Sunil Narine holds the record for the most wickets by an overseas bowler in IPL history. The West Indies spinner has taken 207 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders, and in IPL 2026 he became the first overseas bowler to cross the 200 wicket mark in the league. No other foreign bowler has even touched that number.
Dwayne Bravo sits second on the list with 183 wickets, followed by Rashid Khan with 179 and Lasith Malinga with 170. The full top 10 mixes spin and pace, and it shows how overseas bowlers have shaped the IPL from the very first season. Each of these bowlers changed games for their teams, and several of them won titles and Purple Caps along the way.
Overseas Bowlers with Most Wickets in IPL Overview
This record tracks the total IPL wickets taken by players who are not from India. Narine leads the chart clearly. The top four all crossed 170 wickets, which shows how long they stayed at the top of their game.
| Record | Holder |
|---|---|
| Most wickets by an overseas bowler | Sunil Narine |
| Headline number | 207 wickets |
| Team | Kolkata Knight Riders |
| Milestone | First overseas bowler to take 200 IPL wickets, in IPL 2026 |
| Last updated | After IPL 2026 |
Top 10 Overseas Bowlers with Most Wickets in IPL
| Rank | Player | Country | Wickets | Teams and Years | Best Figures | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunil Narine | West Indies | 207 | KKR, 2012 to 2026 | 5 for 19 | 25.63 |
| 2 | Dwayne Bravo | West Indies | 183 | MI, CSK, Gujarat Lions, 2008 to 2022 | 4 for 22 | 23.82 |
| 3 | Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 179 | SRH, GT, 2017 to 2026 | 4 for 24 | 23.92 |
| 4 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 170 | MI, 2009 to 2019 | 5 for 13 | 19.79 |
| 5 | Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 148 | DC, Punjab Kings, GT, 2017 to 2026 | 4 for 21 | 22.95 |
| 6 | Trent Boult | New Zealand | 145 | KKR, SRH, DC, RR, MI, 2015 to 2026 | 4 for 18 | 27.14 |
| 7 | Andre Russell | West Indies | 123 | DD, KKR, 2012 to 2025 | 5 for 15 | 23.27 |
| 8 | Dale Steyn | South Africa | 97 | RCB, Deccan Chargers, SRH, Gujarat Lions, 2008 to 2020 | 3 for 8 | 25.85 |
| 9 | Chris Morris | South Africa | 95 | CSK, RR, DC, RCB, 2013 to 2021 | 4 for 23 | 24.15 |
| 10 | Shane Watson | Australia | 92 | RR, RCB, CSK, 2008 to 2020 | 4 for 29 | 29.15 |
Sunil Narine has played his whole IPL career for KKR. He gives runs at only 6.79 an over, which is the lowest economy among the top 10. His best bowling of 5 for 19 came against Punjab Kings in 2012. His season by season IPL record shows 24 wickets in his debut 2012 season and 17 in the 2024 title run.
Dwayne Bravo was the king of the death overs. He won the Purple Cap in 2013 with 32 wickets and again in 2015 with 26. His slower balls made him almost impossible to hit in the last overs. He played his last IPL season in 2022.
Rashid Khan reached 150 wickets in only 122 matches, the third fastest in IPL history. He passed Malinga’s 170 during the 2026 season and ended it with 179 wickets. He remains GT’s main spinner.
Lasith Malinga owns the best bowling average among the top 10 at 19.79. He took 170 wickets in only 122 matches and was part of four MI title wins. He reached 150 wickets in just 105 matches, still the fastest ever.
Kagiso Rabada is the only active bowler in the top five. He won the 2026 Purple Cap with 29 wickets for GT, six years after winning it in 2020 with 30 wickets. His 29 wickets in 2026 took him past Trent Boult into fifth place.
Record History
The overseas wickets record has had three clear eras. Lasith Malinga set the early standard. He took 170 wickets for Mumbai Indians between 2009 and 2019 and was the top overseas wicket taker when he retired.
Dwayne Bravo then moved past Malinga. His 32 wicket season in 2013 and his 2015 Purple Cap made him the leading foreign wicket taker in the middle years of the league. He finished on 183 wickets in 2022.
Narine went past Bravo’s 183 during the 2025 season and finished that year on 192 wickets. In 2026 he added 15 more and became the first overseas bowler to reach 200 IPL wickets. He now sits on 207.
Rashid Khan is the nearest active challenger. He passed Malinga during the 2026 season and now has 179 wickets. Rabada’s big 2026 season moved him to 148 wickets, which put him ahead of Boult.
Narine’s season by season wickets for KKR are shown below. The 2026 figure completes his verified career total of 207 wickets.
| Season | Wickets |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 24 |
| 2013 | 22 |
| 2014 | 21 |
| 2015 | 7 |
| 2016 | 11 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 17 |
| 2019 | 10 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 16 |
| 2022 | 9 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2024 | 17 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 | 15 |
What This Record Tells Us
Two things stand out from this list. First, loyalty pays. Narine, Malinga and Bravo each did their best work for one main team, KKR, MI and CSK. Teams that trusted one overseas bowler for years got title wins in return.
Second, spin has matched pace. Narine and Rashid Khan sit at number one and number three, and Narine’s economy of 6.79 is far better than any pacer on the list. In a league built for big hitting, the best overseas spinners stayed economical and still took wickets. That mix of control and strike power is why they lasted 15 plus seasons at the top.
The 2026 season also showed the race is not over. Rashid bounced back with 21 wickets after a poor 2025, and Rabada won the Purple Cap. Both men can still climb the table in 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the overseas bowler with the most wickets in IPL?
Sunil Narine of the West Indies. He has taken 207 wickets for Kolkata Knight Riders between 2012 and 2026.
How many wickets did Dwayne Bravo take in the IPL?
Dwayne Bravo took 183 wickets in 161 matches for MI, CSK and Gujarat Lions. He retired from the IPL in 2022 and won the Purple Cap in 2013 and 2015.
Who was the first overseas bowler to take 200 IPL wickets?
Sunil Narine. He reached 200 wickets during the IPL 2026 season, becoming the first foreign bowler in league history to do so.
Which overseas bowler has the best bowling average in IPL?
Lasith Malinga, with an average of 19.79 across 170 wickets. He reached 150 wickets in only 105 matches, the fastest any bowler has done it.
Is Rashid Khan still playing in the IPL?
Yes. The Afghanistan spinner plays for Gujarat Titans and has 179 IPL wickets after the 2026 season, which puts him third among overseas bowlers.
How many times has an overseas bowler won the Purple Cap?
Dwayne Bravo won it twice, in 2013 and 2015, and Kagiso Rabada won it in 2020 and again in 2026. See the full list of all time IPL wicket takers for more detail.
Who has the most wickets for a single IPL franchise among overseas bowlers?
Sunil Narine, with all 207 of his wickets for KKR. Lasith Malinga took all 170 of his wickets for MI.
Statistics updated through: 20 October 2026
