Clinching wickets in the first over in a T20 match is an art as the shortest format is known for the dominance of batters. In the cash-rich Indian Premier League (IPL), the franchises rope in star T20 batters who possess the capability to annihilate any quality bowling unit. Going through this fact, it could be said considered rather extraordinary for any bowler to give early breakthroughs by striking early in the first over.
In the ongoing 2023 IPL edition, there had been a few bowlers who grabbed eyeballs by scalping wickets in the first overs of their matches. Riding on sensational starts delivered by these bowlers, their teams were able to pull off victories in a few games. The majority of bowlers on the list have tasted a fair amount of success in international cricket as well, and have seemed to utilise their international experience to deliver moments of joy to their franchises in the cash-rich league.
Top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in the first over of IPL 2023:
5. Akash Singh- 2 Wickets
Akash Singh played six games this season, in which he took five wickets at an economy of 9.89. In his last two appearances for the Yellow Army, he couldn’t pick up any wickets for his side, and noting his failure, the CSK team management dropped him from their playing XI.
However, in a few games, he looked effective with the new ball and provided early breakthroughs to the team. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the 24th match of the competition, CSK emerged victorious by a close margin of eight runs and in that win, Akash claimed Virat Kohli’s wicket in his first over of the game.
The same happened against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens as well. Defending a massive total of 235, Akash trapped Sunil Narine on the fourth delivery of KKR’s innings. In CSK’s success against both opponents, Akash played a vital role with his disciplined bowling.
4. Mohammed Shami- 3 Wickets
In the 2023 season, Mohammed Shami emerged as a top contender for the Purple Cap. Spearheading Gujarat Titans’ pace attack from the front, Shami picked up 26 wickets in 15 games at an economy of 7.66, with his best bowling figures of 4/11 coming against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium, Mohali, Shami delivered an excellent start that helped Gujarat win the game comfortably with six wickets in hand. Scalping Prabhsimran Singh’s wicket on the second delivery of the game, he helped his team to restrict the opponents to an average total of 153.
Like the PBKS game, Shami dominated batters in his first overs against Delhi Capitals (DC) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 44th and 62nd IPL 2023 games, respectively. Against Capitals, he dismissed Phil Salt while in the contest against Sunrisers, he got Anmolpreet Singh on the fifth delivery of the match.
3. Mohammed Siraj- 5 Wickets
Mohammed Siraj came out as the most efficient bowler for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) this year. Grabbing 19 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 7.50, he ended up as the leading wicket-taker for Challengers. In the 2023 season, Siraj scalped five heads in his first overs.
Against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the 15th game, RCB couldn’t extract desired results but Siraj tried his best by hunting Kyle Mayers in his first over. The pacer displayed his bowling skills against Punjab Kings (PBKS) again with his four-wicket haul in his team’s comfortable 24-run triumph in Mohali. During his four-over spell, he looked fierce with the ball from his first over, getting the better of Atharva Taide on the second delivery of the PBKS’ innings.
In match 32 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Siraj led RCB’s bowling unit from the front, outmaneuvering Rajasthan Royals’ star batter, Jos Buttler, on the fourth delivery of RR’s innings. Playing in a crucial game against RR at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Siraj also made Yashasvi Jaiswal his victim on the second delivery of RR’s innings.
2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar- 5 Wickets
Two-time IPL Purple Cap winner, Bhuvneshwar Kumar didn’t look at his best but the veteran succeeded in delivering some magnificent shows with the ball. In the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) squad, he became the most successful bowler with 16 wickets in 14 matches at an economy of 8.33.
In the competition, Bhuvneshwar took five wickets in his first overs bowled during SRH's matches. SRH’s maiden victory in this edition came against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the 14th match conducted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, where the hosts won by eight wickets. In SRH’s eight-wicket triumph, Bhuvneshwar initiated the attack with the ball, removing Pabhsimran Singh on the first delivery of the match.
After the PBKS game, Bhuvneshwar exuded confidence against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in his team’s next game. This time, he got rid of Rahmanullah Gurbaz on the third delivery of the match. In SRH’s nine-run win over Delhi Capitals (DC), he chipped in with David Warner’s wicket on the second delivery of his first over.
1. Trent Boult- 7 Wickets
Trent Boult led Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) bowling attack from the front in this year's IPL. Claiming 13 scalps in 10 contests at an economy of 8.21, he ended up as the most efficient pacer for his team. In his side's opening match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), he powered RR to a 72-run win, with a couple of wickets in his first over.
Boult maintained his form with the ball in his next match and this time too, he took a couple of batters (Prithvi Shaw and Manish Pandey) in his first over while saving a total of 199. Against Gujarat Titans (GT) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in matches 23 and 32 respectively, he got Wriddhiman Saha and Virat Kohli with his tight bowling.
In RR’s final league game of the competition, he provided an early breakthrough to his team in the form of Prabhsimran Singh, on the second ball of the match. With the Punjab opener's scalp, he took seven wickets in his first overs of IPL 2023.
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