IPL 2016: Top 10 Bowlers of Week 2 of Indian Premier League
Kolkata Knight Riders and the Gujarat Lions are the teams to beat after Week 2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Both sides have played four matches and won three, with KKR ahead on net run rate. But this is a long tournament, and being at the top of the points table does not mean your side’s players have produced the best performances.
We’ve taken a gander at some of the week's best bowling performances and picked 10. Do add your own in the comments.
*All performances from 15 April to 22 April were taken into consideration.
Amit Mishra (Delhi Daredevils)
1 of 10
Amit Mishra put in a fine performance for Delhi Daredevils against Kings XI Punjab at the start of the week, taking four for 11 in just three overs.
His crafty bowling included four top-order wickets and helped collapse Kings XI to 111 for nine in their 20 overs.
Mishra's cunning use of his variations, particularly the googly, was key to keeping the opposition guessing. Delhi managed an easy eight-wicket win.
Mitchell McClenaghan (Mumbai Indians)
2 of 10
Mumbai Indians might have lost against the Gujarat Lions, but Mitchell McClenaghan deserves some credit for his four for 21 in four overs.
He bowled the most dot balls of any other bowler in that fixture (13), and while his wickets were mostly middle- and lower-order batsmen, he deserves a nod.
McClenaghan used the change of pace to outfox many batsmen, and if the opening bowlers had managed a marginally better start, who knows how different things might have been for Mumbai.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (Sunrisers Hyderabad)
3 of 10
Bhuvneshwar Kumar had an exceptional week for Sunrisers Hyderabad, proving this Twenty20 stuff is not just for the spinners.
He took four for 29 against table-topping Gujarat Lions, he also managed an exceptional economy rate of 4.25 against Mumbai Indians.
He bowled 14 dot balls in the latter match—an outstanding effort against a team with players like Martin Guptill, Rohit Sharma and Jos Buttler.
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Murugan Ashwin (Rising Pune Supergiants)
4 of 10Murugan Ashwin might be relatively inexperienced, with just nine T20s next to his name, but his bowling for Rising Pune Supergiants against Kings XI Punjab belied his lack of game time.
He picked up three for 36 in that match, and while it wasn't enough to steer Pune to a win, with scalps like Murali Vijay, Shaun Marsh and David Miller in his bag, Ashwin could yet go on to play a vital role in this tournament.
Mohit Sharma (Kings XI Punjab)
5 of 10
In the same fixture where Murugan Ashwin made such an impact, Mohit Sharma had set the tone for Kings XI Punjab.
He bagged three for 23 in his four overs. Sharma was only brought in very late in the game, but he bagged two wickets in the final over, dismissing Faf du Plessis and MS Dhoni.
Dhawal Kulkarni (Gujarat Lions)
6 of 10
Taking bucket loads of wickets isn't always everything. Sometimes keeping things tight and piling the pressure on helps, too.
That's exactly what Dhawal Kulkarni did for Gujarat Lions against Mumbai Indians when he took two for 19 at an economy rate of 4.75.
He bowled 16 dot balls in his four overs and helped to restrict Mumbai to 143 for eight in 20 overs. Gujarat clinched a thrilling three-wicket win that went right down to the last ball.
Tim Southee (Mumbai Indians)
7 of 10
His effort of three for 24 in four overs came in a losing cause against Sunrisers Hyderabad, but that doesn't mean Mumbai Indians' Tim Southee should be overlooked.
He's been somewhat inconsistent in the IPL so far, but this spell reminded everyone just how brilliant he can be when he manages to swing the ball.
Andre Russell (Kolkata Knight Riders)
8 of 10
Kolkata Knight Riders' Andre Russell outperformed all his bowling team-mates in the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. While he only took one wicket, he did bowl 12 dot balls and ended up with an economy rate of 4.75.
As a result, Hyderabad were restricted to 142, and KKR won fairly easily, chalking up an eight-wicket win with 10 balls still remaining. Russell has blown hot and cold in the IPL this year, but his most impressive asset is, without a doubt, the ability to keep a lid on scoring.
Pravin Tambe (Gujarat Lions)
9 of 10Hot on the heels of Brad Hogg earlier in the tournament, Gujarat Lions' Pravin Tambe proved T20 is not just a game for youngsters.
Against Mumbai Indians, the 44-year-old bagged two wickets for 12 in his two overs.
While there was nothing particularly outstanding about his bowling, he still finished tied for second place for the best strike rate (6.0) this week.
He has a fascinating story, and it's great to see him still enjoying his cricket.
Kane Richardson (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
10 of 10
Kane Richardson's first IPL match was somewhat underwhelming; he finished with figures of 3-0-25-1 for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Mumbai Indians.
On Friday, though, Richardson had a cracker. At one point, he had figures of two for six and finished with figures of three for 10 in 2.4 overs.
RCB beat Pune by 13 runs thanks to his crafty bowling. Richardson can sometimes be inconsistent, though, so it's important he builds on this performance.
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