IPL 2026 Top Bowlers: T20 World Cup 2026’s Biggest Wicket-Takers to Watch This Season

Updated At: 2026-03-16

IPL 2026 begins March 28 — and the T20 World Cup's top wicket-takers are heading straight in. The T20 World Cup 2026 produced some of the finest bowlers in the tournament, and these bowlers carry strong T20 WC momentum into a 84-match IPL season.

Jasprit Bumrah (MI), Varun Chakravarthy (KKR), and Shadley van Schalkwyk were the top 3 wicket-takers in the T20 World Cup 2026. Some of the other big names were Blessing Muzarabani, Adil Rashid, and Lungi Ngidi (DC).

Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Lungi Ngidi will be part of IPL 2026. These bowlers will be in the spotlight and will be expected to scalp wickets for their respective franchises.

T20 World Cup 2026 Top Wicket-Takers Heading to IPL 2026

The final match of India vs New Zealand was a thrilling game. It showcased a masterclass from Indian bowlers in the 2nd inning, and the Kiwis failed to complete the chase.

Jasprit Bumrah made headlines as he was the leading wicket-taker for India in the match. He scalped 4 wickets in 4 overs at an economy of 3.75. Axar Patel followed him and picked 3 wickets at an economy of 9 in 3 overs.

Overall, in the T20 World Cup, Romario Shepherd registered the best bowling figures. He scalped 5 wickets by giving away just 20 runs against Scotland. We will be seeing him wearing the Royal Challengers Bangalore Jersey in IPL 2026.

Player	Team	Matches	Wickets	Best	Average	Economy
JJ Bumrah	India	8	14	4/15	12.42	6.21
CV Varun	India	9	14	3/7	20.5	9.25
SC van Schalkwyk	USA	4	13	4/25	7.76	6.8
B Muzarabani	Zimbabwe	6	13	4/17	14.46	7.88
AU Rashid	England	8	13	3/36	19.23	8.15

IPL 2026 Top Bowlers To Watch — Player-By-Player Breakdown

Jasprit Bumrah - MI’s Absolute Freak (14 Wickets, T20 World Cup 2026)

Bumrah entered the T20 WC 2026 having taken 16 wickets in the preceding IPL at 6.67 economy in 12 matches. He continued his momentum in the tournament and scalped 14 wickets in 8 matches at an economy of 6.21. Jasprit Bumrah comes into action and breaks the partnership in the initial overs to give India an advantage. In IPL 2026, his role with the Mumbai Indians will be mostly to bowl death over yorkers to not allow any opposition to score quick boundaries.

Varun Chakaravarthy — KKR’s X Factor (14 Wickets, T20 World Cup 2026)

Varun Chakravarthy went shoulder-to-shoulder with Jasprit Bumrah in the T20 World Cup 2026. He also picked up 14 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of 9.25. Varun has the ability to handle the pressure right after the power play and control the economy of the opposition. He confuses the batsman to attack or to defend with his unexpected deliveries. Kolkata Knight Riders will be using him in every game for an advantage in the league.

Lungi Ngidi — DC’s New Entry (12 Wickets, T20 World Cup 2026)

It was a shock to see RCB releasing Lungi Ngidi after IPL 2025. Delhi Capitals saw the opportunity and purchased the South African pacer for a price tag of INR 2 Crore. His ability to scalp early wickets was visible during the T20 World Cup 2026. Lungi Ngidi managed to pick 12 wickets in 7 matches at an economy of 7.19. Delhi Capitals have always carried a void when it comes to their pace attack. With the entrance of Lungi Ngidi, the team management will be hopeful to fill that void for IPL 2026.

Axar Patel — DC’s Most Lethal Weapon (11 Wickets, T20 World Cup 2026)

As the T20 World Cup progressed, Axar Patel’s presence became intimidating for all the teams. Axar is a genuine three-dimensional cricketer — slow left-arm variation, hard-hitting lower-order bat, and one of India's sharpest fielders. Delhi Capitals have retained him for IPL 2026 for a price tag of INR 16 Crore. In the T20 World Cup. Axar Patel picked up 11 wickets in 7 matches at an economy rate of 8.20. After being dropped from the team during the matches against South Africa and the Netherlands, Axar Patel made a fabulous comeback to the team with consistent performance in the last 3 crucial games.

Arshdeep Singh (PBKS) - The Underdog Favourite (9 Wickets, T20 World Cup 2026)

Arshdeep Singh was not a top performer in the T20 World Cup 2026, but his left-arm angle and slower ball at the death have accounted for 47 T20I wickets since 2022. His speciality is death over bowling, and for Punjab Kings, he has scalped 97 wickets in 82 IPL games. In the World Cup, Arshdeep Singh scalped 9 wickets in 8 matches at an economy of 8.46. In 2026, his impact on Team India has been huge. He scalped 17 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 9.17.

IPL 2026 Predictions — Which World Cup Bowlers To Back This Season

During IPL 2025, the Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. He collected 25 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of 8.27. Prasidh Krishna has been out of action due to injuries and below-average performance in international cricket.

Jasprit Bumrah will hold the key for the Mumbai Indians again. His yorkers are expected to make headlines again in IPL 2026. In the previous edition, Bumrah scalped 18 wickets in 12 matches at an economy of 6.67. Bumrah is among the leading candidates in top wicket-taker markets — check an IPL betting app for current odds.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Varun Chakarvarthy will be another bowler to watch out for. In 2026, Varun has picked up 18 wickets in just 12 matches at an economy of 9.18.

For the full analysis of the top Bowlers in the T20 World Cup, see our IPL 2026 predictions.

IPL 2026 Top Bowlers — FAQ

Q - Who picked the most wickets in the T20 World Cup 2026?

A - Jasprit Bumrah picked up most wickets with 14 wickets in 8 matches at an economy of 6.21.

Q - Which T20 World Cup 2026 top Bowlers are playing in IPL 2026?

A - Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Axar Patel, and Lungi Ngidi are some of the top bowlers playing in IPL 2026 from T20 World Cup 2026.

Q - Is Shadley van Schalkwyk playing in IPL 2026?

A - No, Shadley van Schalkwyk was not purchased by any franchise during the IPL 2026 mini-auction.

Q - Which IPL team is Lungi Ngidi playing for in 2026?

A - Delhi Capitals have bought him for a price of INR 2 Crore for IPL 2026.

Q - Who are the top Bowlers to watch in IPL 2026?

A - Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel are some of the top bowlers to watch out in IPL 2026.