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.

Brett Lee’s six-season IPL journey from 2008 to 2013 is best remembered for the thunderbolts he sent down, not the runs he scored. Across 38 bowling innings for Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings, the Australian speed gun hurled 145.5 overs, snared 25 wickets and kept rival batsmen to a tidy 7.51 economy. His strike-rate of 35 balls per scalp underlines how quickly he broke partnerships, while his solitary three-wicket burst—3 for 32—remains the headline spell. With the bat Lee was used as a late-overs pinch-hitter; in 19 innings he muscled 124 runs at a strike-rate of 127, clearing the rope eight times and finding the boundary eight more. His highest IPL score of 25 off 12 balls against Delhi in 2010 showcased the same fearless intent he brought to his bowling. From wearing Kings’ red in 2008-2010 to donning Knight Riders’ purple in 2011-2013, Lee’s express pace and toe-crushing yorkers made him a marquee IPL import and a crowd-puller every time the speed gun flashed 150 kph.

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