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.

Johan Botha: the IPL’s quiet all-rounder who spun webs and still cleared ropes. Across five seasons from 2009 to 2015, the South African turned out for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals and finally Kolkata Knight Riders, leaving a ledger that reads 409 runs off 359 balls at a brisk 113 strike-rate, peppered with 39 fours and 5 sixes. His lone half-century, a 67 at the death, showed he could muscle spin as well as he bowled it. Yet it is with the ball that Botha truly earned his keep. Operating in 34 bowling innings, he sent down 694 balls, conceded exactly 800 runs and snapped up 25 wickets—three of them in a single spell that remains his IPL best. An economy of 6.92 and a strike-rate of 27.76 testify to a tweaker who never let batsmen breathe, even on India’s flattest decks. Whether captaining mid-innings or finishing with the bat, Johan Botha gave every IPL side he played for a rare two-in-one package: a frugal off-spinner who could still launch sixes when the asking rate soared.

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