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.

Dale Steyn IPL journey: 11 seasons, 97 wickets, 22.43 strike-rate, 6.92 economy—South Africa’s speed king tormented batsmen from 2008 to 2020. Bursting onto the scene with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2008, Steyn claimed 97 wickets in 95 bowling innings, firing in 2 176 balls and conceding only 2 508 runs. His blistering 22.43 strike-rate underlines a wicket every 3.7 overs, while a frugal economy of 6.92 kept even power-hitters on a leash. Eight three-wicket bursts showed his love for timely breakthroughs, and although he never reached a five-for, his peak of 3 for 18 in 2010 became a YouTube classic. After spearheading RCB attacks in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Steyn moved to Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2011-2015, morphing the franchise into a bowling fortress at the death. A brief 2016 cameo with Gujarat Titans preceded a victorious return to RCB in 2019-2020, where he closed the curtain on his IPL legacy. With the bat Steyn was a handy lower-order slugger—167 runs off 160 balls, 14 boundaries and 3 sixes, highest 19. Yet the real story is the raw pace and pinpoint yorkers that made Dale Steyn one of IPL’s most feared fast bowlers.

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