IPL 5-Fers: Picking 5 wickets in a T20 match is undoubtedly one of the toughest jobs in the game. Picking a 5-wicket haul even in an ODI or a Test match is considered a big achievement, so one can easily understand how big of an achievement it is to pick 5 wickets in a T20 match where a bowler gets to bowl only 24 deliveries at most.
Unsurprisingly, picking up a five-wicket haul is very rare in T20s and this is why only 30 five-wicket hauls have been picked up by different players in the IPL so far. In fact, the 2010, 2014, and 2015 editions of the IPL did not witness a single five-wicket haul. On the other hand, the 2011 and 2022 editions witnessed the most number of IPL 5-fers in a single IPL season – 4.
IPL 5-Fers
In the inaugural edition played in 2008, three players picked up 5 or more wickets in an innings. Former Pakistan bowler Sohail Tanvir is the first player to achieve the feat. He registered a sensational spell of 6 for 14 while playing for Rajasthan Royals against Chennai Super Kings. Lakshmipathy Balaji and Amit Mishra were the other bowlers who picked up five-wicket hauls in IPL 2008.
The record for the most economical five-wicket haul belongs to former India skipper Anil Kumble who picked up 5 wickets with an economy rate of 1.57 in the 2009 season. James Faulkner and Jaydev Unadkat are the only bowlers to take multiple five-wicket hauls in the IPL.