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.

Mohammed Shami has quietly become one of the Indian Premier League’s most lethal seamers, and the 2025 season with Sunrisers Hyderabad is merely the latest chapter in a story built on raw pace and unrelenting accuracy. Across 11 seasons, Shami has sent down 2,606 balls, snaring 133 wickets—one every 19.59 balls—while conceding 3,749 runs at an economy of 8.63. Those numbers translate to a strike-rate so sharp that a wicket falls almost every three overs when he steams in, making him the silent assassin every batting side dreads. His peak performance came in 2023 with Gujarat Titans, but the foundation was laid earlier: 13 three-wicket hauls and a best of 4 for show that even when the opposition thinks they have him figured out, Shami can still rip through a line-up. Four different franchises—KKR, DC, PBKS, GT and now SRH—have banked on his new-ball mastery, a testament to adaptability and durability. While his batting card reads only 84 runs from 89 balls with a highest score of 21, those seven fours and two sixes remind us that when required, Shami can swing the long handle too. Yet it is with the white ball that he scripts his legacy. Sunrisers Hyderabad fans can expect wickets in clumps, yorkers at the death, and a bowler whose 133-wicket tally is climbing faster than most in IPL history.

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