The largest T20 exhibition in the world, the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/">IPL</a>) 2022 got underway on March 26. It has been said that batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments. However, there have been instances in the IPL as well when teams lost despite a game-changing performance by a bowler.

The IPL has seen many such brilliant spells when bowlers have fallen short of leading their teams to victory despite giving it all in the middle. Cricket is certainly a cruel game and sometimes even the most spectacular knocks and bowling spells can go in vain.

Let&#8217;s look at five unforgettable bowling performances in IPL which went in vain:

5. Ankit Rajpoot – 5/14

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244984" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ankit-Rajpoot.jpg" alt="Ankit Rajpoot" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244984" class="wp-caption-text">Ankit Rajpoot. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption>

A great bowling performance by Ankit Rajpoot in IPL 2018 came in a losing cause. His spell of 5/14 came for Kings XI Punjab (now <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/">Punjab Kings</a>) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The KXIP captain Ravichandran Ashwin had won the toss and decided to field first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Having Kane Williamson caught at mid-off while trying to play the pull shot, Rajpoot was right on target from the very start. The Uttar Pradesh seam bowler recorded his maiden five-wicket haul in IPL by taking the wickets of Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, and Mohammad Nabi.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-66714" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Adam-Zampa.jpg" alt="Adam Zampa Rising Pune Supergiants" width="600" height="412" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-66714" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Zampa. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

It was Adam Zampa who has the best figures in a losing cause in the IPL. Zampa delivered 6/19 for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2016. SRH captain David Warner had won the toss and decided to set the target at Vizag in the ninth IPL edition.

Zampa came into the game in the eighth over when SRH were 40/1. He did not pick up any wickets in his first over, but later sent the visitors reeling by dismissing Yuvraj Singh, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2022-srh-lodge-protest-against-third-umpires-decision-over-kane-williamsons-dismissal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kane Williamson</a>, and Moises Henriques.

He then took three wickets in his final over, dismissing Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and finishing with a six-wicket haul.

3. James Faulkner – 5/16

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-15376" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/James-Faulkner-RR-e1460303707871.jpg" alt="James Faulkner IPL 2016" width="600" height="409" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-15376" class="wp-caption-text">James Faulkner. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption>

Alongside Jaydev Unadkat, James Faulkner is the only bowler in IPL history to take two five-wicket hauls. One of Faulkner&#8217;s five-fers came against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who won the toss and decided to bat first, on their home pitch in the 2013 edition of the tournament.

In the second over of the match, Faulkner, playing for<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/"> Rajasthan Royals</a>, took two important wickets. First, he bowled Parthiv Patel with an inside edge off his first delivery. He followed that up by catching Shikhar Dhawan at point with the last delivery of the over. Subsequently, he scalped Dale Steyn, Daren Sammy, and Biplab Samantray.

2. Sunil Narine – 5/19

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-568393" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-568393" class="wp-caption-text">Sunil Narine. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League)</figcaption>

In the fifth season of the IPL, Sunil Narine became the second bowler to have a five-wicket haul in a losing cause. His spell of 5/19 came against KXIP in IPL 2012 as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gary-kirsten-named-gautam-gambhir-the-rock-paddy-upton-recalls-inside-stories-on-11th-anniversary-of-indias-wc-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a> won the toss and decided to chase down the target in a match played at their home ground, Eden Gardens.

The wicket assisted the spinners. Narine was brought into the attack to bowl the third over, with KXIP&#8217;s score at 14/0. He made an immediate impact by forcing Adam Gilchrist to top-edge to cover.

He dismissed Shaun Marsh, Bipul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, and Harmeet Singh to achieve his first-ever five-wicket haul in the IPL. Although KKR lost the match, Sunil Narine was still given the Player-of-the-Match award for his incredible spell.

<img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-379323" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Munaf-Patel.jpg" alt="Munaf Patel" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379323" class="wp-caption-text">Munaf Patel. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption>

The first bowler who claimed a five-wicket haul in an IPL match which went in vain was Munaf Patel. His spell of 5/21 for Mumbai Indians against the Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2011 couldn&#8217;t take his side over the line. Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and opted to field first.

With his fourth delivery, Baroda&#8217;s medium-pacer had Paul Valthaty caught at deep mid-wicket. He then went on to dismiss Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-not-done-yet-dinesh-karthik-sends-strong-message-after-heroics-against-rr/">Dinesh Karthik</a>, and Ryan Harris to finish with a five-wicket haul.

While Munaf Patel bowled an excellent spell, KXIP still made a decent score of 163/8 in 20 overs, winning by a massive margin of 76 runs. The Mumbai Indians&#8217; batting fell apart as they were all-out for a score of 87 runs. As a result, Munaf Patel stands in the first spot on the list.

The largest T20 exhibition in the world, the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/">IPL</a>) 2022 got underway on March 26. It has been said that batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments. However, there have been instances in the IPL as well when teams lost despite a game-changing performance by a bowler.
The IPL has seen many such brilliant spells when bowlers have fallen short of leading their teams to victory despite giving it all in the middle. Cricket is certainly a cruel game and sometimes even the most spectacular knocks and bowling spells can go in vain.
<h3>Let’s look at five unforgettable bowling performances in IPL which went in vain:</h3>
<h3>5. Ankit Rajpoot – 5/14</h3>
<figure id="attachment_244984" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244984" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-244984" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ankit-Rajpoot.jpg" alt="Ankit Rajpoot" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244984" class="wp-caption-text">Ankit Rajpoot. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
A great bowling performance by Ankit Rajpoot in IPL 2018 came in a losing cause. His spell of 5/14 came for Kings XI Punjab (now <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/">Punjab Kings</a>) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The KXIP captain Ravichandran Ashwin had won the toss and decided to field first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Having Kane Williamson caught at mid-off while trying to play the pull shot, Rajpoot was right on target from the very start. The Uttar Pradesh seam bowler recorded his maiden five-wicket haul in IPL by taking the wickets of Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, and Mohammad Nabi.

<h3>4. Adam Zampa – 6/19</h3>
<figure id="attachment_66714" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-66714" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-66714" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Adam-Zampa.jpg" alt="Adam Zampa Rising Pune Supergiants" width="600" height="412" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-66714" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Zampa. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
It was Adam Zampa who has the best figures in a losing cause in the IPL. Zampa delivered 6/19 for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2016. SRH captain David Warner had won the toss and decided to set the target at Vizag in the ninth IPL edition.
Zampa came into the game in the eighth over when SRH were 40/1. He did not pick up any wickets in his first over, but later sent the visitors reeling by dismissing Yuvraj Singh, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2022-srh-lodge-protest-against-third-umpires-decision-over-kane-williamsons-dismissal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kane Williamson</a>, and Moises Henriques.
He then took three wickets in his final over, dismissing Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and finishing with a six-wicket haul.

<h3>3. James Faulkner – 5/16</h3>
<figure id="attachment_15376" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-15376" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-15376" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/James-Faulkner-RR-e1460303707871.jpg" alt="James Faulkner IPL 2016" width="600" height="409" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-15376" class="wp-caption-text">James Faulkner. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Alongside Jaydev Unadkat, James Faulkner is the only bowler in IPL history to take two five-wicket hauls. One of Faulkner’s five-fers came against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who won the toss and decided to bat first, on their home pitch in the 2013 edition of the tournament.
In the second over of the match, Faulkner, playing for<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/"> Rajasthan Royals</a>, took two important wickets. First, he bowled Parthiv Patel with an inside edge off his first delivery. He followed that up by catching Shikhar Dhawan at point with the last delivery of the over. Subsequently, he scalped Dale Steyn, Daren Sammy, and Biplab Samantray.

<h3>2. Sunil Narine – 5/19</h3>
<figure id="attachment_568393" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-568393" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-568393" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-568393" class="wp-caption-text">Sunil Narine. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League)</figcaption></figure>
In the fifth season of the IPL, Sunil Narine became the second bowler to have a five-wicket haul in a losing cause. His spell of 5/19 came against KXIP in IPL 2012 as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gary-kirsten-named-gautam-gambhir-the-rock-paddy-upton-recalls-inside-stories-on-11th-anniversary-of-indias-wc-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a> won the toss and decided to chase down the target in a match played at their home ground, Eden Gardens.
The wicket assisted the spinners. Narine was brought into the attack to bowl the third over, with KXIP’s score at 14/0. He made an immediate impact by forcing Adam Gilchrist to top-edge to cover.
He dismissed Shaun Marsh, Bipul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, and Harmeet Singh to achieve his first-ever five-wicket haul in the IPL. Although KKR lost the match, Sunil Narine was still given the Player-of-the-Match award for his incredible spell.

<h3>1. Munaf Patel – 5/21</h3>
<figure id="attachment_379323" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379323" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-379323" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Munaf-Patel.jpg" alt="Munaf Patel" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379323" class="wp-caption-text">Munaf Patel. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The first bowler who claimed a five-wicket haul in an IPL match which went in vain was Munaf Patel. His spell of 5/21 for Mumbai Indians against the Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2011 couldn’t take his side over the line. Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and opted to field first.
With his fourth delivery, Baroda’s medium-pacer had Paul Valthaty caught at deep mid-wicket. He then went on to dismiss Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-not-done-yet-dinesh-karthik-sends-strong-message-after-heroics-against-rr/">Dinesh Karthik</a>, and Ryan Harris to finish with a five-wicket haul.
While Munaf Patel bowled an excellent spell, KXIP still made a decent score of 163/8 in 20 overs, winning by a massive margin of 76 runs. The Mumbai Indians’ batting fell apart as they were all-out for a score of 87 runs. As a result, Munaf Patel stands in the first spot on the list.

The largest T20 exhibition in the world, the Indian Premier League (<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/">IPL</a>) 2022 got underway on March 26. It has been said that batters win matches but bowlers win tournaments. However, there have been instances in the IPL as well when teams lost despite a game-changing performance by a bowler.
The IPL has seen many such brilliant spells when bowlers have fallen short of leading their teams to victory despite giving it all in the middle. Cricket is certainly a cruel game and sometimes even the most spectacular knocks and bowling spells can go in vain.
<h3>Let&#8217;s look at five unforgettable bowling performances in IPL which went in vain:</h3>
<h3>5. Ankit Rajpoot – 5/14</h3>
<figure id="attachment_244984" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-244984" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-244984" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Ankit-Rajpoot.jpg" alt="Ankit Rajpoot" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-244984" class="wp-caption-text">Ankit Rajpoot. (Photo by Surjeet Yadav/IANS)</figcaption></figure>
A great bowling performance by Ankit Rajpoot in IPL 2018 came in a losing cause. His spell of 5/14 came for Kings XI Punjab (now <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/punjab-kings/">Punjab Kings</a>) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The KXIP captain Ravichandran Ashwin had won the toss and decided to field first at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Having Kane Williamson caught at mid-off while trying to play the pull shot, Rajpoot was right on target from the very start. The Uttar Pradesh seam bowler recorded his maiden five-wicket haul in IPL by taking the wickets of Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, and Mohammad Nabi.

<h3>4. Adam Zampa – 6/19</h3>
<figure id="attachment_66714" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-66714" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-66714" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Adam-Zampa.jpg" alt="Adam Zampa Rising Pune Supergiants" width="600" height="412" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-66714" class="wp-caption-text">Adam Zampa. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
It was Adam Zampa who has the best figures in a losing cause in the IPL. Zampa delivered 6/19 for the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants (RPS) against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in IPL 2016. SRH captain David Warner had won the toss and decided to set the target at Vizag in the ninth IPL edition.
Zampa came into the game in the eighth over when SRH were 40/1. He did not pick up any wickets in his first over, but later sent the visitors reeling by dismissing Yuvraj Singh, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/ipl-2022-srh-lodge-protest-against-third-umpires-decision-over-kane-williamsons-dismissal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kane Williamson</a>, and Moises Henriques.
He then took three wickets in his final over, dismissing Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and finishing with a six-wicket haul.

<h3>3. James Faulkner – 5/16</h3>
<figure id="attachment_15376" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-15376" style="width: 600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-15376" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/James-Faulkner-RR-e1460303707871.jpg" alt="James Faulkner IPL 2016" width="600" height="409" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-15376" class="wp-caption-text">James Faulkner. (Photo Source: BCCI)</figcaption></figure>
Alongside Jaydev Unadkat, James Faulkner is the only bowler in IPL history to take two five-wicket hauls. One of Faulkner&#8217;s five-fers came against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), who won the toss and decided to bat first, on their home pitch in the 2013 edition of the tournament.
In the second over of the match, Faulkner, playing for<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/t20/ipl-indian-premier-league/rr-rajasthan-royals/"> Rajasthan Royals</a>, took two important wickets. First, he bowled Parthiv Patel with an inside edge off his first delivery. He followed that up by catching Shikhar Dhawan at point with the last delivery of the over. Subsequently, he scalped Dale Steyn, Daren Sammy, and Biplab Samantray.

<h3>2. Sunil Narine – 5/19</h3>
<figure id="attachment_568393" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-568393" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-568393" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Sunil-Narine.jpg" alt="Sunil Narine" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-568393" class="wp-caption-text">Sunil Narine. (Photo Source: Twitter/Indian Premier League)</figcaption></figure>
In the fifth season of the IPL, Sunil Narine became the second bowler to have a five-wicket haul in a losing cause. His spell of 5/19 came against KXIP in IPL 2012 as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/gary-kirsten-named-gautam-gambhir-the-rock-paddy-upton-recalls-inside-stories-on-11th-anniversary-of-indias-wc-win/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gautam Gambhir</a> won the toss and decided to chase down the target in a match played at their home ground, Eden Gardens.
The wicket assisted the spinners. Narine was brought into the attack to bowl the third over, with KXIP&#8217;s score at 14/0. He made an immediate impact by forcing Adam Gilchrist to top-edge to cover.
He dismissed Shaun Marsh, Bipul Sharma, Praveen Kumar, and Harmeet Singh to achieve his first-ever five-wicket haul in the IPL. Although KKR lost the match, Sunil Narine was still given the Player-of-the-Match award for his incredible spell.

<h3>1. Munaf Patel – 5/21</h3>
<figure id="attachment_379323" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-379323" style="width: 640px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-379323" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/Munaf-Patel.jpg" alt="Munaf Patel" width="640" height="400" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-379323" class="wp-caption-text">Munaf Patel. (Photo Source: Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>
The first bowler who claimed a five-wicket haul in an IPL match which went in vain was Munaf Patel. His spell of 5/21 for Mumbai Indians against the Kings XI Punjab in IPL 2011 couldn&#8217;t take his side over the line. Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and opted to field first.
With his fourth delivery, Baroda&#8217;s medium-pacer had Paul Valthaty caught at deep mid-wicket. He then went on to dismiss Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/im-not-done-yet-dinesh-karthik-sends-strong-message-after-heroics-against-rr/">Dinesh Karthik</a>, and Ryan Harris to finish with a five-wicket haul.
While Munaf Patel bowled an excellent spell, KXIP still made a decent score of 163/8 in 20 overs, winning by a massive margin of 76 runs. The Mumbai Indians&#8217; batting fell apart as they were all-out for a score of 87 runs. As a result, Munaf Patel stands in the first spot on the list.

Cricket is certainly a cruel game.

IPL: 5 memorable bowling spells in a losing cause

IPL has seen many such brilliant spells when bowlers have fallen short of leading their teams to victory despite giving it all.