Muttiah Muralitharan, the spin wizard from Sri Lanka, rolled his magic across seven IPL seasons from 2008 to 2014, leaving batsmen in knots and scoreboard operators busy. Over 66 bowling innings for Chennai Super Kings, Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, the off-spin maestro claimed 63 wickets, never needing more than three in a spell to tilt a match. Five times he struck thrice in an innings, proving that in T20 cricket a single over can flip momentum. Operating through 254 dot-filled deliveries out of 1,524 balls, Murali throttled scoring at a frugal 6.68 runs per over while striking every 24th ball—numbers that underline why captains tossed him the new ball in the power-play and again at the death. While his blade rarely flashed—only 20 runs from 30 balls with one boundary—his real art lay in the flight and fizz that brought 1,696 runs of resistance from rival camps. From yellow to purple to sky-blue jerseys, Muralitharan’s enduring IPL footprint is a testament to guile over gas, spin over slog, and wickets over wafts.

Ashish Nehra IPL career: 106 wickets in 88 innings, 14 three-wicket bursts, best 4 for 10, economy 7.85, strike-rate 18. Overs nine seasons from 2008 to 2017, the left-arm quick turned powerplay destroyer for Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Pune Warriors, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. In 2015-16 he spearheaded CSK and SRH attacks, returning 24 wickets in 17 games. His 1908 balls cost only 2495 runs, a testament to discipline on Indian decks. With the bat Nehra was never the headline, yet 41 runs at 66 strike-rate and three fours plus one towering six show he could swing if needed. Highest score 22 off 14, 17 innings, no fifty but plenty of sting in the tail.

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