IPL 2020 will witness the presence of top Indian bowlers like Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami featuring for different franchises. Ashwin will represent the Delhi Capitals (DC), while Bumrah and Shami will show up for Mumbai Indians (MI) and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) respectively. Harbhajan Singh will not be a part of the tournament in this edition having opted out due to personal reasons, depriving fans of an opportunity to enjoy watching one of the top spinners in the IPL. However, there are plenty of other Indian bowlers who are capable of entertaining fans with their performances, with an ability to emerge as match-winners on their day.
Let’s take a look at ten such Indian bowlers to watch out for in IPL 2020:
Jasprit Bumrah (Mumbai Indians)
The pacer with an unorthodox action has been a top performer for MI. Skipper Rohit Sharma has shown faith in Bumrah, backing him to deliver in the toughest of circumstances, which the fast-bowler has justified. The pacer has picked 82 wickets in 77 IPL matches at an economy rate of 7.55. He has represented only Mumbai Indians so far.
IPL Record:
Matches: 77
Wickets: 82
Best: 3/7
4w/inn: 0
Strike rate: 21.12
Econ: 7.55
Ravichandran Ashwin (Delhi Capitals)
The off-spinner will represent Delhi Capitals (DC) in the upcoming edition, following a trade between the franchise and Kings XI Punjab. Ashwin was previously a member of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) squad under MS Dhoni, where he made his presence felt accounting for wickets at regular intervals. The 33-year-old can certainly maintain the same impact for DC in the UAE, with his variations and immense experience.
IPL Record:
Matches: 139
Wickets: 125
Best: 4/34
4w/inn: 1
Strike rate: 23.39
Econ: 6.79
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (SunRisers Hyderabad)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is the leading wicket-taker for SRH, having accounted for 133 wickets in 117 matches. Bhuvneshwar has picked these wickets, at an average of 23.71 and economy rate of 7.24. The medium-pacer can certainly trouble batsmen with his nagging line and length, along with an ability to bowl an excellent yorker when the situation demands.
IPL Record:
Matches: 117
Wickets: 133
Best: 5/19
4w/inn: 2
5w/inn: 1
Strike rate: 19.63
Econ: 7.24
Ravindra Jadeja (Chennai Super Kings)
The left-arm orthodox spin bowler has been extremely effective for CSK with his accuracy and consistency. Skipper MS Dhoni usually brings on Jadeja when a dangerous partnership needs to be broken, with the spinner making the desired impact more often than not.
IPL Record:
Matches: 170
Wickets: 108
Best: 5/16
5w/inn: 1
4w/inn: 3
Strike rate: 23.10
Econ: 7.57
Deepak Chahar (Chennai Super Kings)
The medium-pacer has been a consistent performer for CSK, emerging as a game-changer by picking wickets during the powerplay resulting in some vital early dismissals. Chahar‘s ability to swing the ball and generate movement off the pitch makes him a handy prospect. The pacer has picked 33 wickets in 34 IPL games so far.
IPL Record:
Matches: 34
Wickets: 33
Best: 3/15
Strike rate: 20.84
Econ: 7.63
Yuzvendra Chahal (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The wrist-spinner has been Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli‘s go-to man on the batting-friendly Bengaluru pitches. Chahal has been a consistent wicket-taker in the IPL as evident from the 100 wickets in 84 matches at an average of 23.18.
IPL Record:
Matches: 84
Wickets: 100
Best: 4/25
4w/inn: 2
Strike rate: 17.87
Econ: 7.78
Mohammed Shami (Kings XI Punjab)
The KXIP pacer was one of the top performers for the franchise in the previous edition of the tournament, having accounted for 19 wickets in 14 games. Skipper KL Rahul will be optimistic of a similar performance in IPL 2020 from Shami who is capable of bowling at a high pace with accuracy, further getting the ball to move.
IPL Record:
Matches: 51
Wickets: 40
Best: 3/21
Strike rate: 25.80
Econ: 8.99
Jaydev Unadkat (Rajasthan Royals)
The left-arm medium-pacer bowler can make the ball move both ways off the seam, with his subtle variations making it difficult for batsmen to score freely. Unadkat proved his calibre during the 2017 edition of the IPL where he finished as the second-highest wicket-taker while representing Rising Pune Supergiant. The pacer is a key member of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) squad and capable of being quite deadly on the UAE tracks.
IPL Record:
Matches: 73
Wickets: 77
Best: 5/25
5w/inn: 2
Strike rate: 19.55
Econ: 8.73
Kuldeep Yadav (Kolkata Knight Riders)
The left-arm chinaman bowler did not enjoy a decent campaign in the 2019 edition of the tournament, but Kuldeep is certainly capable of making a comeback. The bowler can run through the best batting line-ups on his day, with his crafty googlies and ability to use the width of the crease effectively. The 25-year-old might well relish the prospect of bowling on the spin-friendly UAE tracks, as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) look to lift their first IPL trophy since 2014.
IPL Record:
Matches: 40
Wickets: 39
Best: 4/20
4w/inn: 1
Strike rate: 21.12
Econ: 8.33
Shreyas Gopal (Rajasthan Royals)
The leg-spinner grabbed the limelight last season after accounting for 20 wickets in 14 matches, which includes a hat-trick against RCB. Gopal’s ability to generate sharp turn and a deceptive flight might well prove to be a sizeable advantage on the UAE tracks for RR.
IPL Record:
Matches: 31
Wickets: 38
Best: 4/16
4w/inn: 1
Strike rate: 15.50
Promoted
Econ: 7.50
Note: All stats courtesy iplt20.com
Topics mentioned in this article