Most Wickets for a Single Team in IPL History

Franchise loyalty is rare in modern T20 cricket. Auctions, trades, injuries and team rebuilds mean even the biggest IPL names often represent several franchises during their careers. That makes the record for most wickets for a single IPL team especially valuable. It measures not only bowling quality but also longevity, trust and a long-term role within one franchise.

Sunil Narine holds the record for the most wickets for a single team in IPL history. The West Indian spinner has taken 207 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders since joining the franchise in 2012. Jasprit Bumrah ranks second with 187 wickets for Mumbai Indians, while former MI great Lasith Malinga is third with 170.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 157 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Ravindra Jadeja’s 143 for Chennai Super Kings complete the top five. The list also includes franchise legends such as Dwayne Bravo, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harbhajan Singh and Andre Russell.

Most Wickets for a Single Team in IPL History

The following table lists the leading wicket-takers for one IPL franchise through the completed 2026 season.

The ranking shows how difficult it is to stay with one franchise long enough to build a massive wicket total. Several bowlers have taken more career IPL wickets overall than players in this table, but their wickets were spread across different teams.

Sunil Narine – 207 Wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders

Sunil Narine leads the record with 207 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders.

He joined KKR in 2012 and immediately became one of the most difficult bowlers to score against in the IPL. In his first season, Narine took 24 wickets and helped Kolkata win their first title.

What separates Narine from many other long-term franchise bowlers is his combination of economy and wicket-taking.

He has spent much of his career bowling during the Powerplay and middle overs, where batters usually try to attack spinners or rotate strike. Narine repeatedly prevented both.

His best IPL figures are 5/19.

Over time, he also became an important all-round option because KKR used him as an aggressive top-order batter.

However, his greatest franchise value has always come from his bowling. More than 200 wickets for one team across 15 seasons makes Narine one of the strongest examples of franchise loyalty in IPL history.

Jasprit Bumrah – 187 Wickets for Mumbai Indians

Jasprit Bumrah ranks second with 187 wickets, all for Mumbai Indians.

Bumrah made his IPL debut in 2013 and took Virat Kohli as his first wicket.

He gradually developed from a promising young fast bowler into one of the best death bowlers in the world.

Mumbai used him in almost every difficult phase: with the new ball, during the middle overs when a partnership needed breaking, and at the death when batters were attacking every delivery.

His yorker became one of the defining weapons of the IPL.

Bumrah’s best figures for Mumbai are 5/10 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2022.

He moved past Lasith Malinga as MI’s leading IPL wicket-taker in 2025 and continued increasing the record in 2026.

Bumrah’s position is especially impressive because fast bowlers are generally more vulnerable to injuries than spinners and therefore have fewer opportunities to build very long franchise careers.

Lasith Malinga – 170 Wickets for Mumbai Indians

Before Bumrah, Lasith Malinga was the bowling face of Mumbai Indians.

The Sri Lankan fast bowler took 170 wickets from 122 matches for MI between 2009 and 2019.

Malinga’s combination of yorkers, slower balls and unusual round-arm release made him almost impossible to attack consistently at the death.

His best figures were 5/13 against Delhi Daredevils in 2011.

That season was one of the finest individual bowling campaigns in IPL history. Malinga took 28 wickets and won the Purple Cap.

He also played one of the most important roles in Mumbai’s 2019 title.

Chennai Super Kings needed two runs from the final ball of the final. Malinga delivered a slower yorker and trapped Shardul Thakur lbw, giving Mumbai victory by one run.

Few bowlers have been more strongly associated with one IPL team’s success.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 157 Wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad

Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 157 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad and became the most successful bowler in franchise history.

He joined SRH in 2014 and quickly became their new-ball leader.

Bhuvneshwar’s ability to swing the ball in the Powerplay gave Hyderabad early wickets, while his yorkers and slower deliveries made him effective at the death.

He won consecutive Purple Caps in 2016 and 2017.

In 2016, Bhuvneshwar took 23 wickets as SRH won the IPL title.

He followed that with 26 wickets in 2017.

Few bowlers have been as important to one franchise across both new-ball and death-overs phases.

His SRH career ended after 2024, but his 157 wickets remain one of the highest single-team totals in IPL history.

Ravindra Jadeja – 143 Wickets for Chennai Super Kings

Ravindra Jadeja has taken 143 wickets for Chennai Super Kings.

Jadeja joined CSK in 2012 and became an important part of the team’s core.

Unlike Narine or Bumrah, he has often been used in a flexible role rather than as the main strike bowler.

Dhoni frequently used Jadeja through the middle overs, particularly on slow pitches where his flat left-arm spin could force batters into risky shots.

His best IPL bowling figures are 5/16.

Jadeja’s contribution to CSK also extends far beyond wickets. He has been one of the league’s best fielders and a major lower-order batting option.

His longevity with Chennai makes him one of the most complete single-franchise players in IPL history.

Most Wickets in a Single IPL Season

Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel share the record for the most wickets in one IPL season.

Both took 32.

Bravo’s 2013 campaign was built around death-over wickets.

CSK often saved him for the final overs, when batters were forced to attack and Bravo’s slower balls became especially difficult to control.

Harshal matched the record in 2021 with RCB.

He took 32 wickets from only 15 matches and repeatedly used slower deliveries and wide lines to dismiss aggressive batters.

The fact that the record has survived despite increasingly long IPL seasons shows how difficult it is to average more than two wickets per match across an entire campaign.

Best Bowling Figures for a Franchise

Alzarri Joseph holds the record for the best bowling figures in IPL history.

He took 6/12 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019.

Joseph’s 6/12 came on his IPL debut.

Mumbai had scored only 136/7, so Sunrisers appeared to have a manageable chase.

Joseph immediately changed the match.

He dismissed David Warner with his first IPL delivery and eventually took six wickets as SRH were bowled out for 96.

The spell remains unmatched.

Famous Single-Franchise Bowling Careers

Sunil Narine and Kolkata Knight Riders

Narine’s career is the strongest example of long-term franchise bowling loyalty.

He has played only for KKR in the IPL and has remained central to their bowling plans across several generations.

His ability to adapt after changes in bowling regulations and batting tactics has helped him remain effective far longer than most mystery spinners.

Bumrah and Malinga at Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians have had the unusual advantage of possessing two of the greatest death bowlers in IPL history.

Malinga established the template.

Bumrah then developed under the same franchise and eventually passed his wicket record.

For several seasons, Mumbai could use both in the same attack, giving opposition teams very few easy overs at the end of an innings.

Dwayne Bravo and Chennai Super Kings

Bravo took 140 wickets for CSK.

He played a very different role from Jadeja.

While Jadeja controlled the middle overs, Bravo became a death-over specialist.

His slower balls forced batters to generate their own pace, and he became one of the league’s most prolific wicket-takers in the final five overs.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Chahal took 139 wickets for RCB.

For several seasons, he was the franchise’s most reliable middle-over wicket-taker.

Bowling at the small Chinnaswamy Stadium made the achievement even more impressive.

Rather than trying only to contain batters, Chahal continued tossing the ball up and attacking the stumps.

Harbhajan Singh and Mumbai Indians

Harbhajan took 127 wickets for Mumbai Indians and was one of the original pillars of the franchise.

He played for MI from the inaugural 2008 season through 2017.

His off-spin was especially effective during the early IPL years when teams were still learning how aggressively to attack spin in T20 cricket.

Most Wickets for a Single Team in IPL: Bowlers and Records

Career IPL wicket totals reward longevity, but single-team records tell a slightly different story.

A bowler who spends ten seasons at one franchise develops familiarity with captains, coaches and home conditions.

That allows teams to build specific roles around him.

KKR always knew where Narine fitted.

Mumbai built their death bowling around Malinga and later Bumrah.

SRH relied on Bhuvneshwar for early swing.

CSK used Bravo and Jadeja in clearly defined phases.

That continuity is valuable in a competition where squads can change dramatically from one auction to another.

Spinners Versus Pacers in Single-Team Records

The leaderboard contains a healthy mix of spin and pace.

Narine, Jadeja, Chahal and Harbhajan represent spin.

Bumrah, Malinga, Bhuvneshwar and Bravo represent pace.

The contrast is interesting because each type of bowler builds wickets differently.

Spinners often accumulate large totals through middle-over consistency.

Fast bowlers tend to get more chances at the death, where batters take greater risks.

However, pacers also face a greater injury burden.

That makes Bumrah and Malinga’s totals especially impressive.

The Importance of Home Conditions

Franchise bowlers often learn to exploit their home ground better than visiting players.

Narine has spent years understanding Eden Gardens.

Harbhajan and Malinga became experts at Wankhede Stadium.

Chahal learned how to survive and attack at the batting-friendly Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Bhuvneshwar benefited from Hyderabad surfaces that often gave seamers more help than some other IPL venues.

Long-term familiarity can influence field placements, preferred lengths and matchup planning.

That advantage becomes more valuable over many seasons.

Can Jasprit Bumrah Break Narine’s Record?

Bumrah is the strongest active challenger to Narine.

He has 187 wickets for Mumbai Indians, while Narine sits at 207 for KKR.

The gap is only 20 wickets.

If Bumrah remains fit and continues taking around 15 to 20 wickets per season, he has a realistic chance of reaching the record.

Narine is still active, however, so the target may continue moving.

That makes the race between two one-franchise legends one of the most interesting long-term IPL records.

Conclusion

Sunil Narine holds the record for the most wickets for a single team in IPL history with 207 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders.

Jasprit Bumrah ranks second with 187 for Mumbai Indians, while Lasith Malinga sits third with 170 for the same franchise.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 157 wickets for Sunrisers Hyderabad and Ravindra Jadeja’s 143 for Chennai Super Kings complete the top five.

The list is filled with players who became part of their franchises’ identities.

Narine defined KKR’s spin attack. Malinga and Bumrah built Mumbai’s reputation for elite death bowling. Bhuvneshwar led SRH with the new ball, while Bravo and Jadeja gave Chennai different types of control.

Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel share the single-season record with 32 wickets, while Alzarri Joseph’s 6/12 remains the best bowling figures in IPL history.

These records show that long-term bowling success is not only about individual talent. It also depends on a franchise trusting a bowler year after year and building its strategy around his strengths.

FAQs

Who has taken the most wickets for a single IPL team?

Sunil Narine holds the record with 207 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders.

How many wickets has Jasprit Bumrah taken for Mumbai Indians?

Bumrah has taken 187 IPL wickets for Mumbai Indians through the completed 2026 season.

Who is Mumbai Indians’ highest wicket-taker?

Jasprit Bumrah is MI’s leading IPL wicket-taker. He passed Lasith Malinga’s previous franchise record of 170 wickets.

Who has taken the most wickets for Chennai Super Kings?

Ravindra Jadeja leads CSK’s franchise wicket list with 143, ahead of Dwayne Bravo’s 140.

What is the record for most wickets in one IPL season?

Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel share the record with 32 wickets, achieved in 2013 and 2021 respectively.

What are the best bowling figures in IPL history?

Alzarri Joseph holds the record with 6/12 for Mumbai Indians against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2019.