IPL 2020: 3 Indian bowlers with a career economy rate of less than 7 in tournament history
After India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, the BCCI launched the revolutionary Indian Premier League (IPL), where players from all over the world team up with the Indian stars to compete in the franchise-based tournament.
Twelve years have passed since then, and currently, the IPL is one of the most valued brands in the world. It has millions of fans, and it is the dream of every budding cricketer to feature in the league. The pressure is sky-high while playing in the competition, especially on the bowlers, given that the advancements in the modern day game, such as shorter boundaries and bigger bats, favour the batsmen.
To stifle the run flow is a demanding job, and the fact that only 3 Indian bowlers have a career economy rate of less than 7 in IPL history is a testament to the aforementioned statement. Here’s a list of the 3 elite Indian bowlers who have kept batsmen in check over the years.
Note: Bowlers who have bowled at least 50 overs have been considered for this list.
#3 Ravichandran Ashwin - 6.79
Ravichandran Ashwin, the right-arm off-spinner from Tamil Nadu, owes his international success to the IPL. He made his debut for the Chennai Super Kings in 2009, and has become an integral part of the league since. He played for Chennai for 6 years, before switching to Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016. Kings XI Punjab became his third team in 2018, while this year, he will turn up for the Delhi Capitals.
Although his wicket-taking abilities have taken a slight dip, he has ensured that batsmen do not score many runs in his 4 overs. He burst onto the scene with an economy rate of 3.25 in his debut season, and even in 2015, Ashwin gave away runs at only 5.84. In the majority of his 10 seasons, his economy rate has been under 7, and his career economy rate stands at a remarkable 6.79.
#2 Rahul Chahar - 6.77
Right-arm leg-spinner Rahul Chahar is the youngest entry on this list. The Bharatpur-based player made his IPL debut for the Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. He played 3 matches for the Steve-Smith led outfit, picking up 2 wickets at an economy rate of 8.28.
His performances improved a lot in 2019 while playing for the Mumbai Indians, and Chahar gave away only 308 runs in the 282 deliveries that he bowled- an economy rate of 6.55. The leggie also picked up 13 wickets in the season, and established his place in the Mumbai playing XI. The 20-year-old also made his international debut against West Indies last year, and his IPL career economy rate stands at an astounding 6.77.
#1 Anil Kumble - 6.57
The current coach of the Kings XI Punjab, Anil Kumble, holds the record for the best economy rate by an Indian bowler in the IPL. The leggie played three seasons for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and picked up 45 wickets in 42 matches. He led the Bangalore-based franchise to the runners-up position in 2009, while in 2010, RCB finished third.
Kumble took time to get settled in the T20 format, as he could only take 7 wickets in his debut season with his economy rate being 7.93. However, in 2009, Kumble came back like a champion, conceding only 347 runs in his 355 deliveries-an economy rate of 5.86, while also picking up 21 wickets in the process.
In his last season, Kumble’s economy rate increased a little to 6.42, but still he is at the number one position in terms of economy rate among the Indian bowlers till date.