IPL 2022: Ranking all teams based on their death bowling ahead of the season

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 is all set to kick start on March 26, with last year’s champions, Chennai Super Kings, and Kolkata Knight Riders locking horns. All the teams put up their best foot forward in terms of recruiting bowlers in the IPL 2022 Auction and would likely be their lethal weapons to lift the title.

When we talk about the T20 format, it is regarded as a very cruel game for the bowlers where they can be tonked all around the park due to the thick willow, and the batters being inventive enough to accumulate runs. Death bowling has often been considered a niche skill, which has been perfected by very few bowlers.

Three out of the four venues hosting IPL 2022 matches have short boundaries, and are likely to provide little or no room for error for the bowlers.

On that note, let us check out the rankings of all the teams based on their death bowling:

10. Delhi Capitals (DC)

The Delhi Capitals have reached the playoffs in the last three editions. They have retained captain Rishabh Pant, all-rounder Axar Patel, opener Prithvi Shaw, and pace bowler Anrich Nortje. The team has a solid batting order, but somewhat lacks in terms of the bowlers who can handle the pressure well in death overs.

Death Bowling Options: Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafzur Rahman, Shardul Thakur

The leader of the pace attack, Anrich Nortje, missed out on international action for close to five months due to hip injury and is devoid of match practice. Alongside him, Lungi Ngidi was bought by the team management, but does not provide enough confidence to put the brakes on runs, when put under the pump.

The other options for the team are Mustafzur Rahman and Shardul Thakur. The only reliable wicket-taker between the two is Mustafizur Rahman, with his variations and proven execution of yorkers.

9. Chennai Super Kings (CSK)

The four-time champions will look to defend their title this year. The team management retained four players – all-rounder and now the captain Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni, all-rounder Moeen Ali, and opener Ruturaj Gaikwad – who will hold the key for them due to their fine track record. The IPL 2022 Auction saw them trying to bring their core players back.

Death Bowling Options: Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Chris Jordan, Rajvardhan Hangargekar

The second-highest wicket-taker in IPL history, Dwayne Bravo, will again have the responsibility to contain runs and take wickets in death overs. In the last season, he scalped 14 wickets in 11 matches at an economy of 7.81, and was impressive in Bangladesh Premier League 2022. But the costliest buy for CSK in IPL 2022 Auction, Deepak Chahar, is yet not fully fit, which puts them 9th on this list.

The team’s other frontline pacer is Chris Jordan, who is the leading wicket-taker for England in the T20Is. On the other hand, Rajvardhan Hangargekar can be given an opportunity as well, despite lacking experience in the T20 format.

8. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)

One of the most unsuccessful teams in the IPL in the last few years has tried well to put together a strong team in the IPL 2022 Auction. The team retained the services of captain Kane Williamson, youngsters Umran Malik and Abdul Samad. They have bought in-form and talented bowlers who could pose a challenge to the opposition batters.

Death Bowling Options: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, T Natarajan, Kartik Tyagi, Fazalhaq Farooqui/Sean Abbott

The experienced pacer, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, did well in the recent international white-ball series against the West Indies, but his fitness issues will be a key factor for selection decisions. On the other hand, the likes of T Natarajan and Kartik Tyagi are fine talents, with both of them proving themselves in the previous editions.

It will be a toss-up between Fazalhaq Farooqui and Sean Abbott as the overseas bowling pick for the team management. The Afghanistan pacer Farooqui is coming into the tournament after being the best bowler in the Afghanistan-Bangladesh 2022 ODI and T20I series, while Sean Abbott has a lot of experience across all the formats in the Australian cricket domestic circuit.

7. Lucknow Super Giants (LSG)

One of the new entrants to the Indian Premier League 2022, Lucknow Super Giants, will be led by KL Rahul. Along with the captain, they chose batting all-rounder Marcus Stoinis and spinner Ravi Bishnoi ahead of IPL 2022 Auction. The team with an experienced batting line-up does not have a potent bowling attack.

Death Bowling Options: Avesh Khan, Jason Holder, Dushmantha Chameera, Andrew Tye

The England pacer, Mark Wood, who was touted to be the key for LSG will not be available for the entire season due to an elbow injury. Their hopes will lie on the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL 2021, Avesh Khan, to continue his good form in the power play as well as death overs.

The other options will be Jason Holder and Dushmantha Chameera, who have been regular wicket-takers for their respective international teams. But it remains to be seen whether they can maintain their form.

6. Rajasthan Royals (RR)

The Rajasthan Royals franchise is one of the better teams on paper after the auction. The team retained captain Sanju Samson, openers Jos Buttler, and Yashasvi Jaiswal, thus, keeping intact the core batters. This time around, the team has the presence of experienced international bowlers.

Death Bowling Options: Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Nathan Coulter-Nile

The new recruit, Trent Boult, has been a successful bowler for the Mumbai Indians in the powerplays, but will look to prove himself in the death overs. While Prasidh Krishna, who was terrific in his last appearance for the Indian team, proved to be expensive in the last season.

The team might choose to play Nathan Coulter-Nile for his usefulness with the bat, and the ability to keep the batters in check with toe-crushing yorkers. The leg spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, is a quality performer in pressure situations, and can bowl one of the death overs as well.

5. Mumbai Indians (MI)

The Mumbai Indians retained captain Rohit Sharma, fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, and their reliable run-scorers Suryakumar Yadav and Kieron Pollard. The team bought Jofra Archer in the auction, but he is expected to feature for them from the 2023 edition due to injury issues.

Death Bowling Options: Jasprit Bumrah, Tymal Mills, Jaydev Unadkat/Riley Meredith

The team with the strongest batting line-up will rely on the proven performers in the T20 format – Jasprit Bumrah and Tymal Mills – who can prove to be a threatening combination for the opposition batsmen with their variations in pace and bounce.

The Mumbai Indians can play with two overseas fast bowlers, and Riley Meredith can cause havoc, especially at the Wankhede Stadium. On the other hand, the team can also opt to bring Jaydev Unadkat in the XI.

4. Gujarat Titans (GT)

The Gujarat Titans will be making their debut in the IPL this year. The team acquired the services of Hardik Pandya (captain), spinner Rashid Khan, and opener Shubman Gill ahead of the mega auction. They are fourth on this list, with quality bowling options who find a regular place in their respective international teams.

Death Bowling Options: Lockie Ferguson, Mohammed Shami, Rashid Khan

The New Zealand speedster, Lockie Ferguson, bagged 13 wickets in eight appearances in the previous season and will be the leader of the bowling attack. Though Mohammed Shami has been rather expensive in the T20s he will bring his much-needed experience to the team.

The team has spin-bowling options like Rahul Tewatia, Sai Kishore, and Rashid Khan in possible XI. Among the three players, Rashid Khan can be given an opportunity in the death overs to put pressure on the opposition with his line and lengths.

3. Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

One of the most popular teams in the tournament retained batsmen Virat Kohli and Glenn Maxwell, and also put trust in the pacer Mohammed Siraj. In this edition, they will be captained by the experienced Faf du Plessis, who was also the second-highest run-scorer in the last season. They have a fine bowling unit which is capable of opening up the floodgates of the opposition team.

Death Bowling Options: Harshal Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Mohammed Siraj

The leading wicket-taker in the IPL 2021 with 32 dismissals, Harshal Patel will be looking to replicate the same performances this season as well. The pacer, Josh Hazlewood, was a consistent wicket taker for the CSK in the UAE leg of IPL 2021 and was one of the reasons for Australia lifting the T20 World Cup 2021 title as well.

The aggressive fast bowler, Mohammed Siraj, is in the form of his life and has put all his efforts across all the formats of the game, and can be a crucial player for the RCB.

2. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)

The runners-up of the last season, Kolkata Knight Riders retained all-rounders Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, spinner Varun Chakravarthy and opener Venkatesh Iyer. The team, on the other hand, shelled out a hefty sum in recruiting Shreyas Iyer who will also lead the side. Below are the death bowling options of KKR for the IPL 2022 season.

Death Bowling Options: Pat Cummins, Shivam Mavi, Andre Russell, Tim Southee

The team certainly possess a potent bowling attack, with a specialty in handling the new, as well as, the old ball in a proficient manner. The likes of Tim Southee and Pat Cummins are captains of their national teams who also have experience in the T20 format, and know-how of Indian conditions.

Players like Shivam Mavi and Andre Russell have also been regular bowlers at KKR and are expected to be the other death bowlers.

1. Punjab Kings (PBKS)

The Punjab Kings surely have the best bowling attack this season. Ahead of the auction, the team retained only two players – Mayank Agarwal and Arshdeep Singh – with the former also being chosen as the captain for this season. The team has bought many quality bowlers in the auction who can prove to be the key performers.

Death Bowling Options: Kagiso Rabada, Arshdeep Singh, Odean Smith/ Sandeep Sharma

The Proteas pacer, Kagiso Rabada, has been in sublime form in the recent international series across all the formats, and is a proven wicket-taker in the IPL as well. While the left-arm pacer, Arshdeep Singh, who scalped 18 wickets in 12 matches, can form a great combination with Rabada to help PBKS win their first-ever title.

The other option for the Punjab Kings can be the West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith, who recently impressed everyone with his pace against India. On the other hand, Sandeep Sharma will be valuable with his change-ups.