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.

Lungi Ngidi IPL profile: 29 wickets, 12.83 strike rate, 5 three-wicket bursts power RCB 2025 campaign. South African speedster Lungi Ngidi has carved a reputation as one of the IPL’s most incisive new-ball and death-over operators since his 2018 debut with Chennai Super Kings. Across four seasons—three with CSK and the latest with Royal Challengers Bengaluru—Ngidi has sent down 372 balls, conceded only 529 runs and struck 29 times, translating into an impressive strike rate of 12.83 balls per wicket. His ability to break partnerships is underlined by five three-wicket hauls and a best of 4 for in an innings, while an economy of 8.53 keeps pressure constant. With just a single batting cameo to his name, Ngidi’s story is purely one of pace, precision and wicket-taking flair that RCB will bank on in IPL 2025.

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