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While IPL leaderboards are typically dominated by modern greats like Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal, the league’s history is peppered with extraordinary “blink-and-you-missed-it” performances from unexpected sources.
Taking a five-wicket haul (a “five-for”) in just four overs is a monumental task, yet some bowlers managed to capture lightning in a bottle exactly once, etching their names into trivia lore forever.
Here are five of the most unlikely bowlers to have dismantled an opposition in the IPL.
1. Ishant Sharma – (5/12 vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 2011)
Known more for his Test match longevity and red-ball precision, India seamer Ishant Sharma isn’t the first name that comes to mind for T20 demolition.
However, playing for Deccan Chargers in 2011, he produced one of the most devastating spells in league history.
In a single match against the now-defunct Kochi Tuskers, Ishant tore through the top order, claiming 5 wickets for just 12 runs in a performance that remains his only five-for in a T20 career spanning nearly two decades.
2. Amit Mishra – (5/17 vs Deccan Chargers, 2008)
While Amit Mishra eventually became the IPL’s hat-trick king, his early-career 5-wicket haul for Delhi Daredevils in the inaugural 2008 season was a massive surprise.
At the time, the world was still figuring out if leg-spinners would even be viable in the new format. Mishra’s 5/17 not only answered that question but established the template for the wicket-taking wrist-spinner that defines the modern IPL.
Also read: Biggest IPL blowouts ever – the most dominant wins in history
3. Ankit Rajpoot – (5/14 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2018)
Perhaps the most ‘unlikely’ name on this list in terms of star power, Ankit Rajpoot stunned the cricketing world in 2018. Playing for Kings XI Punjab, the uncapped Indian pacer delivered a masterclass in swing and bounce against a powerhouse Sunrisers Hyderabad lineup.
His 5/14 remains one of the best-ever figures by an uncapped Indian player, a feat even seasoned international superstars struggle to match.
4. Alzarri Joseph – (6/12 vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, 2019)
It is rare for a bowler to take a five-for; it is nearly impossible to do it on your debut. Alzarri Joseph did one better by taking 6 wickets for 12 runs in his very first IPL appearance for Mumbai Indians.
Joseph wasn’t a household name at the time, but he broke Sohail Tanvir’s long-standing 11-year record for the best bowling figures in IPL history in just 3.4 overs.
5. Dimitri Mascarenhas – (5/25 vs Pune Warriors India, 2012)
England all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas was a solid professional but rarely considered a “strike” bowler in the IPL. In 2012, however, he found the perfect conditions at Mohali for Kings XI Punjab.
Utilizing subtle changes of pace and impeccable lines, he dismantled the Pune Warriors India middle order to finish with 5/25, a classic case of a smart “bits-and-pieces” player outshining the specialists.
Read next: The 7 exciting teenage prodigies set to light up IPL 2026
The post Five incredible IPL five-wicket hauls you never saw coming appeared first on Cricket365.
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