If it's true that bowlers win you tournaments then I guess the question of who has the best bowling attacking in IPL 2025 could phrased differently!
In considering it, I'll be taking a similar approach to my earlier post on which franchise has the best powerplay batting unit by assessing bowling stats in T20 cricket from across the last 3 years.
AI generated image using Chat GPT
Each team's viable bowling options are included as well as data on how each of those bowlers has performed over the distinct periods of play that make up a T20 innings - the powerplay (overs 1 - 6), the middle overs (overs 7 - 15) and the death (overs 16 - 20). Only the stats for bowlers who have bowled 25% or more of their deliveries in one of those phases are included.
Based off those stats, I then ranked each bowler on a scale of 1 to 3 within that phase. Green is the highest rank for world class operates, amber is a decent bowler in that phase while red indicates a weakness.
As always these ranks are based on past performance with a bit of my own opinion thrown in for good measure so we'll see how it pans out across IPL 2025.
Gujarat Titans (1st)
My top pick as far a bowling attack in IPL 2025 goes is GT who appear to have all bases covered.
Mohammed Siraj might be a little unfortunate to be classed as a liability in the powerplay but he did struggle for penetration with the new ball last year. In his defence, he does have a decent economy of 8 an over during that phase of play and I think last season in particular, sides were happy to see him off knowing that RCB had such poor middle over options that they could easily make up the scoring rate. I also think he'll enjoy the surfaces at the Narenda Modi stadium where the ball does a bit more off the pitch than at most venues in the IPL.
However, he isn't guaranteed a start! Prasidh Krishna is back from injury and bowling well while the evergreen Ishant Sharma will never let you down even though this is not his optimum format.
GT have also brought in Rabada, another player who can point to the fact that his IPL returns have probably diminished due to the weaker attack around him over the last couple of years. I guess time will tell if that is the real reason why! There were times at Punjab where he simply didn't look interested.
It'll very much depend on how GT decide to balance the side and use their 4 overseas picks as to whether both Coetzee and Rabada play. There is an argument that Coetzee offers something different and could better compliment 2 or 3 of those Indian quicks.
Spin wise, GT have great variety to choose from with Rashid Khan a certainty to start and bowl 4 overs supported by finger spinners in Washington Sundar and Sai Kishore. Washington has never quite managed to master the IPL but he was a high priority pick for GT's renowned think tank who clearly feel he has something to offer in this format following excellent performances in the Test arena. His ability to bowl in the powerplay is an added dimension compared to previous GT attacks.
Mumbai Indians (2nd)
Priority number 1 for MI in the auction was to get some support for Bumrah. Even his brilliance wasn't enough to save MI from the wooden spoon last season and the ongoing question that Pandya and co never really answered was when to utilise his precious 4 overs.
I would say given MI's selections over the winter that Bumrah is going to be used more at the death this year with specialist swingers Boult and Chahar looking to make the most of the movement that is so often on offer at the Wankhede early on.
Spinners haven't really factored into the Mumbai mindset in previous IPLs so we wait to see if Mujeeb is there to make up the numbers or whether he might take a staring role in the middle overs.
Topley and Bosch offer alternatives if MI decide that pace is still the way to go while the acquisition of Mitch Santner might also prove a shrewd move given his performances in the recent Champions Trophy.
Hardik Pandya was able to play a full part with the ball in that same tournament so expect to see him operating in the middle overs. You wouldn't want to rely on Will Jacks' 4 overs but he does have something of a golden arm and alongside the likes of Hardik and Santner MI have the option to go with 3 specialist bowlers and 3 all-rounders while still having the impact sub up their sleeve to offer real strength and depth in both aspects of the game.
Kolkata Knight Riders (3rd)
While the jury is still out in regards some of KKR's batting picks, they have done a decent job of retaining the core of their championship winning bowling attack.
The obvious strength is Narine and Varun in the middle overs. Narine might not take a truck load of wickets but his economy rate of just over a run a ball is crazy and he can certainly claim the credit for others in the attack claiming scalps thanks to his control.
Arora and Harshit formed a good partnership later on in IPL 2024 and KKR will be hoping that they'll do so again. The former will probably bowl 2 or 3 overs of the powerplay and look to extract swing while Harshit's stock has risen considerably with his pace and movement off the seam and he looks capable of being effective across the innings.
Johnson and Nortje offer further pace with the former providing the left-arm option to boot. Umran Malik exploded onto the scence a couple of years ago and then disappeared almost as quickly as he can bowl. Can KKR revitalise his career?
Andre Russel picked up 19 wickets last season, his best ever haul in an IPL, but perhaps more importantly he stayed fit and was able to bowl more overs than he's managed since IPL 2019. However, he struggled to bowl in the recent ILT20. KKR will need to keep him wrapped in cotton wool for the next 10 weeks as they don't have a like for like replacement.
Chennai Super Kings (4th)
If you'd have described this bowling attack without me actually looking at the names, I'm pretty sure I would have known that it was a CSK team given its very familiar make-up. They love a left-armer, they adore finger spinners and having a couple of all-rounders in the XI is still a must.
A lot is going to be riding on the the 2 Indian left-armers to get them off to a strong start in the powerplay. Khaleel Ahmed has been economical of late but lacked a bit of penetration while Mukesh Choudhary has a handy knack of picking up wickets but can be expensive. If they could merge them both in a single bowler they'd be well set!
Pathirana has been very good for them at the death over the past couple of seasons so you'd bank on him keeping his place meaning that it's likely to come down to CSK choosing 2 out of Curran, Overton, Noor and Ellis. Noor Ahmad is the one bowler who doesn't feel like a CSK pick but the management have clearly recognised the need for a genuine wicket taker in that middle phase. Jadeja and Ashwin will do the job of containing but CSK do need more wickets in that middle phase.
CSK get a bit of a bonus in the rankings simply because they usually manage their bowling resources as well if not better than anyone else in the IPL.
Rajasthan Royals (5th)
The Royals look like they'll be picking at least 3 overseas bowlers in their XI this season.
Jofra Archer returns to the franchise where he became a superstar, although a lot of water and injuries have passed under the bridge since then. Archer's primary issue at the moment, as England have discovered too, is that he's not taking powerplay wickets.
Fazalhaq Farooqi might be the solution to that problem and looks like a possible upgrade on Trent Boult given his ability to bowl at the start and end of an innings. He topped the bowling charts at the 2024 T20 World Cup with 17 wickets at an average of 9!
Sandeep Sharma has reinvented himself as a specialist death bowler while the Royals have picked up some ok Indian bowlers in Deshpande and Madwhal to offer depth.
However, it's the spin department where the Royals look strong again. At times last season they lined-up up with Zampa, Chahal and Ashwin in the side and we might see occasions when Hasaranga, Theekshana and Kartikeya take to the pitch together. It's always felt that Kartikeya had the potential to make an impact on the IPL but perhaps Mumbai wasn't the best place to cultivate his unique talents. This season he finished as the 2nd highest wicket taker in India's domestic T20 competition helping Madhya Pradesh to the final in the process. Can he take that form in the IPL?
A significant weakness for RR last season was the lack of all-rounders. Hasaranga is good enough with the bat to fall into the category but they still lack batsmen in the top 6 who can chip in with an over here and there. Riyan Parag regularly bowls in domestic T20 cricket and often with some success but Rajasthan seem to have decided he's not up to the task in the IPL. Since the end of last year's tournament, he's bowled in 5 x T20 internationals for India including completing a full set of 4 overs twice in a game. Perhaps RR will re-evaluate for 2025...
Sunrisers Hyderabad (6th)
You can see straight off how SRH will be utilising their bowlers in this tournament. Shami in the powerplay, Cummins in the middle overs and Harshal at the death.
All 3 are world class operators in those phases of the game but are potential weaknesses outside of them. Cummins, for example, has struggled for penetration in the powerplay and is not adept at bowling at the death. Similarly, Shami has previously had the luxury of bowling through the powerplay on pitches in Ahmedabad that offer him a little bit of movement. If we go on what we saw at the Rajiv Gandhi last season, he won't be able to bank on that in IPL 2025 and so he may be pushed towards bowling deeper in the innings.
The 5 sides above SRH in these rankings all have bowlers who can operate effectively in the powerplay and at the death. SRH don't and I think it leaves them a little bit predictable and vulnerable should one of those 3 seamers have an off day.
Rahul Chahar's individual ranking also pushes SRH down the list. He's never been a big spinner of the ball and as such hasn't delivered in the wickets column. That's usually offset by a spinner being very economical but going at a shade under 8s in the middle overs while offering no penetration is an issue.
Instead, will this be the season that Adam Zampa finally gets a proper crack at the IPL? He first appeared in 2016 and has made just 20 appearances since taking 29 wickets in the process. He's about to turn 33 and based on his performances over the last couple of years it feels like he's reached the peak of his powers.
The other condurum for SRH to solve is who makes up their 5th bowler? Unadkat and Simarjeet Singh are both in the squad and have varying degrees of IPL experience. Nitish Kumar Reddy has proved his value with the ball in the Test arena but he's bowled fewer than 30 overs across his entire T20 career (hence not appearing on the list above) and it'd be a risk to bank on him for 3 or 4 overs a match at this level.
Punjab Kings (7th)
Let's get the positives out of the way first. PBKS are certainly not short of options. Whether those options are of genuine enough quality to propel them into the playoffs is debatable.
The key bowlers in their attack are undoubtedly Arshdeep Singh who is likely to bowl a couple upfront and then a couple at the death and Chahal who will do the bulk of the work in the middle overs.
Who will bowl the over 12 overs is less clear. Jansen and Ferguson have had their moments in the IPL but neither has been a banker for any franchise for the last few years. Meanwhile Xavier Bartlett might well find the pitches and short boundaries in India are a little less forgiving than those of his native Australia.
Outside of the aforementioned, Punjab are left relying on local players without stellar records to provide back-up or a host of all-rounders. It's great for a captain to have options on the field to turn to but I don't fancy that Shreyas Iyer will want to rely on the likes of the 3 Aussie all-rounders too often which is precisely what he'll have to do if any of the overseas quicks have an off day.
Delhi Capitals (8th)
You can see what DC were thinking with their auction picks. Starc and Mukesh upfront, the 2 premium spinners in the middle and Mohit and Natarajan wrapping things up at the death.
My primary concern is with the powerplay bowling. Starc failed to live up to his hefty price tag in IPL 2024 and his stats since 2022 in all T20 cricket are pretty average. He's going at over 9 an over which is no great surprise given that he's never provided control in any form of the game. However, he's also stopped taking wickets with any great regularity and appears to be a powerplay specialist these days.
Mukesh Kumar's 17 wickets in 10 matches in IPL 2024 probably flattered him with most of them coming late in the innings when the slog was on. Mohit Sharma can testify to how fickle lady fortune can be in that phase of the game. He dropped from 27 wickets in IPL 2023 to 14 wickets in IPL 2024.
The strength of DC though is in Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel in those middle overs. If the pitches and boundaries at the Arun Jaitley are anything like last year, they'll need to be good for DC to limit opposition scoring should their frontline seamers fail.
Royal Challengers Bangalore (9th)
If at first you don't succeed, fail fail again goes the saying or something like that...
As in previous years, RCB's pace attack particularly in the powerplay looks ok. A new ball duo of Hazlewood and Bhuvi could do some damage upfront and based on what's left to come, they'll need to!
No, the Chinnaswammy is not an easy place to bowl spin at but RCB seem to have given up even trying! Their sole front line spinner is Suyash Sharma and as we saw last season, he's got a lot to learn to deal with the big hitters in this league. Otherwise, it's very much going to be the case that they are relying on all-rounders in those middle overs and I just don't think they're good enough to consistently deliver results.
What's more, if you're not taking wickets in the middle phase then the Chinnaswammy tends to be one of those grounds where set batsmen can go really big at the death. When your best bowling economy at the death is 9.4 an over then it does suggest RCB are going to be in a bit of trouble when the slog is really on.
Lucknow Super Giants (10th)
I'd be concerned if I were an LSG supporter or Rishbah Pant. Not only do LSG have one of the weakest bowling attacks they also seem to lack viable options outside some part-timers and youngsters to fill the obvious gaps.
The 2 Khans, Avesh and Mohsin, with the support of Akash Deep make a decent enough powerplay attack. That being said, anytime I see a bowler of Mohsin's frame, I'm not convinced that he's going to last the tournament and the fact that Mohsin has never played more than 10 games in an IPL season underlines the risk of banking on his physical condition.
A lot will rely on Mayank Yadav picking up where he left off last season although he too suffered with injuries. If he stays fit then he and Bishnoi could prove a useful combination in the middle overs. However, Bishnoi lacks the wicket taking potential to really make him a premium wrist-spinner.
There's a lot to like about Shemar Joesph but he's played just 20 x T20 matches across his whole career and the stats don't suggest that it's a format he's ideally suited to.
The death is where things could get really messy for LSG with no obvious banker to close out the innings. The Ekana Stadium saw consistently low scores last season when compared to all the other pitches. In tight games, it feels as though LSG might not have the bowling attack to close out the match.
All stats used in this blog are from my own databases which are freely accessible at
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