The best death bowlers in IPL history
Bowling the last five overs is the hardest job in T20 cricket. Only 25 bowlers have sent down 100 or more IPL death overs since 2008. Here's how they compare.
Lowest economy at the death
SP Narine tops the list at 7.25 an over across 184 death overs. Runs conceded include wides and no-balls, but not byes and leg byes.
| # | Bowler | Overs | Economy | Wickets | Dot balls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SP Narine | 184 | 7.25 | 84 | 37.4% |
| 2 | SL Malinga | 186 | 7.86 | 108 | 31.3% |
| 3 | JJ Bumrah | 237 | 8.19 | 102 | 31.2% |
| 4 | R Ashwin | 100 | 8.24 | 36 | 29.6% |
| 5 | DW Steyn | 105 | 8.30 | 50 | 34.4% |
| 6 | CH Morris | 107 | 8.67 | 58 | 28.3% |
| 7 | Rashid Khan | 105 | 8.75 | 43 | 34.3% |
| 8 | Z Khan | 101 | 9.05 | 37 | 24.5% |
| 9 | B Kumar | 267 | 9.30 | 118 | 26.1% |
| 10 | DJ Bravo | 230 | 9.36 | 115 | 28.7% |
Most wickets at the death
| # | Bowler | Wickets | Overs | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | B Kumar | 118 | 267 | 9.30 |
| 2 | DJ Bravo | 115 | 230 | 9.36 |
| 3 | SL Malinga | 108 | 186 | 7.86 |
| 4 | JJ Bumrah | 102 | 237 | 8.19 |
| 5 | SP Narine | 84 | 184 | 7.25 |
| 6 | HV Patel | 81 | 142 | 10.06 |
| 7 | K Rabada | 69 | 114 | 9.82 |
| 8 | Mohammed Shami | 68 | 121 | 10.82 |
| 9 | YS Chahal | 66 | 112 | 9.49 |
| 10 | MM Sharma | 63 | 134 | 10.27 |
Wickets matter as much as economy at the death: a wicket brings a new batter who needs a few balls to get going. In 5overs, each bowler's record in overs 16 to 20 drives how he bowls in the game.
Players are named as they appear in the ball-by-ball scorecards. Figures cover IPL matches from 2008 to 2026 (1,243 matches, up to 2026-05-31).