Chris Woakes IPL Stats, Wickets, Price, Team, Salary & Career Records

Chris Woakes is England’s Mr Reliable: a skilful seam bowler, a handy lower-order batter and one of the finest slip fielders in world cricket. In the IPL, the Birmingham all-rounder has had a stop-start journey across four franchises, with his best season coming for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.

Though his IPL numbers never matched his England heroics, Woakes remains a fascinating case study in how international quality translates to franchise cricket. His 17 wickets in 13 matches for KKR showed what he could do when given a regular run.

This article covers Chris Woakes IPL stats in full: season-by-season wickets, auction price and salary history, best performances, teams, playing style, international career and records.

Early Career and IPL Debut

Christopher Roger Woakes was born on 2 March 1989 in Birmingham, England. A right-arm fast-medium bowler and right-handed batter, he came through the Warwickshire academy and established himself as one of England’s most dependable all-format cricketers.

Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for 4.2 crore rupees at the 2017 auction, and he made his IPL debut that season. He slotted straight into KKR’s pace attack and became an important part of their campaign, adapting to the Eden Gardens surfaces with his trademark discipline.

Chris Woakes IPL Stats by Season

Woakes has played 21 IPL matches across four franchises, taking 30 wickets and scoring 78 runs.

The 2017 season with Kolkata was comfortably his best. He took 17 wickets in 13 matches at an average of 22.71, with best figures of 3 for 6, and contributed useful runs down the order. It remains the only season in which he was a first-choice starter.

His 2018 stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru was disappointing: eight wickets in five matches at an economy over ten. After going unsold in 2019, Delhi Capitals bought him for 1.5 crore in 2020, but he withdrew before the tournament to stay fresh for England’s Test summer, a decision he later admitted he regretted.

He returned to Delhi in 2021 for three matches, taking five wickets at an impressive economy of 7.45. Punjab Kings signed him for 4.2 crore in 2024, though he did not play a match that season.

Wickets, Best Performances and Bowling Records

Woakes’s best IPL figures of 3 for 6 came during his excellent 2017 campaign with Kolkata Knight Riders. That season he was KKR’s reliable new-ball and middle-overs operator, using his ability to seam the ball both ways to trouble top orders.

What stands out from his IPL record is the contrast between his two full seasons. In 2017 he was economical and penetrative; in 2018 the same bowler went at more than ten an over. It is a reminder of how conditions, confidence and role clarity shape a bowler’s T20 fortunes.

His overall IPL record of 30 wickets in 21 matches at an average under 24 is respectable, even if it never sparked the bidding wars his England reputation might have suggested.

IPL Auction Price and Salary History

Woakes has been one of the IPL’s yo-yo buys, moving between big contracts and base-price deals.

His 7.4-crore move to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the 2018 mega auction made him one of the most expensive overseas players that year. After that deal did not work out, his value dropped sharply, and Delhi Capitals picked him up at his base price of 1.5 crore in 2020.

Punjab Kings’ 4.2-crore bid in 2024 showed that franchises still respected his pedigree, even if he did not get a game that season.

Teams: Kolkata, Bengaluru, Delhi and Punjab

Woakes has represented four IPL franchises without ever settling long-term at any of them. Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017 gave him his only extended run, and he repaid them with the best season of his IPL career.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s big-money gamble in 2018 failed, and he was released after one season. Two separate stints with Delhi Capitals, in 2020 and 2021, produced only three actual appearances. His 2024 signing with Punjab Kings kept him in the league without adding to his playing record.

Playing Style and Strengths

Woakes is a classical English seamer: he hits the pitch hard, seams the ball both ways and bowls a heavy ball that hurries batters. His bouncer is well disguised, and his control of line and length is among the best in world cricket.

With the bat, he is a genuine all-rounder capable of clean hitting down the order, though the IPL rarely gave him the platform to show it. In the field, he is outstanding, particularly in the slips.

As a new-ball operator in helpful conditions, few are better. His struggles in the IPL came largely on flat Indian pitches where his style offers less margin for error than outright pace or mystery spin. In that sense his career arc mirrors other fine English seamers who found the IPL a tougher puzzle than international cricket.

Among the great new-ball bowlers of the modern game, his craft invites comparison with masters of swing and seam. The new-ball brilliance of Trent Boult, whose powerplay spells have decided countless T20 matches, shows what elite swing bowling looks like at its peak. The relentless accuracy of Jasprit Bumrah has redefined fast bowling in all formats. And the raw pace and menace of Kagiso Rabada during his Delhi Capitals peak demonstrated how devastating a top-class quick can be in the IPL. Woakes’s 2017 season proved he could live in that company when conditions suited.

International Career

For England, Chris Woakes has been a superb servant across formats for well over a decade. He was a key member of the squad that won the 2019 ODI World Cup on home soil, and his new-ball spells in English conditions have dismantled many top orders.

He played his last Test against India at Leeds in June 2025, bringing down the curtain on a distinguished red-ball career. In white-ball cricket, his ability to swing the new ball and finish innings with the bat made him a trusted squad member for years.

Future Outlook

At 37, Woakes is in the twilight of his playing career, though his skill set ages well. His IPL days may be behind him after the quiet 2024 season with Punjab Kings, but his experience keeps him in demand in leagues around the world, including The Hundred with Welsh Fire.

Whatever comes next, his legacy as one of England’s most reliable cricketers of his generation is secure, and his 2017 IPL season remains proof of what he could do on the biggest franchise stage.

FAQs

When did Chris Woakes make his IPL debut?

Chris Woakes made his IPL debut in 2017 for Kolkata Knight Riders, who bought him for 4.2 crore rupees at the auction.

How many wickets has Chris Woakes taken in the IPL?

Chris Woakes has taken 30 wickets in 21 IPL matches, with best figures of 3 for 6 for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.

What is Chris Woakes’s IPL salary?

Chris Woakes’s last IPL contract was worth 4.2 crore rupees per season with Punjab Kings, who signed him in 2024.

Which teams has Chris Woakes played for in the IPL?

Chris Woakes has played for Kolkata Knight Riders (2017), Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2018), Delhi Capitals (2020-2021) and Punjab Kings (2024).

What are Chris Woakes’s best IPL bowling figures?

His best IPL figures are 3 for 6, achieved for Kolkata Knight Riders during the 2017 season.

Why did Chris Woakes withdraw from IPL 2020?

Chris Woakes withdrew from IPL 2020 before the tournament to stay fresh for England’s Test summer and spend time with his family. He later said he regretted the decision.