The Indian Premier League (IPL) has rightfully earned the reputation of being the most competitive and enthralling franchise T20 league worldwide. With top-quality players bringing an intense atmosphere, the league provides the perfect avenue for players to make a name for themselves or redeem their career.
Each franchise has a spearhead in their bowling unit that the rest of the team leans on. Their exceptional performances, coupled with a unified effort from the rest of the bowling unit, can make all the difference in a team’s campaign.
In this article, we take a look at the most important bowler for each IPL 2023 franchise from Group A, highlighting the key role they play in their team’s success.
MI – Jofra Archer
Mumbai Indians’ auction plans for 2022 revolved around Ishan Kishan and Jofra Archer, for which they spent a hefty sum of ₹23.50 crore. However, Archer was ruled out of the entire season due to injury, depriving MI of his services.
But now, with Archer having fully recovered, his express pace and ability to extract bounce off the Wankhede surface is expected to be a significant asset for MI, who are eager to make a comeback after missing out on the playoffs for the last two seasons.
KKR – Varun Chakravarthy
KKR, the two-time winners of IPL, have a history of producing quality spinners just like CSK. The pitch at Eden Gardens has always supported good turn, and hence, spin bowling has played a crucial role in KKR’s success over the years.
Although Sunil Narine continues to lead their spin attack, his role has become more defensive in recent times. This is where the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy can step in and make a mark. With his ability to spin the ball both ways, Chakravarthy is yet to make his mark at Eden Gardens, but he could prove to be a wicket-taking asset for KKR in IPL 2023.
DC – Anrich Nortje
Despite having a poor season in 2022, where he played only six matches and claimed nine wickets at an economy of 9.72, Anrich Nortje was retained by the Delhi Capitals (DC) over Kagiso Rabada after the 2021 campaign.
Nortje’s misfortune mirrored that of the franchise as a whole, which failed to qualify for the playoffs. Nonetheless, he remains DC’s most vital bowler, despite the resurgence of Kuldeep Yadav, and is expected to have a much better outing in IPL 2023.
RR – Yuzvendra Chahal
After being released by RCB, Yuzvendra Chahal had a dream season in the latest edition of IPL, winning the Purple Cap. With his innate ability to pick up wickets, Chahal on occasions single-handedly won matches for RR. His performances played a significant role in the franchise making it to their first IPL final since the inaugural edition in 2008.
Chahal is expected to once again be the franchise’s most crucial bowler. While RR are looking for a replacement bowler for the injured Prasidh Krishna, finding someone who can provide more impact than Chahal seems unlikely.
LSG – Ravi Bishnoi
During his debut season with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi showcased promising performances, claiming 13 wickets in 14 matches with an economy rate of 8.44. The young bowler recently witnessed 30 overs of spin at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow during the T20I match between India and New Zealand, which must have given him a confidence boost.
While the IPL season might not feature similar wickets, Bishnoi is expected to play a crucial role in helping his team improve upon their fourth-placed finish in the inaugural season.