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In white-ball cricket death bowling is a highly coveted skill. As batting teams push for big overs at the end of their innings the ability to keep it tight with yorkers can change the complexion of a match.
The margins between a perfect yorker and friendly full-toss or inviting half-volley are marginal so the guys who can get it right more often than not very quickly develop imposing reputations.
Helped by subtle variations of pace and an element of psychology, the best death bowlers are highly sought after.
Names like Lasith Malinga, Dwayne Bravo and Charl Langeveldt are examples of greats from the past, but who are the best death bowlers playing the game currently?
1. Jasprit Bumrah (India)
- Key asset: pinpoint accuracy
Often cited as the most reliable death bowler in world cricket, Bumrah’s unorthodox action, lethal yorkers, pace changes, and calm temperament make him the go-to in crunch moments.
Over recent seasons, his performances in T20 leagues and internationals are superb; bowling with an economy below eight in death, taking vital wickets, and consistently keeping batters in check.
He remains a nightmare for top-order hitters trying to accelerate late in the innings.
2. Shaheen Shah Afridi (Pakistan)
- Key asset: big match temperament
The pacer’s lethal swing and deception deliver match-turning moments in the final overs. Since 2021, he has notched 91 wickets in 104 death-over innings at an outstanding economy of 8.88, making him a standout wicket-taking force in critical phases.
Still just 25-years-old it sometimes feels like Afridi has been around for a lot longer. He’s a white-ball specialist with a knack for taking wickets at key times as his strike-rate of 16.9 suggests.
Also read – Fastest to 300 ODI wickets: 7 legendary fast-bowling names and 2 lonely spinners
3. Arshdeep Singh (India)
- Key asset: left-arm angle
Emerging as India’s increasingly trusted death-overs specialist, Arshdeep brings left-arm angle, precision yorkers, and composure under pressure.
His impressive recent IPL and T20I showings, especially in tight finishes – like defending a nine-run target and dismissing batters like Matthew Wade – have defined his rising reputation.
4. Thangarasu Natarajan (India)
- Key asset: consistent yorkers
Known in IPL circles as ‘the yorker machine’, Natarajan’s control and stealth bowling in death situations stand out. Although he has only played a handful of games at international level, his IPL form has been stellar.
His left-arm angle, accuracy, and reliability under duress have made him one of the league’s most influential finishers in 2025.
Boasting a T20I strike rate of 13.7, his best IPL season was 2024 when he claimed 19 wickets for SRH at an average of 9.05 and a strike-rate of 16.2.
5. Mitchell Starc (Australia)
- Key asset: late swing
Starc combines sheer pace, pinpoint yorkers, and reverse-swing mastery, making him a formidable death overs weapon in both ODI cricket and T20s. Starc is a big man with a big reputation.
Often death bowlers bring unusual actions and skiddy deliveries to the party, but that is not Starc.
He has a classical action and is one of the most potent pace bowlers operating today. Starc remains a constant threat when the expectation is for boundaries to flow.
6. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
- Key asset: unfazed under pressure
The ‘Fizz’ is a cutter whisperer, using deceptive slower balls and yorkers to bamboozle batters in the final overs. His array of variations is astounding – both in terms of his changes of pace and the ball out of his hand.
His T20 death-over economy consistently hovers around 7.7 in IPL and remains tough for even the best hitters to negotiate. He has two five wicket hauls at T20 cricket level and a best return of 4/29 in IPL.
Such is his reputation that he has also played franchise cricket in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
7. Sunil Narine (West Indies)
- Key asset: multiple variations
One of the rare spinners who excels in death phases. With variations that include standard arm-balls, carrom balls, skidders and knuckle-balls, Narine is rightly described as a mystery spinner.
Using spin, guile, and variations to disrupt rhythm and to choke runs Narine is the leading non-Indian wicket-taker in IPL history.
At 37-years-old he is now in the twilight of his career but with 59 death-over wickets and an economy of around 8 in the IPL, he remains a uniquely effective option even against power hitters.
8. Anrich Nortje (South Africa)
- Key asset: outright pace
He’s struggled with injury in recent seasons which means he hasn’t seen as much action as he could have anticipated. Despite this Nortje is an imposing figure who pairs raw pace with precision under pressure – it makes for a lethal cocktail in death overs.
His muscular yorkers and short-ball barrages unsettle even the most accomplished finishers. Though his overall economy varies, his sheer aggression can turn matches for South Africa.
9. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
- Key asset: deceptive flight
Probably the most influential T20 bowler of all time, Rashid Khan is a spinner who can bowl anywhere in the innings. His control and pick-off ability make him effective even in the final overs.
With an unmatched array of googlies and a razor-sharp classic leg-spin arsenal, he averages under 14 and boasts an economy of around 6 in T20s, making him a potent death overs weapon.
He struggled a little in his most recent IPL season but his speed through the air and his charismatic presence with ball-in-hand mean he is feared wherever he goes.
Read next: Did Chris Gayle get named in this West Indies’ best Test XI of the past 40 years?
The post Rated: The 9 best death bowlers in world cricket appeared first on Cricket365.
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