IPL 2016: 10 best bowlers
IPL 2022 will be the 15th edition of the world's grandest T20 league. The franchise-based cricket competition started in 2008 with eight teams. Over the years, the number of IPL teams has changed many times. From this year onwards, there will be 10 teams in the IPL.
The Gujarat Titans and the Lucknow Super Giants are the two new entrants in this year's competition. The last time two new teams joined the IPL was in 2016. At that time as well, a team from Gujarat and a team having 'Super Giants' in their name joined the tournament. They were known as the Gujarat Lions and the Rising Pune Supergiants.
Speaking of IPL 2016, in today's article, we will look back at the 10 best bowlers from that season.
#10 Jasprit Bumrah - 15 wickets
The Mumbai Indians did not have a memorable season in 2016. But the team's star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah impressed everyone with his bowling performances. Bumrah scalped 15 wickets in 14 matches for the Mumbai-based franchise. His best figures were 3/13, while his economy rate was 7.8.
#9 Sandeep Sharma - 15 wickets
Sandeep Sharma also picked up 15 wickets in 14 matches in IPL 2016. He led the Punjab Kings' pace attack well and maintained an economy rate of 7.32. Sharma's swing bowling in the powerplay overs troubled many batters. His best figures in IPL 2016 were 2/11.
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#8 Andre Russell - 15 wickets
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Andre Russell played a vital role in the team's top-four finish. The Caribbean star represented KKR in 12 games and picked up 15 wickets. Russell was one of the few bowlers to record a four-wicket haul that season. His best figures were 4/20.
#7 Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo has achieved a lot of success in the IPL and has been the go-to bowler for the Chennai Super Kings. In 2016, Bravo turned out for the Gujarat Lions team. He finished with 17 wickets in 15 games at an economy rate of 8.82.
#6 Mitchell McClenaghan - 17 wickets
Mitchell McClenaghan was the highest wicket-taker for the Mumbai Indians in 2016. The left-arm fast bowler accounted for 17 wickets in 14 matches. His best bowling figures for MI were 4/21, while he maintained a decent bowling strike rate of 18.8.
#5 Mustafizur Rahman
Mustafizur Rahman won the Emerging Player of the Season award in 2016. The left-arm pacer is the only overseas player to have won that prize in IPL history. Rahman played an integral role in the Sunrisers Hyderabad's title win, scalping 17 wickets in 16 matches. He had an economy rate of less than 7 that year.
#4 Dhawal Kulkarni
The Gujarat Lions topped the points table in their debut IPL season. One of the key reasons behind GL's success was Dhawal Kulkarni's top form. Kulkarni took 18 wickets in 14 matches at a strike rate of 16.3. He bowled a memorable spell of 4/14 against RCB in the Qualifier 1 match of IPL 2016.
#3 Shane Watson
Shane Watson moved from the Rajasthan Royals to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2016. Playing his debut season for RCB, Watson picked up 20 wickets in 16 matches. While his overall performance was good, Watson bowled a very expensive spell of 0/61 against SRH in the final. A better performance in the final could have helped RCB win their first title.
#2 Yuzvendra Chahal
Yuzvendra Chahal was the leading wicket-taker for RCB in 2016. The right-arm leg-spinner bagged 21 wickets in just 13 matches while donning the RCB jersey. Chahal could have won the Purple Cap had he played in all matches for RCB. His best bowling figures that season were 4/25.
#1 Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Purple Cap winner of IPL 2016
Bhuvneshwar Kumar won the Purple Cap award in IPL 2016 for his 23 wickets in 17 matches. The right-arm pacer bowled multiple match-winning spells for the champions of that season, the Sunrisers Hyderabad. Kumar's economy rate was 7.42, while his best figures were 4/29. He also bowled three maiden overs during the season.