Top 10 Most Economical Bowlers in IPL History (Best Economy Rate)

Bowlers with Best Economy in IPL: Daniel Vettori is a great bowler in the Indian Premier League with best economy rate 6.56 . He has taken 21 wickets in 27 matches, Anil Kumble is another great bowler who has taken 45 wickets in 42 matches, but he has a slightly higher economy rate of 6.58.

Over the 17 editions of the Indian Premier League, we have witnessed many economical bowlers who have contained the batting lineups with their tight lines and lengths. Let’s look at the  top 10 most economical bowlers in IPL history .

Top 10 Most Economical Bowlers in IPL History

The batters in IPL are always on the attack mode to score quick runs on flat decks. In such scenarios, bowlers play a pivotal role in keeping the scoring rate under check with their tight lines and lengths.

While we have seen many successful wicket-takers like Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Shane Warne, and Zaheer Khan in the IPL, some bowlers stand out for maintaining excellent economy rates throughout their careers.

Let’s look at the  top 10 most economical bowlers in the 17 editions of the Indian Premier League :

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#	Player	Team	Wickets	Economy Rate	Matches	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Best Bowling	4W	Average
1	Daniel Vettori	RCB	21	6.56	27	106	0	698	3/19	0	33.24
2	Anil Kumble	RCB	45	6.58	42	160	1	1058	5/5	2	23.51
3	Glenn McGrath	DC	12	6.61	14	54	2	357	4/29	1	29.75
4	Muttiah Muralitharan	RCB	63	6.68	66	254	1	1696	3/11	0	26.92
5	Sunil Narine	KKR	180	6.73	177	679	3	4571	5/19	7	25.39
6	Roelof van der Merwe	DC	21	6.74	21	73	1	498	3/20	0	23.71
7	Rashid Khan	GT	149	6.82	121	475	3	3252	4/24	2	21.83
8	Jayant Yadav	GT	8	6.85	20	65	0	445	1/23	0	55.63
9	Dale Steyn	RCB	97	6.92	95	362	7	2508	3/11	0	25.86
10	Johan Botha	KKR	25	6.92	34	115	0	800	3/6	0	32.00
11	Mitchell Santner	CSK	15	6.92	18	61	0	422	2/13	0	28.13
12	Dimitri Mascarenhas	PBKS	19	6.94	13	51	1	356	5/25	0	18.74
13	Rahul Sharma	DC	40	7.02	44	154	1	1086	3/13	0	27.15
14	Moeen Ali	CSK	35	7.07	67	125	0	893	4/26	1	25.51
15	Harbhajan Singh	KKR	150	7.08	163	569	6	4030	5/18	1	26.87
16	Dirk Nannes	DC	13	7.10	16	58	1	413	2/12	0	31.77
17	Ravichandran Ashwin	RR	180	7.12	212	753	4	5370	4/34	1	29.83
18	Lasith Malinga	MI	170	7.14	122	471	8	3366	5/13	6	19.80
19	Pragyan Ojha	MI	85	7.22	80	270	0	1952	3/11	0	22.96
20	Doug Bollinger	CSK	37	7.22	27	96	3	693	4/13	1	18.73
21	Iqbal Abdulla	RCB	40	7.23	49	153	1	1109	3/24	0	27.73
22	Murali Kartik	RCB	31	7.25	56	191	1	1388	3/17	0	44.77
23	Shane Warne	RR	57	7.27	55	199	1	1447	4/21	1	25.39
24	Axar Patel	DC	123	7.28	150	516	2	3758	4/21	1	30.55
25	Jasprit Bumrah	MI	165	7.30	133	506	8	3714	5/10	2	22.51
26	Ankit Sharma	RR	12	7.36	22	61	0	450	2/20	0	37.50
27	Krunal Pandya	LSG	76	7.37	127	353	1	2606	3/11	0	34.29
28	JP Duminy	MI	23	7.38	83	113	0	834	4/17	1	36.26
29	Amit Mishra	LSG	174	7.38	162	561	6	4149	5/17	4	23.84
30	Suresh Raina	CSK	25	7.39	205	151	0	1118	2/0	0	44.72
31	Yusuf Pathan	SRH	42	7.40	174	191	1	1415	3/20	0	33.69
32	Ramesh Powar	PBKS	13	7.42	27	71	0	527	2/11	0	40.54
33	Jofra Archer	MI	48	7.43	40	157	2	1171	3/15	0	24.40
34	Shakib Al Hasan	KKR	63	7.44	71	247	1	1839	3/17	0	29.19
35	Yuvraj Singh	MI	36	7.44	132	144	0	1077	4/29	2	29.92

#1. Daniel Vettori – 6.56 Economy Rate

Daniel Vettori tops the list of most economical IPL bowlers with bowling economy rate of 6.56 in 27 matches. The former New Zealand captain picked up 21 wickets in IPL matches and took 106 overs for Royal Challengers Bangalore, while giving away just 698 runs.

His left-arm orthodox spin was extremely difficult to score off, making him an asset for RCB in containing runs. With a best bowling figure of 3/19, Vettori proved why he is regarded as one of the sharpest cricket minds.

#2. Anil Kumble – 6.58

The legendary Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble takes the second spot on this list of bowlers. Having played 42 matches for RCB, he claimed 45 wickets with an outstanding economy rate of 6.58.

Kumble even led the RCB franchise for three IPL seasons – showcasing his value as a player who played in the IPL and was known for being an economical bowler who could stem the run flow in the middle overs. His best bowling figures were 5/5 in the IPL.

#3. Glenn McGrath – 6.61

Former Australian seamer Glenn McGrath is next on this list of bowlers with an outstanding economy rate. Although McGrath played only a single season in 2008, he left his mark picking up 12 wickets at an economy rate of 6.61.

His ability to bowl accurate line and lengths made scoring very difficult for the batters. Delivering his sharp medium pace bowling for the Delhi Daredevils, McGrath had the best figures of 4/29 in his brief IPL career.Who is your favorite economical bowler in the IPL?” or “Which bowler surprised you the most on this list?”

#4.  Muttiah Muralidharan – 6.68

Sri Lankan spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan  is next on this list of super-economical bowling for RCB. In his 66 IPL matches, Muralitharan picked up 63 wickets while giving away just 1696 runs at an economy rate of 6.68.

#5. Sunil Narine – 6.73

Over the past decade,  Sunil Narine  has been a crucial cog in the bowling lineup of  Kolkata Knight Riders . With his mystery spin bowling, Narine has claimed 180 wickets for KKR in 180 contests at an excellent economy of 6.73.

#6. Roelof van der Merwe – 6.74

Next on this list is South African  all-rounder Roelof van der Merwe  who also played for the Delhi franchise (Delhi Daredevils). In his brief IPL career from 2009-2013, van der Merwe snapped up 21 wickets in 21 matches with an economy figure of 6.74.

#7. Rashid Khan – 6.82

The Afghan leg-spinner Rashid Khan has been amazing in the IPL, confusing even the best batters with his tricky deliveries like googlies and flippers. In the 121 matches he played, he took 149 wickets while keeping a good economy rate of 6.82.

Conclusion

In T20 cricket, most bowlers tend to leak runs even while taking wickets. But as seen above, some outstanding bowlers have managed this trade-off very effectively in the high-scoring Indian Premier League.

Similarly, when it comes to IPL teams, qualifying for the playoffs is a significant achievement. Teams that consistently secure a spot in the playoffs showcase their strength and stability in the tournament. The likes of Daniel Vettori, Anil Kumble, Rashid Khan, and Sunil Narine have led the charts with their economical bowling spells for respective franchises. Their miserly economy rates under 7 runs per over played a key role in contributing to their team’s success.