Yuzvendra Chahal is the leading wicket taker in IPL history, with 233 wickets in 188 matches. The leg spinner passed 200 wickets in 2024, the first bowler to reach that mark, and he has stayed at the top of the list through the IPL 2026 final on 31 May 2026. His nearest rival is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has 224 wickets, so the gap at the top is now only nine wickets.
Three bowlers have now passed 200 IPL wickets. After Chahal and Bhuvneshwar comes Sunil Narine, the highest wicket taking overseas bowler, with 205 wickets, all for Kolkata Knight Riders. The rest of the top 10 shows how much this record rewards staying power. Every bowler in the top 10 played for at least 10 IPL seasons, and six of them are spinners.
This article gives the full top 10 list of bowlers with the most wickets in IPL history, with their teams, matches, best figures and averages, plus the story of how the record changed hands over the years.
IPL Stats Most Wickets Overall Overview
| Detail | Record |
|---|---|
| Record | Most wickets in IPL overall |
| Holder | Yuzvendra Chahal |
| Wickets | 233 |
| Matches | 188 |
| Span | 2013 to 2026 |
| Best figures | 5 for 40 |
| Teams | Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings |
| Second place | Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 224 wickets |
| Top overseas bowler | Sunil Narine with 205 wickets |
Chahal won the Purple Cap in 2022 with 27 wickets for Rajasthan Royals. Bhuvneshwar is the only bowler to win the Purple Cap in back to back seasons, in 2016 and 2017 for Sunrisers Hyderabad. The record for most wickets in a single season is shared by Dwayne Bravo, with 32 wickets for Chennai Super Kings in 2013, and Harshal Patel, with 32 wickets for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2021.
Top 10 Most Wickets in IPL Overall
| Rank | Player | Teams | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yuzvendra Chahal | Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings | 188 | 233 | 5 for 40 | 23.25 | 8.05 |
| 2 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | Pune Warriors India, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Sunrisers Hyderabad | 205 | 224 | 5 for 19 | 26.27 | 7.72 |
| 3 | Sunil Narine | Kolkata Knight Riders | 200 | 205 | 5 for 19 | 25.41 | 6.79 |
| 4 | Piyush Chawla | Punjab Kings, Kolkata Knight Riders, Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians | 192 | 192 | 4 for 17 | 26.60 | 7.96 |
| 5 | Ravichandran Ashwin | Chennai Super Kings, Punjab Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rising Pune Supergiant, Rajasthan Royals | 221 | 187 | 4 for 34 | 30.22 | 7.20 |
| 6 | Jasprit Bumrah | Mumbai Indians | 154 | 186 | 5 for 10 | 23.19 | 7.24 |
| 7 | Dwayne Bravo | Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions, Mumbai Indians | 161 | 183 | 4 for 22 | 23.82 | 8.38 |
| 8 | Ravindra Jadeja | Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Gujarat Lions, Kochi Tuskers Kerala | 264 | 177 | 5 for 16 | 30.27 | 7.67 |
| 9 | Amit Mishra | Delhi Capitals, Deccan Chargers, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Lucknow Super Giants | 162 | 174 | 5 for 17 | 23.82 | 7.37 |
| 10 | Lasith Malinga | Mumbai Indians | 122 | 170 | 5 for 13 | 19.79 | 7.14 |
Just outside the top 10, Rashid Khan has 168 wickets in 145 matches, and his economy rate of 6.90 is the best among the leading bowlers. Sandeep Sharma and Harshal Patel are level on 151 wickets each.
Record History
Dwayne Bravo held the all time record for a long stretch. His 183 wickets, built from 2008 to 2022, set the mark that the next generation chased. Chahal moved past Bravo during IPL 2023 at Eden Gardens, and he became the first bowler to reach 200 wickets in 2024.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar reached 200 wickets during IPL 2026, the first pace bowler to do so, and he finished that season with 224 wickets after taking 28 wickets in 16 matches, his best season in nearly a decade. That run closed the gap on Chahal to nine wickets. Narine, who has played for only one franchise since his debut in 2012, passed 200 wickets in the same period and became the first overseas bowler to reach the mark.
The single season record has stood since 2021. Bravo took 32 wickets in 18 matches in 2013, and Harshal Patel matched the number in only 15 matches in 2021, at a better average of 14.34. Kagiso Rabada is the only other bowler to pass 30 wickets in a season, with 30 for Delhi Capitals in 2020. You can read the season by season story of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the season by season story of Jasprit Bumrah for the two leading pace bowlers on this list.
What This Record Tells Us
This list is really a longevity list. Wickets in the IPL are not won in one great season. They are built across a decade or more, by bowlers who keep getting picked, keep adapting to new conditions and keep bowling in the toughest phases of the game. Chahal has done it with four franchises, while Narine and Bumrah have done it with one.
Spin dominates the top of the chart. Six of the top 10 are spinners, and Narine has the best economy rate in the top 10 at 6.79. Pace bowlers have a harder road, which is why Bhuvneshwar reaching 224 wickets is such a rare feat. Malinga, at number 10, has the best average in the top 10 at 19.79, but he played only 122 matches, far fewer than anyone else on the list.
The record could change hands soon. Bhuvneshwar needs 10 more wickets to move past Chahal, and on his IPL 2026 form he could do it early in the next season. Bumrah, on 186 wickets, is the other active threat, but he would need three full fit seasons to reach the current mark. For readers following the build up to the next auction, the IPL 2027 retention deadline, rules and purse guide explains which players teams can keep. The full list of Purple Cap winners and the most wickets against each team list add more context, and the death overs wickets list shows who delivered at the end of innings. Full numbers can also be checked on the official IPL website and ESPNcricinfo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has taken the most wickets in IPL history?
Yuzvendra Chahal has taken the most wickets in IPL history, with 233 wickets in 188 matches, updated through the IPL 2026 final.
Who is second on the all time IPL wickets list?
Bhuvneshwar Kumar is second with 224 wickets in 205 matches. He is the leading pace bowler in IPL history.
Which overseas bowler has the most IPL wickets?
Sunil Narine has the most wickets among overseas bowlers, with 205 wickets in 200 matches, all for Kolkata Knight Riders.
Who has taken the most wickets in a single IPL season?
Dwayne Bravo and Harshal Patel share the record with 32 wickets each. Bravo did it in 2013 and Harshal Patel did it in 2021.
Can Bhuvneshwar Kumar break Chahal’s record?
Yes, he is close. Bhuvneshwar needs 10 more wickets to move past Chahal’s 233, and he took 28 wickets in IPL 2026 alone.
Who has the best bowling average in the top 10?
Lasith Malinga has the best average in the top 10 at 19.79, with 170 wickets in 122 matches for Mumbai Indians.
How many bowlers have taken 200 IPL wickets?
Three bowlers have taken 200 or more IPL wickets: Yuzvendra Chahal with 233, Bhuvneshwar Kumar with 224 and Sunil Narine with 205.
Statistics updated through: 3 November 2026
