IPL 2021: Rating Bowlers' Performances In The Death Overs In The 14th Season

One of the most crucial stages of any Twenty20 game is the death overs. The overs between 16-20 are referred to as the death overs and the manner in which the batting and bowling unit performs during this period largely decides the result of the game.

Bowling at the death is a special skill, and hence, if a team has someone like a Bumrah or a Rabada in their side, then their chances of winning automatically increase as the said bowlers not only tend to stem the flow of runs with their pin-point accuracy amid a plethora of variations, they also pick up wickets.

On that note, here’s a look at how the pacers performed at the death in IPL 2021:

13. Pat Cummins – 2/10

Overs; 4,5, Runs: 62, Wickets: 2

Pat Cummins had a better season with the ball as compared to the 13th edition as he claimed 9 wickets in 7 matches.

However, only 2 of those wickets came between overs 16-20. Cummins bowled a total of 4.5 overs at the death and he gave away as many as 62 runs.

12. Kyle Jamieson – 2/10

Overs: 4, Runs- 62, Wickets-2

Kyle Jamieson performed admirably in his debut season of the Indian Premier League.

However, the lanky Kiwi pacer struggled at the death as he conceded as many as 62 runs in the 4 overs that he bowled and claimed just 2 wickets in the process.

11. Mustafizur Rahman – 2/10

Overs: 8, Runs: 92, Wickets: 3

Mustafizur Rahman was largely a disappointment during the death overs.

The left-arm seamer bowled a total of 8 overs between 16-20 and ended up conceding 92 runs for his 3 wickets.

10. Prasidh Krishna – 3/10

Overs: 6.3, Runs: 63, Wickets: 3

Prasidh Krishna blew hot and cold at the death.

The right-arm seamer bowled a total of 6.3 overs between overs 16-20, conceding 63 runs in the process for a total of 3 wickets.

His best performance at the death came against Punjab Kings where he conceded 17 runs in 12 balls and claimed 2 wickets in the process.

9. Kagiso Rabada – 3/10

Overs: 8, Runs: 89, Wickets: 3

It is fair to say that Kagiso Rabada endured a poor IPL 2021 campaign.

In the previous seasons, Rabada had made up for his lack of wickets in the powerplay with brilliant bowling at the death

But, that wasn’t the case this time around as the South African bolter not only went for runs at the death but he didn’t pick enough wickets.

Rabada bowled a total of 8 overs between 16-20, and he ended up conceding 89 runs for just 3 wickets.

His poor final over against SRH in which Suchith and Williamson smashed took a full toll on him, was one of the major reasons behind that game going to the Super-Over.

8. Chetan Sakariya – 4/10

Overs: 7, Runs: 74, Wickets: 3

Chetan Sakariya has been the find of IPL 2021 thus far. In 7 games, the left-arm seamer claimed as many as 7 wickets, 3 of which came at the death.

His best performance at the death came in his very first game in which he gave away 20 runs in two overs and claimed a couple of wickets, which included the prize scalp of KL Rahul.

Overall, Sakariya gave away 74 runs in 7 death overs and claimed 3 wickets.

7. Mohammed Siraj – 5/10

Overs: 8, Runs: 66, Wickets: 2

Arguably, the most improved death bowler in IPL 2021, Mohammed Siraj took his game to another level in the 14th season, emerging as a reliable death-bowling option for Virat Kohli.

The right-arm seamer conceded just 1 run against a rampaging Andre Russell in the only over he bowled at the death against KKR.

Even against the likes of Rishabh Pant, Siraj nailed his Yorkers brilliantly and defended 14 runs in the final over to help RCB win by 1 run.

Overall, Siraj bowled 8 overs at the death and conceded 66 runs for his 2 wickets.

6. Trent Boult – 5/10

Overs: 6.3, Runs: 76, Wickets: 5

Trent Boult chipped in with crucial wickets at the death courtesy of brilliant yorkers but he also proved to be expensive.

Boult concerned as many as 76 runs in just 6.3 overs he bowled between 16-20 but claimed five wickets in the process.

5. Sam Curran – 5/10

Overs- 8, Runs- 92, Wickets- 4

Sam Curran went for runs at the death but the feisty young cricketer ensured that he chipped in with crucial wickets for CSK.

Curran was hammered for as many as 30 runs in one over by Pat Cummins but he came back brilliantly to give just 8 runs in the final over to help CSK defend the target.

Against the Mumbai Indians, Curran got smashed for a couple of sixes by Hardik Pandya at the start of his over but once again, he staged a fightback to dismiss both Pandya and Du Plessis.

Overall, Sam Curran bowled 8 death overs, in which he gave away 92 runs for his 4 wickets.

4. Avesh Khan – 5/10

Overs: 10, Runs: 97, Wickets: 4

Avesh Khan had a brilliant IPL campaign as he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker after Harshal Patel.

But when it comes to bowling at the death, Khan’s performance was largely a mixed bag.

Khan sent down 10 over between 16-20, in which he conceded 97 runs for his 4 wickets.

3. Jasprit Bumrah – 6.5/10

Overs: 13, Runs: 96, Wickets: 4

Jasprit Bumrah was once again the go-to bowler for Rohit Sharma and the Mumbai Indians at the death.

The right-hander sent down 13 Overs during the course of 7 matches between 16-20, in which he conceded 96 Runs, claiming 4 wickets in the process.

His spell of 0-12 in two overs at the death against KKR was instrumental in Mumbai Indians defending 152. However, the champion pacer was taken to the cleaners by ABD in the first game and then by Rayudu and Jadeja in what proved to be MI’s last fixture before the tournament got called off.

2. Chris Morris- 8/10

A death-over specialist, Chris Morris once again proved his worth in IPL 2021 as one of the premium bowlers during the final phase of an innings.

Morris bowled a total of 8 overs between 16-20, in which he notched up figures of 9/80.

His best performance came against KKR in which he gave just 14 runs in two death overs and claimed 4 wickets in the process to end up with figures of 4/23 in 4.

1. Harshal Patel- 8/10

Overs: 13, Runs: 144, Wickets: 10

Harshal Patel blew hot and cold at the death in IPL 2021. He claimed a plethora of wickets but also ended up giving up a lot of runs as the season progressed.

While he gave away as many as 37 Runs in the 20th over thanks to Ravindra Jadeja, he also claimed as many three wickets for 1 run in the final over of Mumbai Indians innings in the tournament opener.

Overall, Patel conceded 144 Runs in 13 death Overs while claiming 10 wickets in the process.

Also Read: IPL 2021: Rating Top 10 All-Rounders From The 14th Season