Trent Boult holds the all-time record for the most wickets in the first over of an IPL innings with 32 wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar followed closely with 29 wickets, having bowled the most opening overs in tournament history. As of the 2026 IPL season, here is the breakdown of the leading bowlers for wickets taken in the first over of an innings:

Trent Boult (32 Wickets)

 

Overs Bowled: 105.0

Team(s): RR, MI, DC, KKR, SRH

Insight: Commonly hailed as the "First Over King," Trent Boult is the gold standard for opening an innings. His ability to swing the ball late into the right-hander at high pace makes him a nightmare for openers. He holds the record for reaching 30 first-over wickets faster than any other bowler in IPL history.

 

Bhuvneshwar Kumar (29 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 141.0

Team(s): SRH, PWI, RCB

Insight: A true master of control and swing, Bhuvneshwar holds the record for the most first-overs bowled in the IPL. His longevity and precision culminated in a historic milestone in April 2026, when he became the first fast bowler to reach 200 overall wickets in the tournament.

Deepak Chahar (16 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 85.2

Team(s): CSK, RPS, MI

Insight: Deepak Chahar has been the backbone of Chennai Super Kings' powerplay strategy for years. He is a specialist who thrives on finding early movement in the air, often completing a three-over spell right at the start to exploit any available swing.

Praveen Kumar (15 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 89.0

Team(s): RCB, PBKS, MI, GL, SRH

Insight: A pioneer of the early strike, Praveen Kumar was renowned for his natural ability to move the ball both ways without needing a massive run-up. Beyond his wicket-taking, he remains a symbol of efficiency, holding the joint-record for the most maiden overs (14) in the history of the league.

 

Jofra Archer (13 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 29.0

Team(s): RR, MI

Insight: Jofra Archer brings a different kind of threat, pure, effortless velocity combined with a disconcerting bounce. His efficiency in the first over is statistically remarkable, maintaining a strike rate where he claims a victim nearly every two opening overs he bowls.

Mohammed Shami (13 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 67.0

Team(s): GT, PBKS, DC, KKR, LSG

Insight: Mohammad Shami has evolved into one of the most lethal new-ball threats in the modern game. Since joining the Gujarat Titans in 2022, his upright seam position and consistent lines have seen him frequently dismantle top orders within the first few deliveries of the match.

Sandeep Sharma (13 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 78.0

Team(s): RR, SRH, PBKS

Insight: Sandeep Sharma is a prime example of skill over raw pace. His ability to swing the ball into and away from the batter with identical actions has made him particularly effective against high-profile openers. He was a cornerstone of the Sunrisers Hyderabad's defensive bowling units for several seasons.

Mohammed Siraj (12 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 58.0

Team(s): RCB, SRH, GT

Insight: Known as "Miyan Magic," Mohammad Siraj transformed his T20 career through his relentless aggression and improved control. Since 2020, he has become RCB's go-to weapon for early breakthroughs, often using a "wobble-seam" delivery to trap batters in the first over.

Zaheer Khan (12 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 65.0

Team(s): DD, MI, RCB

Insight: The legendary left-armer set the blueprint for how to use the new ball in the IPL's early years. Zaheer's tactical brilliance and ability to outthink batters made him a consistent threat across several franchises, including MI and RCB.

Lasith Malinga (11 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 31.0

Team(s): MI

Insight: While famous for his toe-crushing yorkers at the death, Lasith Malinga was equally dangerous at the start of an innings. His unique round-arm action made it incredibly difficult for batters to pick the line of the ball early on, leading to many famous first-over dismissals for Mumbai Indians.

 

Dale Steyn (11 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 47.0

Team(s): SRH, RCB, DC, GL

Insight: At his peak, Dale Steyn was perhaps the most feared fast bowler in the world. For franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad, he provided high-velocity swing that could breach the defense of the world's best batters before they could even get settled.

Umesh Yadav (11 Wickets)

Overs Bowled: 49.0

Team(s): KKR, RCB, DC, GT

Insight: Umesh Yadav relies on raw pace and a "hit the deck" length that can cause the ball to jump unexpectedly. His natural speed allows him to hurry batters in the opening over, making him a prolific wicket-taker during the powerplay for teams like KKR and RCB

Insight: Known for his raw pace and ability to get the ball to jump off a length early in the innings.

Taking wickets in the first over is the ultimate momentum-shifter in T20 cricket. While Boult and Bhuvneshwar lead the history books, the rise of bowlers like Siraj and Shami shows that the art of the "early strike" is more valuable now than ever before in the powerplay-heavy IPL landscape.