From Bhuvneshwar Kumar to Jasprit Bumrah: IPL’s greatest dot-ball bowlers

In the IPL, where boundaries and high strike rates are often the primary currencies, there exists a quiet, more lethal metric: The Dot Ball. Even without taking wickets, a sequence of dot deliveries can increase pressure and force attacking shots and, in turn, errors from the batters. Over the years, some of the league’s most successful bowlers have built their records not just through wickets, but through sustained control.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds the record for bowling the most dot balls in IPL history. Across 201 innings, the Indian pacer has delivered 1964 dot balls, with 43.6% of his deliveries not conceding a run. He has also taken 220 wickets in the tournament while maintaining an economy rate of 7.68 through his IPL career.

Close behind him are two of the IPL’s most accomplished spinners - Sunil Narine and Ravichandran Ashwin.

Narine, who ranks second on the list, has bowled 1822 dot balls in 197 innings with an economy rate of 6.78. The longtime Kolkata Knight Riders spinner has taken 203 wickets and owns a dot-ball percentage of 39.8.

Ashwin sits third with 1663 dot balls in 217 innings. The off-spinner has taken 187 wickets in the league while maintaining an economy rate of 7.2. Around 35.31% of his deliveries in the IPL have been dot balls.

Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja complete the top five list for most dot balls bowled in IPL history.

Bumrah, widely regarded as one of the best T20 pacers of his era, has bowled 1,511 dot balls in 156 innings. His dot-ball percentage stands at 42.17%, while he has also claimed 186 wickets in the tournament.

Jadeja, who has spent most of his IPL career with Chennai Super Kings, has bowled 1,384 dot balls in 234 innings. The left-arm spinner has taken 178 wickets with an economy rate of 7.68.

Record-breaking spells

The record for the most dot balls in a single IPL match is shared by Deepak Chahar and Suyash Sharma. Playing for Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019, Chahar bowled 20 dot balls in his four-over spell, conceding runs off only four deliveries. While Suyash , playing for RCB against DC , also bowled 20 dot balls in this year's IPL.

For a single IPL season, the record remains with Dale Steyn. Representing Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2013, Steyn bowled 219 dot balls during the campaign while taking 19 wickets at an economy rate of 5.66.

Here is the list of top 5 greatest IPL dot ball bowlers: