T20s might be a batter’s game, and it might be a cliché but batters win the games, whereas the bowlers are the ones who help the teams win tournaments. After looking at the most impactful batters of the 2022 IPL, it is now time to look at the most impactful bowlers of this edition. It is no surprise that the three most impactful bowlers are also the ones whose teams qualified for the playoffs.
The cut-off?
Top 25 wicket-takers in the league stage of the 2022 IPL (minimum 10 wickets). All stats are exclusive of the playoff performances.
Mohsin Khan – Find of the season
Mohsin Khan might not have played in the initial few games for the Lucknow Super Giants, but he has so far been the find of the season, not just for the LSG franchise but also for Indian Cricket. Mohsin isn’t even in the top 20 of the wicket-takers list, but his impact has been beyond the number of wickets he has taken.
Mohsin’s economy rate of 5.93 runs per over and bowling average of 13.2 are the best for any bowler in this year’s league stage with a minimum of 10 wickets. For the same criteria, his bowling strike rate of 13.4 balls per wicket is the seventh-best in the league. No one in this year’s IPL has a better ‘dot ball percentage’ than Mohsin’s 58%.
Mohsin’s success is built on backing his basic bowling skills. He predominantly hits the hard length in the Powerplay as well as the death overs and doesn’t try to bring in too many variations. The only variation that he usually tries is changing his pace, which is highly effective in his case. It is because he can bowl even at speeds around 150 KPH, and then slow it down to 120s. The credit for LSG reaching the playoffs must go to Mohsin Khan, their opening bowler, as much as it goes to their opening batters, KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock.
Wanindu Hasaranga – Middle-overs maestro
The Sri Lankan leg-spinner has been one of the main reasons for RCB reaching the playoffs this season. His wicket-taking ability, which is a result of his subtle variations in his pace and trajectory, has stood out the most. Hasaranga has the most wickets (17) in the middle overs (7-15) of this year’s IPL.
His economy rate of 7.03 in the middle overs is better than his already outstanding overall economy rate of 7.39 in this IPL. He has the second-best bowling average of any bowler in this IPL (15.1), and this further improves, even though marginally, in the middle overs (14.9).
Yuzvendra Chahal – Having a dream season
Yuzvendra Chahal might have ended the 2021 IPL with respectable bowling returns of 18 wickets at 7.06 RPO, but that was a result of an outstanding UAE leg of the IPL. In the Indian leg, his returns were disastrous, picking up just four wickets at 8.26 RPO in seven matches. So, it was expected that the Ex-RCB player would have a point to prove in 2022 with a new franchise in RR, and he did more than just prove a point.
Chahal led the wicket-takers chart in the league stage, with 26 wickets in 14 games, averaging 16.5 at 7.68 runs per over. RR possibly have the best spin attack in the league, with Ravichandran Ashwin’s off-spin complementing Chahal’s leg-spin. Chahal’s remarkable season seems more fascinating, considering no spinner has taken more wickets than his 26 in a single edition of the IPL.
Mohsin Khan might have bowed out of the IPL after another magnificent performance, this time in the playoffs, but Hasaranga is still competing with Chahal for the Purple Cap and today, both the leg-spinners will be taking on each other in the Qualifier 2.
