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.

IPL left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla’s nine-season journey (2008-2017) reads like a textbook on economical middle-overs control. Bowling 920 balls across 48 innings, the Mumbai-born slow-left-armer claimed 40 wickets at a strike rate of 23.00, conceding just 7.23 runs an over while never letting batsmen breathe easy. Four separate three-wicket hauls underline his knack for breaking partnerships, with best figures of 3 for 23. Representing four franchises—most memorably Kolkata Knight Riders for his first five seasons and later Royal Challengers Bengaluru—Abdulla provided the clamp that allowed pace spearheads to attack from the other end. When called upon, he could swing the bat too: 88 runs from 84 balls, nine fours and a six, striking at 104. His cameo high of 33 showcased the sort of lower-order impetus that often flipped momentum in tight chases. Yet it is with ball in hand that Abdulla truly left his IPL imprint, finishing as a silent architect of multiple playoff pushes with his nagging accuracy and uncanny ability to outfox right-handers on subcontinent surfaces.

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