Which bowler has the best bowling average in IPL history?

Best Bowling Average in IPL 2024

Tristan Stubbs and Shashank Singh have the best bowling average in IPL 2024. The two all-rounders did not bowl much but were really effective for their sides. Stubbs and Shashank averaged 5 runs per wicket in IPL 2024. Stubbs bowled two overs picking up three wickets. He gave away 15 runs as well. Shashank on the other bowled only one over picking up a wicket while giving away five runs. 

Joshua Little follows them on this list. Little had an average of 11.25. The Irish pacer played only one match where he picked up a four-fer conceding 45 runs. Indian pace sensation, Mayank Yadav is ranked fourth with an average of 12.14. The speedster picked up seven wickets while giving away 85 runs. 

Matheesh Pathirana, also known as the baby Malinga has been a sensation in IPL since his debut. The Sri Lankan pacer picked up 13 wickets at an average of 13. Andre Russell and Jasprit Bumrah too make it to this list after taking more wickets than almost every bowler. Russell picked up 19 wickets at an average of 15.52 while Bumrah picked up 20 wickets at an average of 16.80.

List of Best Bowling Average in IPL History

1. Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga is arguably the greatest pacer in IPL’s history. The Sri Lankan legend has the best bowling average for players with at least 40 wickets in the IPL. Malinga picked up 170 wickets while conceding 3,365 runs averaging 19.79 per wicket. His greatest strengths were his two stock deliveries. Malinga had an incredible toe-crushing yorker which was often unplayable by the best batters. He had a deceptive slow bouncer which enticed players to have a go at and edge the ball behind to keeper. He also had a knack for bowling wide yorkers. These wide yorkers were not bowled necessarily for taking wickets but were used by him as a medium to restrict runs. Malinga also played a huge role in Mumbai Indians’ four of the five title wins in 2013, 2015, 2017 and 2019. In those four seasons, he picked up more than 70 wickets at an average of close to 24.

2. Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir was always a late bloomer. He made his international debut in 2011 at the age of 32 years. His first IPL season came much later at the age of 35 years. Since his debut in the IPL, the South African leg-spinner has been a great performer for his teams. Tahir has picked up 82 wickets at an average of 20.76 and has the best bowling average for a spinner in the IPL. While his long sprinting celebrations are etched in history, he made a name for himself with a googly which was tough to read for many batters. He is one of the leg spinners who not only spin the ball but does it at a higher pace like Shahid Afridi and Anil Kumble. His long height allowed him to be quick through the air which meant that the batters did not have much time to read him off the pitch. This allowed him to be economical while picking up wickets.

3. Rashid Khan

The first global superstar from Afghanistan, Rashid Khan has been a live wire in IPL since his first match. The leg-spinner has made a reputation for himself as possibly the best spinner in the shortest format of the game. Rashid has picked up 149 wickets at an average of 21.82. He too like Imran Tahir is similar to Shahid Afridi and Anil Kumble. Like his bowling idol, Afridi, Rashid does not spin the ball much and relies more on his speeds and variations. Among his many variations, the googly has to be his most potent weapon. He has used his googly to not only pick many wickets but restrict the run flow. In his first six seasons at the IPL, Rashid did not finish a season with an economy of more than 7 RPO. While Rashid has only won the IPL title once, his success is evident in the tournament thanks to his wickets, economy, average and strike rate. With age on his side, Rashid can climb up a few spots on bowling record tallies.

4. Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada is the second South African to make it into the list for best bowling average in IPL. The pacer has picked up 117 wickets in the IPL at an average of 21.96. Rabada has been a successful death bowler and picks up most of his wickets during that phase. While most players prove to be expensive during the death overs, Rabada has been successful in not only defending totals but also picking up wickets in the process. He has been a consistent performer in the IPL. In his seven seasons at the IPL, Rabada has picked up more than 20 wickets thrice including 30 wickets for DC in 2020 where they ended as the runner-up. 

5. Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc made a comeback to the IPL after a nine-year hiatus in 2024. Wherever Starc has played he has been a strike bowler for his teams. In the IPL, for the limited matches he has played, Starc has been an impressive performer. The left-arm pacer has picked up 51 wickets at an average of 22.29. Before his title-winning season at KKR in 2024, Starc had played only two seasons in 2014 and 2015. His best season came in 2015 for RCB, when he picked up 20 wickets at an average of 14.55. In IPL 2024, Starc showed his class and experience as he bounced back during the season after having a poor start to the season. He was one of the best bowlers in the later stages of the season including the playoffs. 

Best Bowling Average in IPL by Indian Bowlers

As it is with most bowling records in IPL, Yuzvendra Chahal ranks at the top with the best bowling average in IPL for an Indian bowler. Chahal has picked up the most wickets in IPL at an average of 22.44. Jasprit Bumrah ranks second on this list for the best bowling average for an Indian bowler. Bumrah has picked up 165 wickets at an average of 22.51. He has the best bowling average for an Indian fast bowler.

Veteran pacer, Munaf Patel ranks third on this list. Patel has picked up 74 wickets at an average of 22.94. Sreenath Aravind and Harshal Patel too make it into this list. The two medium pacers are ranked fourth and fifth respectively. Aravind picked up 45 wickets at an average of 23.08 while Patel has picked up 135 wickets at an average of 23.32.