Welcome to the IPL—where bowlers step into a gladiator arena and batters swing for the skies! Gone are the days when bowlers could quietly sneak in an economical spell. Now, there’s nowhere to hide, no mercy, and no escape!
The modern IPL has turned into a run-fest, with pitches tailor-made for fireworks, boundaries that seem to shrink with every season, and batsmen who show no remorse. Bowlers are left gasping for breath, trying every trick in the book—yorkers, slower balls, wide angles—only to see the ball disappear into the stands. It’s not just about skill anymore; it’s about survival.
While some bowlers have managed to adapt to this relentless onslaught, others have found themselves on the wrong side of history. They’ve been the unlucky ones—the ones who got pummeled, thrashed, and sent on a never-ending leather hunt. Their figures stand as a painful reminder of how brutal this league can be for those with the ball in hand.
So, let’s take a moment (or maybe a second) to sympathize with five unfortunate souls who had a nightmarish evening they’d rather erase from memory. Because in this tournament, when things go south for a bowler, they go really, really south.
5. Reece Topley – 1/68 in 4 Overs (RCB vs. SRH, 2024)
The Chinnaswamy Stadium—where bowlers' dreams go to die. RCB found themselves at the receiving end of a record-smashing assault, and Reece Topley bore the brunt of it. After managing to dismiss Abhishek Sharma, he still had 1/43 off three overs—bad, but not disastrous. Then came the final over. BOOM! Abdul Samad went 4, 4, 6, 6, 4, leaving Topley with 68 runs against his name and Sunrisers Hyderabad with a mind-blowing total of 263.
4. Yash Dayal – 0/69 in 4 Overs (GT vs. KKR, 2023)
Yash Dayal’s night against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2023 was one he’d rather fast-forward. Every delivery he bowled felt like an invitation to the boundary. A wicket? Nowhere in sight. Instead, he ended up with a painful 0/69 in four overs, firmly etching his name among the most expensive spells in IPL history.
3. Basil Thampi – 0/70 in 4 Overs (SRH vs. RCB, 2018)
Basil Thampi probably still has nightmares of RCB’s relentless attack in 2018. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad, he couldn’t buy a wicket and instead paid in runs—70 of them! It was one of those days where everything he tried vanished into the stands, making it a day to forget but a record to remember.
2. Mohit Sharma – 0/73 in 4 Overs (GT vs. DC, 2024)
Mohit Sharma is an experienced campaigner, but even veterans have their horror shows. April 24, 2024, was one such day, as the Delhi Capitals took him apart, run by run, boundary by boundary. By the end of his four-over nightmare, he had conceded 73 runs without a single scalp.
1. Jofra Archer – 0/76 in 4 Overs (RR vs. SRH, 2025)
Records are meant to be broken—but not like this. March 23, 2025, will haunt Jofra Archer forever. Facing Sunrisers Hyderabad, he bowled a PowerPlay over that turned into a disaster, with Travis Head smashing 23 runs off a single over! The nightmare didn’t stop there. By the time his spell ended, Archer had conceded a gut-wrenching 76 runs—officially the most expensive spell in IPL history.
The Verdict?
The IPL is a graveyard for bowlers and a paradise for power-hitters. With flat pitches, short boundaries, and batters swinging for glory, one bad over can turn into a record-breaking disaster. While these bowlers had a forgettable night, their names are forever etched in the history books—just not in the way they hoped.
Will we see another unfortunate soul break Archer’s record? In the IPL, anything is possible!
