Trent Boult Leads the Pack, Followed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Others

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has seen some incredible performances over the years, especially with bowlers making a mark in the very first over of the innings. Getting a wicket in the first over can set the tone for the entire match, and some bowlers have consistently made an impact right from the start. Here's a look at the top bowlers with the most wickets in the first over of the IPL.

Top Bowlers with Most Wickets in the First Over

• 30 Wickets – Trent Boult (96 matches)
• 27 Wickets – Bhuvneshwar Kumar (126 matches)
• 15 Wickets – Praveen Kumar (89 matches)
• 13 Wickets – Sandeep Sharma (78 matches)
• 13 Wickets – Deepak Chahar (77 matches)

🚨 Indian Premier League 2025, KKR vs MI 🚨

Most wickets in the first over in IPL

30 - Trent Boult (96 matches)
27 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar (126 matches)
15 - Praveen Kumar (89 matches)
13 - Sandeep Sharma (78 matches)
13 - Deepak Chahar (77 matches)#KKRvMI #KKRvsMI… pic.twitter.com/O7VYnjiZrj

— Sporcaster (@Sporcaster) March 31, 2025

Also read: IPL 2025 : Ashwani Kumar Marks IPL Debut with Key Wicket of Ajinkya Rahane

These bowlers have consistently delivered early breakthroughs for their teams, setting up the tone of the game right from the first over. Their ability to strike early has made them vital assets in the IPL, and their performances have often turned the tide in crucial moments

pic.twitter.com/iDEDgV6W3k BREAKING: MI FLIP THE SCRIPT AT WANKHEDE 🚨

Rohit Sharma benched. Hardik Pandya backed the bowlers. And MI have delivered BIG.

KKR were just 41-4 after Powerplay.

Deepak Chahar & Trent Boult — Both firing for the first time this season as MI picked 4…

— "Cricket ++" feat. Raj (@cricplusplus) March 31, 2025

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Set to Return for RCB Against CSK match

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will face Chennai Super Kings in the eighth match of IPL 2025 on Friday at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. RCB made a strong start to their campaign, with Rajat Patidar guiding them to a seven-wicket win over KKR in the opening game. Now, as they get ready for a big clash against CSK, let’s look at their possible playing XI.

ALSO READ: IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians vs Gujarat Titans Match 9 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar Fit and Ready to Play

Experienced fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar missed the first match due to a minor injury, but he has now recovered and is available for selection against CSK. RCB’s latest social media update suggests that Bhuvneshwar is likely to play in this important match. If he returns, the team might have to drop either Yash Dayal or Rasikh Salam from the playing XI. 

🚨 GOOD NEWS FOR RCB FANS 🚨

- Dinesh Karthik confirms that Bhuvneshwar Kumar is fit and there is no fitness concern with him. (Sportstar). pic.twitter.com/QMFeFqY0GO

— Tanuj (@ImTanujSingh) March 27, 2025

Both bowlers took one wicket each in the last game against KKR. However, Dayal was more economical, conceding only 25 runs, while Rasikh gave away 35. Since Dayal is RCB’s only left-arm pacer and was one of the few uncapped players they retained before the mega auction, the team might prefer him over Rasikh.

Mist around the veteran Indian seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who is part of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for the ongoing IPL 2025 season, as he has injury concerns from the beginning of the tournament.

Read More: SRH vs LSG IPL 2025: 3 key players to watch

Kumar missed the season opener against the Kolkata Knight Riders, still not about his availability for the CSK match, which is set to play in the Chepauk stadium on March 28. RCB and Indian cricket fans have high hopes for the 'swing master,' who previously got back-to-back purple caps as the leading wicket-taker. The right-arm fast bowler has shown his brilliance in the recent domestic cricket as well. Now the questions arise, will Bhuvneshwar Kumar play against Chennai Super Kings, and when will he be fit to play the IPL 2025?

Previously it was reported that he has a little niggle; for that reason, RCB management decided not to play him in Eden Gardens, Kolkata. RCB faced KKR on March 22, Saturday. After that, there is no strong evidence or report about Kumar's fitness. Though a social media post by the official RCB account stated that, "Bhuvi will be swinging back into action sooner and bolder than ever!" But when? That's the question without a proper answer.

Read More: Delhi Capitals' Team Dinner: A Night of Bonding and Celebration

There are some speculations suggesting that Kumar is yet to recover his fitness at a higher level, and for this, he can spend more time outside the playing XI. It seems that Kumar may miss the CSK match as well, like he was out from the Kolkata Knight Riders match. If Bhuvneshwar is not ready to play the upcoming match against CSK, then Rashid Dar Salaam might get another match to showcase his talent.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) missed the experienced player Bhuvneshwar Kumar in their opening match of IPL 2025. The veteran pacer was seen sitting in the dugout due to a minor injury. However, ahead of their clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, RCB hinted that he would be back soon. In his absence, young pacer Rasikh Salam got an opportunity to play in that game. After that he was a bit expensive, but he managed to break an important partnership by dismissing Sunil Narine. He finished with figures of 3 overs, 35 runs, and 1 wicket.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be swinging back into action sooner and bolder than ever.

- RCB wrote in a post pic.twitter.com/5SZa56WkUe

— Satish Mishra 🇮🇳 (@SATISHMISH78) March 24, 2025

"Bhuvi will be swinging back into action sooner and bolder than ever!" RCB posted on March 24, reassuring fans. Bhuvneshwar hasn’t had great success against CSK, taking 13 wickets in 20 matches at an average of 39.46. However, he has been very economical, giving away only 6.90 runs per over. RCB have struggled to win in Chennai, with their last victory at the venue coming way back in 2008. Among the current players, only Virat Kohli was part of that team.

Despite missing Bhuvneshwar, RCB’s bowlers did well in the opening match at Eden Gardens, restricting the opposition to 174/8. Josh Hazlewood was the best performer, taking 2 wickets in his 4 overs. Yash Dayal also bowled well, dismissing Angkrish Raghuvanshi while giving away 25 runs in 3 overs.

ALSO READ: IPL 2025: GT vs PBKS match 5 who will be the impact players for the fifth match

 RCB’s chase was made easy by openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, who both scored half-centuries to secure the win. Bhuvneshwar, who returned to RCB after 15 years, was bought for ₹10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. His comeback will add more strength to RCB’s bowling attack.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) is the most successful of the most glamorous teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), having passionate fans and glamorous players. It was established in 2008 and has had three appearances at the final match of the IPL but never emerged with the cup. The title famine aside, RCB has produced historic matches, such as record-breaking performances with the bat.

• Team Name: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)
• Founded: 2008
• City: Bengaluru, Karnataka
• Home Ground: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium
• Capacity: 35,000
• Owner: United Spirits
• Team Colors: Red and Gold

IPL 2025 SCHEDULE:

• 22nd March: vs KKR in Kolkata (Saturday, Match 1)
• 28th March: vs CSK in Chennai (Friday, Match 8)
• 2nd April: vs GT in Bengaluru (Wednesday, Match 14)
• 7th April: vs MI in Mumbai (Monday, Match 21)
• 10th April: vs DC in Bengaluru (Thursday, Match 24)
• 13th April: vs RR in Jaipur (Sunday, Match 28)
• 18th April: vs PBKS in Bengaluru (Friday, Match 34)
• 20th April: vs PBKS in Mullanpur (Sunday, Match 37)
• 24th April: vs RR in Bengaluru (Thursday, Match 42)
• 27th April: vs DC in Delhi (Sunday, Match 44)
• 3rd May: vs CSK in Bengaluru (Saturday, Match 52)
• 9th May: vs LSG in Lucknow (Friday, Match 59)
• 13th May: vs SRH in Bengaluru (Tuesday, Match 64)
• 17th May: vs KKR in Bengaluru (Saturday, Match 68)

RCB SCHEDULE IN IPL 2025: 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qUFMmS3o4s

— Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) February 16, 2025

ALSO READ:IPL 2025  full schedule date time venues and complete details

Highlights of 2024:

In this article, we are talking about the top five Indian cricketers who have disappeared from the spotlight at present. 

Yuzvendra Chahal

The 34-year-old leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is the present leading T20I wicket-taker for India (96 wickets) as well as the leading IPL wicket-taker (205 wickets) and leading T20 wicket-taker as an Indian (364 wickets). He is also India’s second-fastest spinner to complete 100 ODI wickets, as he has taken 121 wickets in 72 ODIs. While Chahal has played for India in only ODI and T20I formats, his last matches in these formats were in January 2023 and August 2023, respectively. Although he was a member of the Indian team that won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, he wasn’t selected in the playing XIs. Despite his strong stats, Chahal’s position in the Indian squad is slowly moving away. Meanwhile, he shined in the recent English County season but has struggled in Indian domestic cricket. It is important to see whether he can be called up to the national team in the upcoming assignments, at least for the replacements. 

See Also: Rishabh Pant: Credits for Rohit Sharma for Shaping His Leadership

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The 34-year-old right-arm medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is known for his incredible swing-bowling abilities, as he can swing the ball effectively in both ways. After his international cricket debut in December 2012, he was a dependable bowler with new balls in every format. He also developed his skills in the slog overs, and he has never stopped dominating with the new balls. Kumar played his last Test in January 2018, his last ODI in January 2022, and his last T20I in November 2022. 

Despite being the leading T20I wicket-taker for India during his last international match with 90 wickets in 87 matches, who also took 63 Test wickets and 141 ODI wickets, Kumar has been far from the spotlight since 2023. Although we still experience his abilities in the IPL, he isn’t close enough for his international comeback despite recently recording his T20 hat-trick in a domestic match. 

Ishant Sharma

The 36-year-old tall Indian right-arm fast bowler Ishant Sharma is still active in domestic cricket. He has produced many great memories for India in Test and ODI formats. He was one of the most dependable bowlers in the overseas venues. While he was the fifth-youngest bowler to complete 100 Test wickets, he has taken 311 wickets in 105 Tests and 115 wickets in 80 ODIs. Among the regular pacers, only Kapil Dev and Ishant Sharma have recorded 100 Tests for India. As time progresses, the new generation of Indian pacers is evolving, and Ishant is slowly becoming the past of Indian cricket. While he played his last white-ball match for India in January 2016, Ishant stretched his Test career to January 2021. 

Hanuma Vihari

The 31-year-old Hanuma Vihari has played only 16 Tests for India between September 2018 and July 2022. Despite serving the national team for a very short time, the right-handed batter put a special mark by scoring 839 Test runs in 28 innings with an average of 33.56, including one century and five half-centuries. Majorly effective batter in the middle order, the right-arm off-spinner has also taken five Test wickets. The right-handed batter is known for his patience and controlled batting and was a key member of India’s historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victories in Australia in the 2018-19 season and 2020-21 seasons. During the 2021 Sydney Test, Vihari had an important role in drawing the Test with his 23 not out off 161 balls. Despite his hamstring injury just before the tea of the final day, he safely guided the visitors to the draw with another fighter, Ravichandran Ashwin (39 not out off 128 balls).

Recently, Vihari changed his domestic teams between Hyderabad and Andhra multiple times, where he was also in some controversies. His present season isn’t going well, and he is facing massive competition in the Indian team.

T Natarajan

The 33-year-old left-arm medium-pacer T Natarajan created history during India's tour of Australia in 2020-21, where he made his debut in all formats of international cricket and became the first Indian to debut in all international cricket formats on the same tour. He last played for India in March 2021. The left-arm pacer has taken seven wickets in four T20Is, three wickets in two ODIs, and three wickets in only one Test. Injuries and challenging competitions have affected his growth in international cricket.

Indian Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar joined his former team Royal Challenger Bengaluru. RCB bought him for the whopping amount of 10.75 Crores. The veteran caused the bidding war between Lucknow Supergiants and Mumbai Indians but in the end, Royal Challengers Bengaluru was able to sign him.

The pacer has 181 wickets in 176 matches with an average of 27.23. Veteran has won Purple Back back-to-back seasons in IPL 2016 & 2017. It would be a homecoming for Bhuvneshwar Kumar as he started his IPL journey with the same team in 2009.

Stealth with moves like a panther, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is #NowAChallenger. 🥶

Are you ready to witness Poetry in Motion? 😍 #PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPLAuction #BidForBold #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/VEtsd6P9R9

— Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) November 25, 2024

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and his IPL Journey

The Pacer was part of Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier in the 2009 and 2010 season. He moved to Pune Warriors India from 2011 to 2013. As Pune Warriors India got dissolved, Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him in 2014 for 4.25 Crores. Pacer was part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad team for 10 years. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was monumental in their 2016 IPL winning campaign as he scalped 23 wickets with an average of 21.30 and won Purple Cap in 2016. He won the purple cap again in the 2017 season, scalping 26 wickets with an average of just 14.19.

In a stunning reversal, Hyderabad managed to clinch victory from what seemed like certain defeat, inflicting only the second loss of the season on the leading team, Rajasthan. Rajasthan appeared to have the match well in hand, but a late collapse, losing several quick wickets, unexpectedly shifted the momentum in favor of Hyderabad. Rajasthan’s inning got off to a rocky start with the early losses of heavy hitters Jos Buttler and captain Sanju Samson in the opening over, placing the team under immediate pressure.

Despite the initial setbacks, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag stepped up, adopting a bold counterattacking strategy that steadied their team. They showed considerable poise under pressure, bringing the score to a healthy 60/2 at the end of the Powerplay, setting a strong foundation for the remaining chase.

The pair continued to build on this momentum, crafting a commendable 134-run partnership and both securing well-earned half-centuries. However, their dismissals within three overs of each other initiated a dramatic batting collapse. Though they had set a significant platform, it wasn’t enough as Rajasthan faltered in the final stages, narrowly missing out on a win by a slim margin.

See Also: IPL 2024: Player Analysis: How did Harpreet Brar’s disciplined spell lead to CSK’s submission?

In-depth Analysis of SRH’s Death Overs Bowling

Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck a critical blow to Rajasthan’s chase early on, dismissing both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for ducks in the opening over. This double setback initially suggested that Rajasthan might crumble under the pressure. However, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Riyan Parag quickly steadied the ship, putting together a formidable 134-run partnership off just 78 balls, bringing stability and momentum back to their side. As long as Jaiswal and Parag were at the crease, Rajasthan appeared in control and on track for a win.

The dynamics of the match shifted dramatically after Parag’s dismissal in the 16th over, followed closely by Jaiswal’s departure in the 14th. Suddenly, Rajasthan found themselves needing 43 runs from the remaining 25 balls with six wickets in hand. This critical phase of the game marked a turning point, leaving the team to navigate a tricky finish without their key partnership at the helm.

Pat Cummins delivered a critical performance in the final stages of the game, conceding just 10 runs across his last two overs while crucially removing Riyan Parag and Dhruv Jurel. T. Natarajan also played a key role, dismissing Shimron Hetmyer with a low full toss, right after Hetmyer had hit him for a massive 106-meter six, adding to the tension of the match’s closing moments.

However, the standout performer was Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who was instrumental both at the start and in the dramatic final over of the match. Having already set the tone by dismissing two of Rajasthan’s top three run-scorers in the first over, Bhuvneshwar returned to bowl the final over with only 13 runs to defend. He expertly executed yorker after yorker, but Rovman Powell managed to navigate them, squeezing out a boundary and a couple of twos.

Bhuvneshwar’s strategic bowling in these crucial moments played a pivotal role in the match’s outcome, highlighting his skill and composure under pressure. Rajasthan Royals needed just 2 runs to win on the last ball. But Rovman Powell was trapped lbw by a full toss, giving Sunrisers Hyderabad a thrilling 1-run victory. This was RR’s first loss while chasing in the ongoing IPL season.

Veteran India pace bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar said that the final result was not on his mind when he came to defend 12 runs in the final over against Rajasthan Royals on Thursday (May 2). SRH, who were put under the pump in the run chase, managed to clinch a thrilling one-run win in Hyderabad as well.

“I told everyone process is very important,” Bhuveshwar said after the game. “I was literally thoughtless, I was not thinking about the result. I was just trying to do what I can do.”

Bhuvneshwar Kumar starred with the ball

With Rovman Powell facing strike for most of the balls in the final over, Bhuvneshwar’s task became more difficult, especially with SRH forced to bring in an extra fielder due to a slow over-rate as well. With two runs needed off the final ball, he bowled a low full toss that was missed by the batter completely as he got trapped lbw as well.

“I knew if I could bowl just two good balls, and if it went to the last ball, anything could happen,” he said. “It was a full toss, I know, but he missed it. I was not thinking about the one extra fielder up, or whatever the restriction was there, I was so detached from the result. I wasn’t thinking about where the fielder is, where he is going to hit, where I’m gonna bowl, I was so focused on the process, that was the only thing I was doing.”

ALSO READ: Zaheer Khan shares MS Dhoni’s plans after IPL 2024

However, Bhuvneshwar Kumar also did well with the new ball as he put the Royals on the backfoot very early. He dismissed both Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson for ducks.

“It was the first match the ball swung so much,” he added. “I can’t really pinpoint where the ball swung last, but the way it swung I literally enjoyed it. When it swings, you are always on top of the game, you try to take wickets and luckily, I got wickets.”

Rajasthan Royals gave a tough fight

Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals’ batting allrounder Riyan Parag also dismissed suggestions that some of the batters, including himself, threw their wickets away especially when they were heading towards another win at one stage. Parag and Yashasvi Jaiswal stitched 134 for the third wicket and had the upperhand in the game before getting dismissed.

“I don’t think any one of us threw our wickets,” he noted. “Jaiswal tried that scoop because Natarajan was bowling good slow bouncers and hence he predicted a yorker and went with that shot. I tried to muscle it for a six, probably an error in execution but I don’t really think we threw our wickets. It would have been nice to stay till the end, it was the plan for both of us.”

“I was pretty confident but you have to give credit to how they bowled,” he said. “It’s their home ground, they bowled like they knew how the wicket was playing. You got to give credit to Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Natarajan and Cummins. Cummins especially bowling that 19th over, going for 8 runs or something like that, they bowled better than us in the slog overs.”

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) approaches its 2024 season, cricket fanatics eagerly await the exciting confrontations and standout performances that distinguish the competition. The Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise is one of the teams that is attracting notice, having added excellent talent to their squad.

Armed with a mix of seasoned veterans and rising talents, SRH hope to end their title drought that began in 2016 by winning a second championship this year. In this article, we will focus on the Orange Army’s top four players that could create an impact on the team’s upcoming run in the IPL 2024 edition.

Heinrich Klassen 

Heinrich Klaasen, the South African power hitter, is one of the players who will be focused from the Orange Army side. Klaasen’s aggressive, clean striking and ability to overpower bowlers can turn the tide in SRH’s favour during vital occasions; his ability to accelerate the scoring rate in the middle overs will be critical for SRH’s innings-building.

Klaasen had an outstanding season with SRH, scoring a century for the team. Heinrich Klaasen, currently in excellent form, is anticipated to play an essential part for SRH as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Klaasen has made 512 runs in 19 IPL appearances, including a century and two fifties.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Indian medium-fast bowler, has been a regular part of the Hyderabad-based franchise since 2014 and is regarded as one of the finest pace bowlers in IPL history, with two purple caps. Kumar, who has 170 wickets in 160 games at an astonishing economy rate of 7.39, will join captain Pat Cummins in the powerplay.

Also, not to forget his recent performance in the 2023 UP T20 league when he represented the Noida Super Kings and performed an outstanding job with the ball, taking 14 wickets in just nine matches with an economy rate of 5.81, making him the tournament’s fourth top wicket-taker. 

See also: IPL 2024: Best Playing XI for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) Post Mini Auction

Pat Cummins

Australian speedster Pat Cummins leads the SRH team from the front. Cummins brings new energy to SRH’s roster, drawing on his leadership skills and experience guiding Australia to many wins. The Australian skipper is the tournament’s second most expensive player, costing a whopping INR 20.5 crore following a fierce auction war with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Aside from his bowling abilities, Cummins’ ability to score critical runs strengthens SRH’s batting lineup. He has played 42 games in the premier league and taken 45 wickets. Furthermore, he has scored 379 runs with a phenomenal strike rate of 152.21. 

Wanindu Hasaranga

Wanindu Hasaranga, the Sri Lankan leg-spinning maestro, will join the SRH camp after spending three seasons with RCB. The 26-year-old all-rounder is now ranked second in the ICC shortest format rankings and is regarded as one of the best leg-break bowlers.

His ability to take up wickets in the middle overs and control the run flow might be critical to SRH’s prospects this season. IPL fans were surprised to learn of his purchase for a measly INR 1.5 crore, but based on the spinmeister’s performance, it may be a fantastic deal for SRH. In 26 IPL matches, he has 35 wickets at an 8.13 economy rate.