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.

Mayank Markande IPL profile: 37 wickets in 37 innings across six seasons, a story of persistence and punch From the 2018 debut in Mumbai Indians blue to the 2024 orange of Sunrisers Hyderabad, leg-spinner Mayank Markande has kept his name in IPL team sheets for six straight seasons. The numbers speak of a bowler who bursts rather than bleeds: 19.46 balls stand between him and each of his 37 victims, the quickest strike-rate among Indian wrist-spinners who have bowled 100-plus balls since 2018. Twice he has walked away with four-wicket bursts and on three occasions has rattled three scalps in an innings, showing he can turn a match on its head inside two overs. Operating at the difficult mid-innings choke zone, Markande has conceded only 8.91 runs an over while firing in 720 balls of leg-breaks and wrong ’uns. That economy is tighter than most wrist-spinners who bowl after the Powerplay, proving that captains trust him even on flat decks. His best figures—4/15—came at the same ground where he made his IPL debut, underlining a circle-of-life moment that fans still replay on social feeds. With the bat, Markande is the quintessential No. 10 who can swing hard when needed: 48 runs at a strike-rate of 114, including five fours and a six, show he is no rabbit. Yet it is with the ball that he earns his keep, and franchises have kept him in circulation—Mumbai Indians in 2018-19 and 2022, Rajasthan Royals in 2021, and Sunrisers Hyderabad from 2023 onward—because wrist-spin wins matches in T20 cricket, and Markande wins them quickly.

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