Rashid Khan celebrating his hat-trick against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2023 [Twitter]
The Indian Premier League 2023 witnessed a truckload of runs but the bowlers had a little fun as well. While the batters are always appreciated for their impressive form throughout the tournament, the bowlers are sidelined even though it is the bowlers, who can bring the team out of any situation.
As the preparations begin for the upcoming IPL season, there were a few bowlers, who stunned not just the batters but also the spectators and will be the ones to look forward to in the upcoming season. Mohammed Shami, who was the leading wicket-taker in the World Cup was also the one with the most wickets during the IPL, which must have boosted his confidence level.
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Let's have a look at the top 5 wicket-takers of the IPL 2023.
Mohammed Shami - 28 Wickets
Mohammed Shami (X.com)
If anyone has had the best cricketing year among the bowlers, it was none other than Mohammed Shami. Whether it was the IPL or the World Cup, Shami has been the highest wicket-taker in both of them this year. With his seam positioning and the ability to swing the ball, he was effective in the powerplays in the IPL 2023.
The Indian frontline bowler while representing Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2023 picked up 28 wickets in 17 games. Shami not only was the highest wicket-taker of the tournament but also one of the most economical bowlers. With two four-wicket hauls and best figures of 4/11 against Delhi Capitals, Shami helped the Gujarat Titans reach the final of the IPL 2023.
Mohit Sharma - 27 Wickets
Mohit Sharma (X.com)
Mohit Sharma is known for bowling cheeky slower ones which disturbs and hampers the timing of the batters. From being a net bowler for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2022 to making a comeback in the next season for the same team, he fought his way back to playing competitive cricket. Not only he improved his bowling, but also worked on his fitness which eventually landed him here.
With the same kind of slower deliveries that he used to bowl during the time he was at his peak, he had an amazing tournament picking up 27 wickets in just 14 games. He used to bowl in the second half only because of his ability to bowl economically in the death overs. Even in the final when bowlers like Shami and Rashid were being hit, he was the one who bowled exceptionally.
Rashid Khan - 27 Wickets
Rashid Khan (X.com)
Rashid Khan is another Gujarat Titans bowler among the top wicket-takers, which shows why they had the best bowling line-up which helped them reach the final twice and even win the trophy once. Rashid, with his amazing bowling skills, picked up the first hat-trick of the IPL 2023 against KKR.
His three dismissals included Andre Russel, Sunil Narine and Shardul Tahkur, but his team still ended up on a losing side as Rinku Singh smashed five sixes to finish the game in KKR's favour. The leg spinner ended up taking 27 wickets in just 17 games in the 2023 season and helped the team reach the finals for the second time in two years.
Piyush Chawla - 22 Wickets
Piyush Chawla (X.com)
Mumbai Indians despite having not so strong bowling line-up managed to reach the qualifier 2. In their run to reach the playoffs, Piyush Chawla was one of the key contributors to the IPL 2023. He made a comeback to competitive cricket due to his son and did not upset him at all by delivering his best performance.
With his exceptional googlies and quicker ones, he trapped the best of batters during the 2023 season and made a memorable one for the team and himself. He went on to take 22 wickets in the 16 games and will be one of the bowlers to look forward to in the upcoming season as well.
Yuzvendra Chahal - 21 Wickets
Yuzvendra Chahal (X.com)
Yuzvendra Chahal is one of the greatest bowlers of the shortest format, not only in the IPL but from the World. He has been quite unlucky for not getting picked up for either of the World Cups, but he rarely fails to perform. Ever since he joined Rajasthan Royals, he has been one of the highest wicket takers whether it was the 2022 season or 2023.
The leg-spinner picked 27 wickets in just 14 games during the IPL 2022 including a hat-trick. In the IPL 2023, he went on to deliver exceptional performances and bagged 21 wickets in 14 games, becoming one of the top five wicket-takers of the 2023 edition.
 "Saksham Chugh")
