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.

Roelof van der Merwe IPL profile: South Africa’s spinning all-rounder who quietly became Delhi Capitals’ unsung hero between 2009 and 2013. Across five seasons and 21 bowling innings, the slow-left-armer claimed 21 wickets at a strike-rate of 21.10 balls per scalp and an economy of 6.74—numbers that placed him among the most frugal spinners of his era. His standout spell came in Delhi colours, returning 3 for 20, the only three-wicket haul of his IPL career. Whenever the middle overs squeezed, van der Merwe delivered: 443 balls yielded just 498 runs, a testament to his ability to choke batters on Indian tracks. With the bat he turned into a handy floater, striking at 112 while clearing the ropes eight times and finding the fence 11 times. His career-best 35 off 22 against Mumbai at the Kotla remains a reminder of his late-order hitting. In 15 innings he compiled 159 runs, often arriving in the death overs to tilt momentum Delhi’s way. From Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2009-10 to Delhi Capitals from 2011-13, van der Merwe’s adaptability and control made him a low-profile asset in T20’s glitziest league.

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