In the heat of IPL finals, these bowlers didn’t just deliver — they dictated
The finals are loud. But sometimes, silence wins games. While sixes make headlines, the quiet control of tight spells shifts momentum. In the heart of roaring stadiums, these bowlers didn’t need five wickets to leave their mark. They needed just one skill — suffocation. Let’s walk through the moments when runs dried up, calm minds ruled chaos, and these Economy Kings turned finals into fortresses.
The 2009 final saw Anil Kumble lead with grit and guile. He tossed the coin, won it, and chose to bowl. What followed was a masterclass in leg-spin. Kumble wrecked Deccan’s batting order, dismissing big names like Gilchrist, Symonds, and Rohit. His figures read 4-16 in four overs, with a frugal economy rate of 4.00. Clinical. Relentless. Even as Herschelle Gibbs fought back with 53, Kumble’s spell had set the tone. RCB needed 144 to win, but their batters stumbled. Still, Kumble walked away with the Player of the Match medal — a rare feat in defeat.
In the 2022 finale, the left-arm swing of Trent Boult carved silence in Ahmedabad. Opening with fire, he dismissed Matthew Wade early and shut the door during the Powerplay. He finished with 4-1-14-1 and an exceptional economy rate of 3.50. Rajasthan posted only 130, with Jos Buttler fighting a lone battle. Despite Boult’s brilliance, Gujarat Titans chased it down with ease. But Boult’s opening burst? It was a statement of intent. In a pressure cooker, he brought ice.
2019’s finale was madness. Mumbai Indians were defending just 149. Shane Watson was breathing fire. And Lasith Malinga was under attack. Enter Jasprit Bumrah. Calm, clinical, and cruel with his control. He bowled 13 dot balls, gave no boundaries, and snatched two crucial wickets — including Dwayne Bravo. His spell of 4-0-14-2 came with an economy rate of just 3.50. His 17th over, in the death, went for only four runs. In the end, it was Malinga’s last-ball slower yorker that won the trophy, but Bumrah had already built the fortress. He didn’t just bowl — he froze time.
While Bumrah strangled to death, Rahul Chahar wove magic in the middle. His spell — 4-0-14-1 — was filled with flight, dip, and subtle spin, all at an economy of 3.50. He tied the scoring down, especially against Raina. Dot after dot, Chahar piled the pressure. Eventually, he trapped Raina LBW. Chennai couldn’t accelerate. His 13 dot balls were golden in a final that was decided by just one run. The leggie didn’t just turn the ball — he turned the tide.
The 2017 final didn’t go his team’s way, but Washington Sundar’s spell was poetry. Just 13 runs in four overs. No wickets. No drama. It's just pure economy. His final figures of 4-0-13-0 came with an astonishing economy of 3.25 — the best recorded in an IPL final. Operating in the Powerplay, he spun a web of dot balls. His off-spin stayed tight, his pace changes were clever, and he refused to crack. Mumbai limped to 129. Pune fell short by a run, but Sundar’s control was priceless. Often unnoticed, but always impactful — that’s the Sundar way.
