IPL 2019: 5 Players who could be the leading wicket-taker

The 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to commence on March 23. The franchises gave a final look to their teams in the auction last month and not surprisingly, the bowlers were in demand. Despite the shortest format being dominated by the batsmen, without decent bowlers, the tournament could not be won.

Bowlers have evolved a lot when it comes to bowling in this format in general and the performances of Andrew Tye, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the IPL bear testimony to that. The very fact that the World Cup starts right after the cash-rich tournament makes this year’s IPL interesting.

Since the major players will be rested by their respective Boards, the focus will be on the youngsters and how they deliver in crunch situations. It would be a point to focus more on the bowling aspect as the top bowlers will be rested, allowing the light to fall on the youngsters.

Here we take a look at five bowlers who will be the highest wicket-taker this season:

5. Varun Chakravarthy (Kings XI Punjab)

In simple words, Varun Chakravarthy was the surprise package in the IPL auction for the 2019 edition when he was bought by the KXIP for a whopping sum of Rs 8.4 crores. Varun has the mystery-spinner tag written all over him. He is a fine example of Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) product as he finished the last season with nine wickets at an economy of 4.92 and a dot-ball percentage of 52%.

Varun has had a fair bit of experience of bowling to the top international batsmen in IPL during his stint as a net-bowler for KKR. Just like Sunil Narine in 2012, Varun Chakravarthy can prove to be the surprise package of IPL this time around. Expect him to give a tough fight for the purple cap.

4. Avesh Khan (Delhi Capitals)

The 22-year-old is a fine young prospect who resembles a modern fast bowler with many tricks and variations up his sleeve. Avesh Khan can consistently move around the new ball and can generate extra bounce off the length. When in fine rhythm, he can clock at an excess of 140+ kph and his sharp bouncers are something to watch out for. In the 6 matches that Avesh played for the DC last year, he didn’t have a great set of performances. But he is in great touch in the domestic season and would love to make it count this year.

Avesh Khan has all the necessary raw materials to succeed at the international level and by no means is he a finished product. With an improved consistency and discipline, he will look to turn around his IPL career in the upcoming season and one should expect him to be among the leading wicket-takers.

3. Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals)

The Carribean-born all-rounder has emerged as one of the brighter prospects in recent times and that’s because of his all-round skills. What’s even more impressive is his ability to bowl quick and smart. Jofra Archer is a safe option to go to towards the death and is a good starter with the new ball in his hand. Like Boult, Archer can clock speeds at an excess of 140+ and his sharp bouncers could be lethal at ant stage in the game

Last year the youngster picked up 15 wickets in the 10 matches that he featured in at an economy of 8.84. Archer is a consistent performer and he has the potential to be among the leading wicket-takers in the upcoming season of the IPL if not the ultimate purple cap holder.

2. Trent Boult (Delhi Capitals)

The speedster from New Zealand has everything that takes to be the leading wicket-taker in IPL 2019. Capable of clocking speeds at an excess of 145+ kph, Trent is a loaded weapon with the new ball and is very economical towards the death. Last year, he picked up 18 wickets at an economy of 8.84 which is quite impressive as he played most of his matches at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium which is a nightmare for bowlers.

Trent has struck form at the right time and he’s a dangerous bowler to face anywhere in the world. If Delhi Capitals are to have a memorable 2019 campaign, Trent Boult will have a huge role to play in it. Moreover, the fact that he will be available throughout the season makes things easy for the management.

1. Rashid Khan (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The mystery spinner from Afghanistan has proved to be a total puzzle for the batsmen. His quick and uncanny action makes him hard to decipher and one can only play him on the bounce. The most peculiar trait of Rashid Khan is he doesn’t allow the batsman to read his wrist position and that helps him succeed.

He can bowl in the power play, middle overs and towards the death as well which makes him a complete package and he’s known to maintain an excellent economy rate on a consistent basis. Last year, Rashid picked up 21 wickets at an impressive economy of 6.73 which is quite rare among leggies.

Rashid Khan is tough to sort out and by the looks of it, the same trend is expected to repeat itself this year as well. The purple cap race would be incomplete without him.

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