The summer festival of India, IPL remains the biggest cricketing league in the world. Its ruthless T20 format has led to some great contests between bat and ball in its 15 editions so far.
While the fans have witnessed some great spells during the years, let’s talk about the most uneconomical four-over spells in IPL history. Read on to learn more about the most expensive spells in IPL and how the information can help you succeed in IPL betting.
Table of Contents
Top 5 Most Expensive Spell in IPL
The premier T20 tournament features the top bowling talent from all over the world. However, when facing the swashbuckling batsmen, even the best bowlers can have an off day. Here are 5 such IPL’s most expensive spells.
| Rank | Bowler | Figure | Team | Against | Season |
| 1 | Basil Thampi | 0/70 | Hyderabad | Bangalore | 2018 |
| 2 | Ishant Sharma | 0/66 | Hyderabad | Chennai | 2013 |
| 3 | Mujeeb Ur Rahman | 0/66 | Punjab | Hyderabad | 2019 |
| 4 | Umesh Yadav | 0/65 | Delhi | Bangalore | 2013 |
| 5 | Sandeep Sharma | 1/65 | Punjab | Hyderabad | 2014 |
Basil Thampi – 0/70 vs. RCB
- Nickname: Narayan
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
- Role: Bowler
The 5-feet-9 Keralite bursted into the scene for the Gujarat Lions team by dismissing Chris Gayle as his first wicket in IPL 2017. His CV soon had the wickets of MS Dhoni, Kieron Pollard, Virat Kohli, and Hashim Amla.
Thampi’s reverse swinging yorkers and fiery pace of 140 kph bamboozled the opposition and earned him the “emerging player” award in 2017. The lead bowler for the Lions played 12 matches and got 11 wickets for his team.
The Gujarati team was dissolved in 2017. However, Thampi got picked up by the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise in the 2018 edition. The athletic bowler did well against Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab in the initial matches but completely missed his rhythm in the rest of the tournament.
SRH played game number 51 of IPL 2018 against RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) on their home turf, M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore. The majestic RCB batting got stuck into him on a sluggish pitch. From blockhole to the black hole, the fateful match scripted an unwanted record for Thampi.
He missed his line completely and conceded 70 runs in his 4 overs to bowl the most expensive four overs in IPL history. The shattered confidence ensured he went wicketless in the rest of the matches he played for SRH in 2018. This remains the most expensive spell in IPL history.
Ishant Sharma – 0/66 vs. CSK
- Nickname: Lambu
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
- Role: Bowler
Who would have thought that the wheel of misfortune would have Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) name registered twice in the list of poorest bowling spells in IPL history. Basil Thampi was just the successor of the awful record cataloged by Ishant Sharma in 2013 (five years before Thampi) while playing for the same franchise.
The workhorse of the Indian Test team got thumped by Chennai Super King (CSK) batters in the home game number 54 of the IPL 2013 edition. Captain Sangakara’s decision to allow CSK to bat first backfired. The 6-feet-5 Lambu got clobbered for 66 runs in his 4 overs by Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina.
He remained wicketless in the spell with an economy rate of 16.5 runs per over. CSK’s score galloped to 223, and SRH lost the chase heavily by 77 runs.
Ishant leaked 29.59% of the total runs scored by CSK in the match. His confidence remained severely dented in the remaining part of the tournament.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman – 0/66 vs. SRH
- Nickname: Mujeeb
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm off break
- Role: Bowler
February 2018 saw this 16-year-old Afghan mystery spinner become the youngest bowler in the world to take a 5-wicket haul in ODI innings. Soon after, he got his well-deserved break to play in the premier T20 league, IPL.
The youngster debuted for Kings XI Punjab (PBKS) in the 2018 edition. He did exceedingly well and picked up 14 wickets in his 11 matches at a sparing economy rate of 6.99 runs per over.
However, the competitive nature of IPL soon got over him. The 2019 edition saw his name registered against one of the most abysmal bowling performances in IPL history. PBKS played game number 48 of the event against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Bowling first, Mujeeb was brought into the attack as a tactical move by the PBKS captain. However, the SRH batters retaliated, and the plan boomeranged. Mujeeb got stomped with 66 runs in his 4 overs.
A whopping 31.13% runs of the total 212 were scored off him at an economy rate of 16.5 runs per over. SRH went on to win the match by 45 runs. The debacle ensured that Mujeeb never played again in the remainder of the tournament.
Umesh Yadav – 0/65 vs. RCB
- Nickname: Strongman, Bablu
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm fast
- Role: Bowler
The Strongman has enjoyed the support of some very loyal franchises throughout his 12 seasons in IPL (especially Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders), despite his raw but wayward bowling. The hot favorite in the 2010 auction delivered one of the worst IPL spells in the 2013 edition.
Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium witnessed game number 57 of the tournament between Bangalore and the Delhi franchises. Bowling first, the speedster completely lost his gambit and surrendered before the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batters.
After conceding 18 runs in his first two overs, the duo of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers clobbered him for 23 and 24 runs in his final two overs. Yadav ended up with 65 runs for no wicket, giving away 5 sixes and 5 fours during his four-over spell.
A whopping 35.5% of RCB’s 183 total was scored off Umesh’s bowling. Delhi went on to lose the game. But he has improved since and didn’t bowl the most expensive over in IPL 2023.
Sandeep Sharma – 1/65 vs. SRH
- Nickname: Sandy
- Batting: Right-handed
- Bowling: Right-arm fast-medium
- Role: Bowler
The unforgiving IPL ironically also remains an ideal launch pad for many budding players. It has turned many dreams into reality. One such dream came true for Sandeep Sharma, who booked his spot in the Indian team post his stellar performance for Kings XI Punjab (PBKS) in the 2014 edition of IPL. But he also made the list of the most expensive bowling spells in IPL.
The generally consistent bowler for PBKS had a rare off day in game number 39 of the 2014 calendar. Opening the bowling against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Sharma conceded a respectable 13 runs off his first two overs. However, soon the tide turned against him. He got smoked for 26 runs in the fifth over by Shikhar Dhawan.
The horror continued with another 26 runs being scored off him in the nineteenth over of the innings, which he bowled. The hammering ensured an unwarranted record for this key PBKS bowler.
Four overs for 65 runs with an economy rate of 16.25 runs per over. SRH ended up with a whopping 205 total, 31.7% of which was conceded by Sharma alone. His only consolation was the solitary wicket of Henriques at the fag end of the innings.
An undeterred PBKS still won the match comfortably. The resilient Sharma came back strongly in the next game and ensured PBKS continued their success story in the event.
FAQ
Which is the best spell in the IPL?
West Indies pacer Alzzari Joseph has the best bowling spell in IPL history, with 6/12 in 3.4 overs.
Who gave the most expensive over in the IPL?
Basil Thampi bowled the most expensive IPL spell with 0/70 in 4 overs.
Which is the most expensive spell in ODI?
Aussie pacer Mick Lewis bowled the most expensive spell in ODI with 0/113 in 10 overs.
Which is the most expensive bowler in the IPL?
Basil Thampi is the most expensive bowler in the IPL.
Final Thoughts
What does an expensive spell mean? It means tons of runs scored by the batsmen. While an off day is horrible for a bowler, it can mean a bonanza for a batsman and for those interested in sports betting. That’s where Parimatch comes in.
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