorkers on target. Tye was the leading wicket-taker in 2018 in T20I version as he scalped 31 wickets in 19 matches.
Rashid Khan
Rashid Khan is the number one T20 bowler in the world. The leg-spinner has taken the giant strides in his young career. Khan bowls at a brisk pace which makes it difficult for the batsmen to pick him up.
The talisman spinner is generally right on the money with his line and length as he doesn’t give any freebies to the batsmen. Thus, it is difficult to score runs against Rashid Khan and he is a partnership breaker.
IPL record:
| IPL Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average |
| 31 | 38 | 6.69 | 21.47 |
Rashid Khan was the second highest wicket-taker of IPL 2018. He had taken 21 wickets in 17 matches as he was instrumental in getting Sunrisers Hyderabad to the final of the tourney. He had taken 22 wickets in eight T20Is of 2018.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah is bowling at the top of his mark. Bumrah has troubled the best in the business with his accurate bowling. The talisman bowler has bowled with fire in the last two years and he is definitely going to be a top contender for the purple cap.
Bumrah is the best death bowler in the world and he has the skills to hit the blockhole in the fag end of the innings. Furthermore, Bumrah has brisk pace under his belt, which helps him in having his wood on the batsmen.
| IPL Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average |
| 61 | 63 | 7.81 | 28.16 |
Bumrah scalped eight wickets in as many T20I matches in 2018. Bumrah has the skills to breathe down the neck of the opposition batsmen. The linchpin bowler will like to deliver the goods for Mumbai Indians.
Kagiso Rabada
Kagiso Rabada will like to hit the ground running in the Indian Premier League 2019. Rabada has been in fine form in the recent past and he has raw pace under his bag. Rabada doesn’t have much IPL experience under his belt but he would like to hit the straps for the Delhi Capitals.
Rabada has shown the promise to be the best bowler in the world. The Proteas talisman will like to deliver the goods for his franchise.
Here are his IPL stats:
| IPL Matches | Wickets | Economy | Average |
| 6 | 6 | 8.81 | 31.33 |
