IPL 2015: Top 5 Bowlers of Week 5 of Indian Premier League

T20 is often chastised for being a batsman’s game, and when you look at the kind of destruction Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers have been causing in the Indian Premier League, then you might cringe. However, there have been some equally encouraging bowling performances in this tournament and we’ve picked the top five from this week’s matches.

Add your favourite bowling performances from the past week in the comments.

Piyush Chawla 4-32 in Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils

Gemunu Amarasinghe/Associated Press

Piyush Chawla's crafty spin took four of the six innings wickets when Kolkata Knight Riders played Deli Daredevils at Eden Gardens. His exploits helped KKR to a 13-run victory.

Despite being smacked around in his first two overs, Chawla soon bounced back as the batsmen became too confident and tried to take him on again and again. It might not have been a lesson in spin bowling, but it was a lesson in how to not get too cheeky when chasing a challenging total.

Mitchell Starc 4-15 in RCB vs Kings XI Punjab

Ross Setford/Associated Press

If you don't know by now, Mitchell Starc is one of the best opening bowlers in the world. His ability to swing the ball in all conditions and the ability to generate real pace has bamboozled batsmen all over the world. 

After the Royal Challengers Bangalore hit 226 in their first innings, Starc took four for 15 as the Kings XI stuttered to 88 all out when the two sides met this week.

Sreenath Aravind 4-27 in RCB vs Kings XI Punjab

Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

In the same match that Mitchell Starc was at his destructive best, the relatively unknown Sreenath Aravind did something similar. Aravind ripped out the heart of the Kings XI middle order with his four wickets, three of them clean bowled. Although the Kings XI batsmen were woeful on the day, the combination of Aravind and Starc on the day was a breath of fresh air for those who prefer bowling to batting.

Sunil Narine 4-19 in Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab

Bikas Das/Associated Press

Sunil Narine hasn't had the easiest few months. After being reported for a suspected action, he was cleared and reported again during the IPL. He was cleared once more, but had struggled to find his form prior to that.

He made up for those struggles by taking four for 19 against Kings XI at Eden Gardens over the weekend. Although he wasn't quite back to his best yet and despite the fact that the Kolkata fielders dropped more catches than they managed to take, this little outing will do Narine's confidence the world of good.

KKR managed to win by one wicket with just one ball still remaining.

Chris Morris 3-19 in Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Chris Morris took three for 19 in Rajasthan Royals' losing cause against the Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The Royals lost by 12 runs, and if it weren't for Morris, it could have been far worse. His economy rate of 4.75 with half of his deliveries being dot balls was exceptional in a match where most bowlers were going at almost eight an over.