They say that T20 cricket is a batsman's game. But few bowlers simply threw this saying out of the window by producing match-winning displays that will remain etched in the memories of fans for a long time.
A look at the top 5 bowling performances of the recently-concluded IPL
Andrew Tye (5/17 v Rising Pune Supergiant)
Gujarat Lions lacked a genuine wicket-taker in their ranks until they decided to unleash Australian pacer Andrew Tye. The pacer had been warming the benches for Gujarat and earlier for Chennai Super Kings, but he surprised everyone by taking a hat-trick in his debut IPL match.
He got Ankit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary and Shardul Thakur, and ended with figures of 5/17. Tye was impressive with his varieties of slower balls - especially the knuckle ball.
He unfortunately dislocated his shoulder at the later end of the tournament, and Gujarat could never find a bowler capable enough to replace him. Tye's absence was one of the reasons that Gujarat finished at the bottom end of the league table.
Samuel Badree (4/9 v Mumbai Indians)
Royal Challengers Bangalore had a rather disappointing IPL - finishing at the bottom of the league table - but one of the highlights of the tournament for the team was Samuel Badree's hat-trick against the Mumbai Indians.
RCB were dismissed for 142 at the Chinnaswamy, but Badree fought back with the ball for the team. He took a hat-trick in the third over of the game, accounting for Parthiv Patel, Mitchell McClenaghan and Rohit Sharma. He later also took the wicket of Mumbai's young sensation Nitish Rana.
He ended with figures of 4/9 which included a maiden over but the effort came in a losing cause as Kieron Pollard's half-century guided Mumbai home.
Jaydev Unadkat (5/30 v Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Jaydev Unadkat has always shown sparks but he has been inconsistent over the past few seasons. However, in this IPL, Unadkat shone like never before, under the stewardship of Steven Smith. He announced himself with a hat-trick against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the crucial final over. Hyderabad needed 13 runs to win,but Unadkat bowled a maiden, taking three wickets.
He picked up wickets of Bipul Sharma, Rashid Khan and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar which helped Pune win the game. Unadkat bowled his cutters effectively, and most importantly didn't crumble under pressure.
He was an effective death-bowler for Pune, and along with Shardul Thakur, formed a solid bowling pair for Pune.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/19 v Kings XI Punjab)
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been one of the most consistent bowlers in the history of IPL, and every season he does his job without creating much of a fuss. He has been one of the important reasons why Sunrisers is such a dangerous bowling side.
Against Punjab, Kumar provided crucial breakthroughs, accounting for Hashim Amla, Manan Vohra and Glenn Maxwell. Then, he came back towardsthe death, when Manan Vohra looked to steal the game away, to take his wicket. He ended with figures of 5/19. His first five-for in the league.
Nathan Coulter-Nile (3/20 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad)
Nathan Coulter-Nile was returning into the Kolkata Knight Riders' playing XI for the Eliminator Clash against Kolkata Knight Riders following an enforced injury break. However, the Aussie pacer didn't look out of sorts and put on a scintillating display of fast bowling that paved way for KKR's progression into the Qualifier 2.
First, he got Kiwi captain Kane Williamson, who mistimed his shot and hit straight to extra cover. Williamson was an important wicket as the pitch was such that someone needed to dig-in and go for the big shots later. Something Williamson is more than capable of.
Then, he got Vijay Shankar, who was looking good, batting on 22 off just 17 balls. He was looking to pull one over long on, but didn't hit the ball cleanly enough and the ball went straight to long on.
The final wicket was special, as the big Coulter-Nile took a superb diving catch to dismiss Chris Jordan, and dashed any lingering hopes of a big finish for Hyderabad.
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