Dhawal Kulkarni IPL profile: 14 seasons, 86 wickets, Mumbai Indians swing ace Swing stalwart Dhawal Kulkarni has been a familiar sight in the Indian Premier League since 2008, turning out for four franchises but finding his longest home at Mumbai Indians. Across 92 bowling innings the right-arm seamer has claimed 86 wickets, never needing more than 21 balls to strike and keeping the run-flow pegged below 8.5 an over. His new-ball mastery is best captured by the seven three-wicket bursts—proof that when the white-ball swung, Kulkarni made it talk. The 2021 season marked his 14th IPL campaign and a return to the blue-and-gold of Mumbai Indians after stints with Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans. While his batting was used sparingly—104 runs from 108 balls with a highest of 28—his primary craft remained the headline. Operating largely in the Powerplay, Kulkarni has delivered 1,787 balls of disciplined swing, conceding 2,474 runs. His standout figures read 4 for 14, achieved while donning the Royals’ colours in 2015, a spell that remains etched among the league’s most economical four-fers. From the inaugural 2008 season to his most recent outing in 2021, Kulkarni’s value has always been about control and subtle movement rather than express pace. Eighty-six scalps at a strike rate hovering around 20 balls per wicket underline his knack for timely breakthroughs, making him a trusted option for captains seeking early inroads or a squeeze in the middle overs.

Ashish Nehra IPL career: 106 wickets in 88 innings, 14 three-wicket bursts, best 4 for 10, economy 7.85, strike-rate 18. Overs nine seasons from 2008 to 2017, the left-arm quick turned powerplay destroyer for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Pune Warriors, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. In 2015-16 he spearheaded CSK and SRH attacks, returning 24 wickets in 17 games. His 1908 balls cost only 2495 runs, a testament to discipline on Indian decks. With the bat Nehra was never the headline, yet 41 runs at 66 strike-rate and three fours plus one towering six show he could swing if needed. Highest score 22 off 14, 17 innings, no fifty but plenty of sting in the tail.

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