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.

Morne Morkel is one of the most feared pace bowlers the IPL has ever seen, and every run he conceded came after a fierce contest. In 70 bowling innings across eight seasons the South African quick snared 77 wickets, which translates to a strike-rate of 21.16 balls per scalp. His most destructive spell came at the Eden Gardens in 2016 when he scythed through a top-order to finish with 4 for 23; that season alone he delivered six three-wicket hauls, underlining why Kolkata Knight Riders retained the lanky speedster for three consecutive years. Morkel’s economy of 7.69 runs per over was elite for the power-play era, and the 2089 runs he leaked off 1629 deliveries tell the story of a bowler who attacked the stumps every ball. Batters knew one loose drive could send them back; 77 of them eventually did. While his batting remained a cameo act—126 runs from 90 balls with 11 fours and 5 sixes—those late-order blows often pushed KKR past par. Yet the narrative of Morne Morkel in the IPL will always be written in wickets, yorkers and bouncers, a towering presence who made 22 yards feel like 18.

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