Dwayne Bravo owns the IPL playoffs most wickets record. The former Chennai Super Kings all rounder took 28 wickets in 19 playoff innings, and no bowler has come close to that mark since his last knockout game. This article lists the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets in IPL playoff history, with verified numbers for every bowler.
The IPL playoffs are the knockout matches of the tournament. Teams that finish in the top four of the points table play the Qualifier 1, the Eliminator, the Qualifier 2 and the Final. Before 2011 the league used two semi finals instead of the current playoff format. Every match from the 2008 semi finals onwards counts in these numbers.
Wickets matter more in knockouts than at any other stage. One good spell can end a team’s season. The bowlers on this list have done it again and again when the pressure was highest.
IPL Playoffs Bowlers with Most Wickets Overview
This table gives the key facts of the record in one place.
| Record | Detail |
|---|---|
| Record holder | Dwayne Bravo |
| Wickets | 28 in 19 innings |
| Bowling strike rate | 13.8 |
| Wickets for Chennai Super Kings | 26 in seven playoff appearances |
| Closest active challenger | Trent Boult, 19 wickets |
| Best bowling figures in a playoff | 5 for 5, Akash Madhwal for Mumbai Indians vs Lucknow Super Giants, 2023 Eliminator |
Bravo bowled most of his playoff overs at the death, where batters take risks and wickets come in bunches. That is a big reason his strike rate of 13.8 is so good.
Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in IPL Playoffs
Here is the full top 10, ranked by wickets. When two bowlers are level, the bowler with fewer innings comes first.
| Rank | Bowler | Innings | Wickets | Best Bowling | Main Teams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dwayne Bravo | 19 | 28 | 4/42 | CSK, GL |
| 2 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 24 | 21 | 3/16 | CSK, DC, RR |
| 3 | Ravindra Jadeja | 21 | 21 | 3/31 | CSK, RR, GL |
| 4 | Mohit Sharma | 10 | 20 | 5/10 | CSK, GT |
| 5 | Trent Boult | 13 | 19 | 3/30 | MI, RR, SRH, KKR, DC |
| 6 | Harbhajan Singh | 14 | 17 | 3/23 | MI, CSK |
| 7 | Josh Hazlewood | 7 | 14 | 3/21 | CSK, RCB |
| 8 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 14 | 14 | 3/19 | SRH |
| 9 | Lasith Malinga | 15 | 14 | 3/23 | MI |
| 10 | Albie Morkel | 12 | 14 | 2/12 | CSK |
More than 21 bowlers have taken 10 or more wickets in IPL playoff matches. Ten of them have played for Chennai Super Kings at least once, which shows how often CSK reach the knockouts. You can compare this with the list of teams with the most wins in the IPL playoffs to see the same pattern.
Record History
The playoff wicket record has been built across three eras of the tournament.
In the semi final era from 2008 to 2010, the best single spell was Doug Bollinger’s 4 for 13 for Chennai Super Kings against Deccan Chargers in the 2010 semi final. It stayed the best playoff spell for 13 years. Anil Kumble’s 4 for 16 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Deccan Chargers in the 2009 final is another famous spell from this period.
The playoff format started in 2011, and Dwayne Bravo made it his own. Playing for Chennai Super Kings in most of their many knockout runs, Bravo took 28 wickets in 19 innings at a strike rate of 13.8. Twenty six of those wickets came in CSK colours across seven playoff appearances. His best playoff spell, 4 for 42 against Mumbai Indians in the 2013 final, came in a losing cause but remains one of the great final spells. Bravo set the record and nobody has seriously threatened it since.
The 2023 playoffs changed the best figures list. Akash Madhwal became the first bowler to take a five wicket haul in an IPL playoff, with 5 for 5 for Mumbai Indians against Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. In the same season Mohit Sharma took 5 for 10 for Gujarat Titans against Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2. Mohit also owns the best strike rate of any playoff bowler with 20 wickets in just 10 matches, at 10.8 balls per wicket. You can read the full list of best bowling figures in the IPL playoffs for more on these spells.
In the 2025 playoffs, Josh Hazlewood entered the top 10 while helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru win their first title. He took 3 for 21 in Qualifier 1 against Punjab Kings and then 2 wickets in the final, including the calm last over that sealed the trophy. Trent Boult also moved up the list with his 2025 playoff wickets for Mumbai Indians. He has now taken 19 wickets in 13 playoff innings and has played knockouts for five different teams, Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad, more than any other bowler.
What This Record Tells Us
Death over bowlers dominate this list. Bravo and Mohit Sharma bowled most of their playoff overs in the last four overs, when batters attack and one mistake costs a wicket. Their strike rates, 13.8 and 10.8, are the best among the top 10.
Spinners hold their own too. Ashwin, Jadeja and Harbhajan took 59 playoff wickets between them with tight economy rates. In knockouts, control builds pressure and pressure creates wickets.
The list also shows how much playoff cricket is about reaching the knockouts again and again. Bravo, Ashwin, Jadeja and Harbhajan all played for Chennai Super Kings, the team that has played the most playoff games in IPL history. You cannot take wickets in May without getting there first. Fans looking at batting records will find the same pattern in the highest individual scores in IPL playoffs.
Among the bowlers with 10 or more playoff wickets, Dhawal Kulkarni has the best bowling average at 15.20, from 10 wickets in five innings. The full season numbers tell a different story from knockout numbers, which is why the Purple Cap winners in IPL list looks very different from this one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the most wickets in IPL playoffs?
Dwayne Bravo has the most wickets in IPL playoff history with 28 wickets in 19 innings. Twenty six of those came for Chennai Super Kings. His bowling strike rate of 13.8 is among the best in playoff history.
What are the best bowling figures in an IPL playoff match?
The best bowling figures in an IPL playoff match are 5 for 5 by Akash Madhwal for Mumbai Indians against Lucknow Super Giants in the 2023 Eliminator. He is the first bowler to take a five wicket haul in the IPL playoffs. Mohit Sharma’s 5 for 10 for Gujarat Titans in the 2023 Qualifier 2 is the second best.
Which bowler has the best bowling average in IPL playoffs?
Among bowlers with 10 or more playoff wickets, Dhawal Kulkarni has the best average at 15.20. He took 10 wickets in five innings while playing for Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Lions.
Which bowler has the best strike rate in IPL playoffs?
Mohit Sharma has the best strike rate in the IPL playoffs at 10.8 balls per wicket. He has taken 20 wickets in just 10 playoff matches, which is the fewest matches for any bowler in the top five.
How many playoff wickets does Ravichandran Ashwin have?
Ravichandran Ashwin has 21 wickets in 24 playoff innings, the most innings by any bowler on the top 10 list. He took most of them for Chennai Super Kings and also played playoffs for Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals.
Which team has the most bowlers in the playoff top 10?
Chennai Super Kings dominate the list. Of the 21 plus bowlers with 10 or more playoff wickets, 10 have played for CSK at least once. Dwayne Bravo, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh and Albie Morkel all took playoff wickets for CSK.
How many wickets does Trent Boult have in IPL playoffs?
Trent Boult has 19 wickets in 13 playoff innings, the fifth most in IPL history. He is the only bowler to play knockout matches for five different teams: Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Statistics updated through: 24 October 2026
