IPL 2023 – Top 5 Spells

While the batters dominated IPL 2023 with their ever-impressive power and six-hitting abilities, there were also plenty of magical spells delivered with the ball in season 16. The Gujarat Titans trio of Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan, and Mohit Sharma led the way this season by topping the wicket-taking charts, but there were also plenty of other phenomenal bowling performances throughout the league stages and playoffs.

Here are our top five spells of IPL 2023.

5. Mohit Sharma – 5/10 vs Mumbai Indians (Qualifier 2)

Mohit Sharma’s sensational comeback to the Indian Premier League was one of the biggest surprises of the season, with the seamer becoming an integral part of the Gujarat first XI after spending last season as a net bowler. Sharma finished the season as the second-highest wicket-taker with 27 scalps and produced his best performance in Qualifier 2 against MI, picking up 5 for 10 in just 14 deliveries to send the Titans to their second consecutive final.

4. Mohammed Shami – 4/11 vs Delhi Capitals (Match 44)

Mohammed Shami enjoyed a stellar season with the ball for the Gujarat Titans in IPL 2023, emerging as the purple cap winner with 28 wickets in 17 matches. The seamer dominated the powerplay for the defending champions, exploiting the helpful conditions in Ahmedabad with his near-perfect seam presentation. Shami’s new ball mastery was on full display against the Delhi Capitals, as the pacer got the ball hooping around corners to pick up four wickets in the powerplay and restrict David Warner’s side to 130 for 8.  

3. Arshdeep Singh – 4/29 vs Mumbai Indians (Match 31)

In a game with over 400 runs scored across both innings on one of the best batting decks in the tournament, Arshdeep Singh produced an epic performance with the ball to lead the Punjab Kings to victory. The left-armer thwarted Mumbai in the chase by dismissing the dangerous Suryakumar Yadav for 57 in the 18th over before delivering two searing yorkers to remove Tilak Varma and Nehal Wadhera in the final over, powering Punjab to a thrilling 13-run win.

2. Mark Wood – 5/14 vs Delhi Capitals (Match 3)

Mark Wood produced one of the most fearsome spells in IPL history in the opening round of season 16, as he decimated the Delhi Capitals batting line-up with his pace and bounce. Wood used his extra speed to clean up Prithvi Shaw and Mitchell Marsh off consecutive deliveries before removing Sarfaraz Khan with a nasty bouncer, eventually finishing with five wickets for 14 runs to hand the Capitals a 50-run victory.

1. Akash Madhwal – 5/5 vs Lucknow Super Giants (Eliminator)

The best spell of this season belongs to Akash Madhwal for his sparkling bowling display against the Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator. The 29-year-old from Uttarakhand ran through the Lucknow batting unit by relentlessly attacking the stumps on a tricky wicket, finishing with the fifth-best figures in the history of the competition, conceding just five runs for his five wickets.