Lasith Malinga is the IPL’s ultimate yorker king. Across nine seasons—all in Mumbai Indians colours from 2009 to 2019—he scalped 170 wickets in 122 innings, never letting batters breathe at a stunning strike-rate of 16.63 balls per wicket. The sling-armed Sri Lankan terrorised line-ups with 18 three-wicket bursts and a memorable five-for, conceding only 7.15 runs an over despite bowling 2,827 balls of unforgiving yorkers and slower ones at the death. Malinga’s mastery peaked when he nipped out four overs for just 5.1 runs each, a record economy for any 170-wicket bowler in the league’s history. With the bat he was a handy lower-order pinch-hitter, smashing five sixes and six fours in 20 innings for 88 quick runs at a strike-rate of 88. Yet it is with the ball that Malinga became Mumbai’s heartbeat, lifting four IPL titles and finishing as the franchise’s all-time leading wicket-taker—an unbreakable legacy built on 170 scalps, 18 three-fors and one spell for the ages.

Andre Russell IPL 2025: 2,651 runs off just 1,522 balls, 223 sixes at 174 strike-rate – the most feared finisher in the league and still a Knight Rider for life. Across 13 seasons the Jamaican has powered Kolkata Knight Riders with 186 fours and 223 sixes, never once needing a hundred to flip matches. His 12 fifties include a career-best 88, but it is the 174 strike-rate that tells the real story: every ball Russell faces is worth nearly two runs on the card. In 114 innings he has cleared the ropes 223 times, making him the go-to Death-Over nightmare for every opposition analyst. When the ball is tossed to him, the carnage doesn’t stop. Russell has snapped 123 wickets in 121 bowling innings, including one five-for and a dozen three-wicket bursts. Bowling at 14.68 balls per wicket and an economy north of nine, he trades thrift for impact—exactly what KKR have banked on since 2014. From Delhi in 2012-13 to an unbroken purple-and-gold run since, the all-rounder has become the heartbeat of Eden Gardens.

Note: This overview is partially generated using AI and is based on statistical data. Please verify with official sources for complete accuracy.