During an era where experts have been talking up reduction of sized to the bat and making boundaries bigger, bowlers have had their way of expressing themselves. In the Indian Premier League, we have seen three sides fold up for under 100 in 2017 and in other games, teams have successfully defended under-par scores with strong performances with the ball. MI did that more than once, when our bowlers made amends for failures in our batting order. Let’s take a look at some of our top bowlers from our title-winning season.

Jasprit Bumrah – 20 wickets, Eco rate – 7.41

When Rohit would hand the ball to Jasprit Bumrah, we knew something ought to happen. And, more often than not, something did happen. Bumrah either claimed a wicket or built immense pressure on opposing batsmen. The third highest wicket-taker from the season has saved us from the blushes on many occasions in the season. He pulled things back with a 3-fer against Sunrisers Hyderabad at home, bowled a fiery spell against Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2, and led from the front with 4 economical overs in the final too. However, the icing on the cake in this season for him was the implausible Super Ove he bowled against Gujarat Lions, when he defended just 11 runs against Aaron Finch & Brendon McCullum.

Mitchell McClenaghan – 19 wickets, Eco rate – 9.38


Yes, one may argue that Mitchell McClenaghan was quite expensive at times, but then turn to the other side and take a look at the number of wickets he has taken. He was our leading wicket-taker last year and ended up fourth in the IPL among all bowlers, this year. Mitch’s knack of picking up wickets when most needed paved the way for him to deliver for us. Performances in both the games against Delhi Daredevils and a couple of 3-fers in the season were the key highlights for the Kiwi quick.

Karn Sharma – 13 wickets, Eco rate – 6.97


After we got off to a rollicking start in the season, Karn Sharma got his first opportunity to play after he was bought at the auction. Karn impressed from day 1 and turned into a vital member of the bowling unit. The performance that stands out the most was his 4-fer against Kolkata Knight Riders, in Qualifier 2 – a game we needed to win to get to the final, after our loss in Qualifier 1. He caused havoc among the Delhi batsmen in our away game at the Kotla too. Karn’s ability to keep it tight even during the Powerplay was a plus for us, as that allowed Rohit to save Bumrah and the other quicks for the death overs.

Lasith Malinga – 11 wickets, Eco rate – 8.52


It wasn’t the standard season for Lasith Malinga that we have seen in the past, but he rose to the occasion during crunch situations. Although Malinga got hit for a few in the early phase of the tournament, he clawed his way back in the latter half, especially after the league stage ended. Slinga had to sit out a few games due to a niggle he sustained during the tournament. His experience came in handy during tight situations in must-win games. All our other quicks looked to Malinga for advice, including the likes of Bumrah & Johnson. Malinga’s pace may have dropped, but the accuracy of his Yorkers are still intact.

Krunal Pandya – 10 wickets, Eco rate – 6.82


Krunal Pandya had an absolutely magnificent season with MI. He batted well and his bowling was impeccable too. Krunal stemmed the flow of runs and created plenty of wicket-taking opportunities too. 10 wickets may seem very few for the way he bowled throughout the season. Krunal picked up a lot of wickets in the first half of the tournament. In the latter, he stuck to containing batsmen, as Karn Sharma took up the responsibility of aggressive bowling in the Powerplay. One moment Krunal will cherish has to be the two dismissals against AB de Villiers. He has bowed to him in four games, and dismissed him each time.

Harbhajan Singh – 8 wickets, Eco rate – 6.48


Bhajji shouldered the responsibility of bowling in the Powerplay and kept many dangerous batsmen quiet during his spells. He had the best economy rate among our crop of bowlers in the season. Bhajji also got to a personal landmark in the season, as he picked up his 200th T20 wicket. While he performed his role supremely on the field, the Turbanator played a vital role off it too. He had a big hand in motivating the younger spinners and was always keen on providing valuable advice and tips to them.

Mitchell Johnson – 7 wickets, Eco rate – 7.05


Mitchell Johnson has played of us in 2013 and won the IPL back then. He returned into our flanks this year, and won the IPL once again. Mitchell McClenaghan got injured before Qualifier 2, and Mitchell Johnson stepped up with a lot of determination. He bowled in the mid-140s and kept batsmen on their toes with his sharp bouncers and accurate full deliveries. But, the final was the stage where he shone. Bowling the final over in an attempt to defend 11 runs against Rising Pune Supergiant, Mitch bowled immaculately and picked up three wickets, taking us past the final hurdle to the title.

A great example of how our bowlers stepped up, even before the final, was in the game against Delhi Daredevils, at home. We managed just 142 runs with the bat and Delhi would have fancied themselves to chase it down. After a good pep talk, our bowlers brought out their aggressive sides and reduced Delhi to 24/6. There was no looking back from there, and they went on to shoot Delhi out for just 66 in our away fixture. They all got together in the second Qualifier and most importantly, in the final to give us our third IPL trophy.