7 best bowling figures by a captain in IPL powerplay – Australian ace joins list dominated by 1 Indian seamer
It has been a poor season in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025. With big-name stars like Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen in their midst, they started the season as one of the favourites to win the competition.
But with three games still to play, they have already been eliminated from the play-offs and are currently languishing in eighth place on the table with just three wins from 11 outings.
Last time out, they brought some heat as they contained the Delhi Capitals to a modest score of just 133 for seven. It was a superb effort that should have been enough to secure them a fourth win, but they were thwarted by rain, and it wasn’t to be.
The key to their success against the Capitals was an outstanding spell of opening bowling from skipper Pat Cummins. The Australian skipper bowled unchanged at the top of the innings, returning figures of three for 19 in his four overs.
It was a fantastic effort from the SRH captain. But in terms of Indian Premier League captains bowling in the powerplay, how did his effort stack up? Let’s take a quick look.
7. Zaheer Khan – 2/19 for Delhi Capitals vs Rising Pune Supergiant (2017)
In the 2017 season, veteran left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan led the Delhi Capitals (then Delhi Daredevils) with distinction. In a match against Rising Pune Supergiant, Zaheer brought all his nous and experience in delivering a tight spell in the powerplay, claiming two wickets for 19 runs.
His early breakthroughs, which saw him dislodge both openers, Ajinkya Rahane and Mayank Agarwal, set the tone for Delhi’s bowling attack, restricting Pune’s scoring opportunities as they were rolled for just 108 runs in trying to chase down a score of 205.
6. Zaheer Khan – 2/18 for Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2016)
A year earlier, Zaheer again demonstrated his prowess against Kolkata Knight Riders. Opening the bowling, he utilized the swing he was so famous four while also generating useful seam movement to great effect, taking two wickets for just 18 runs in the powerplay as he removed both Gautam Gambhir and Piyush Chawla.
His performance was instrumental in putting pressure on KKR’s top order, as Zaheer brought both his leadership and bowling skills to the mix to restrict KKR to a score of 159 as they fell 27 runs short in their chase.
5. Zaheer Khan – 2/14 for Delhi Capitals vs Rising Pune Supergiant (2017)
Zaheer continued his impressive form in the 2017 season with another impactful powerplay performance against Rising Pune Supergiant. This time his figures of two for 14 saw him claim the scalps of Rahane and Rahul Tripathi to put PRS under huge early pressure.
Once again, they floundered in their chase as the early pressure created by Zaheer told and the likes of Steve Smith, Ben Stokes and MS Dhoni were not able to undo the damage.
4. Shaun Pollock – 2/13 for Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2008)
In the inaugural IPL season, South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock captained Mumbai Indians and led by example. Facing Kolkata Knight Riders, Pollock, a seasoned international captain, delivered a masterclass in swing bowling during the powerplay, taking two wickets for just 13 runs.
His disciplined line and length stifled KKR’s scoring as he removed both openers Brendon McCullum and Sourav Ganguly. Pollock’s early assault, which had KKR floundering at two for six laid a strong foundation for Mumbai’s convincing win. They limited KKR to 137 for eight before hitting the winning runs with eight balls and seven wickets remaining.
3. Zaheer Khan – 2/13 for Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders (2017)
Another one for Zaheer who’s knack for early wickets was evident once again in 2017 against Kolkata Knight Riders. His economical spell of 2 for 13 in the powerplay disrupted KKR’s batting rhythm, emphasizing his role as a reliable strike bowler and leader for Delhi.
This time the efforts of Zaheer, who removed Gambhir and Colin de Grandhomme for scores of 14 and one respectively, were not enough to secure victory as KKR secured a win with one ball to spare.
2. Axar Patel – 2/10 for Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru (2025)
In the 2025 season, Axar Patel, newly appointed captain of Delhi Capitals, showcased his bowling acumen against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Operating in the powerplay, Axar’s left-arm spin yielded impressive figures of 2 for 10, applying early pressure and curbing RCB’s usually aggressive start.
His performance highlighted his dual role as both a strategic captain and a key bowler. Although he removed both Jacob Bethell and Devdutt Padikkal it wasn’t enough to secure the win for his charges as RCB, superbly marshalled by Virat Kohli and Krunal Pandya completed their chase with nine balls and six wickets to spare.
1. Pat Cummins – 3/12 for Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals (2025)
Topping the list is Pat Cummins’ stellar performance from Monday night – a spell that deserved better result, and which but for the rain, would probably have secured them. As captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad, Cummins led from the front against Delhi Capitals, delivering a fiery spell in the powerplay that yielded three wickets for 12 runs.
His aggressive, back of a length bowling dismantled Delhi’s top order as he removed Karun Nair, Faf du Plessis and Abishek Porel, setting a new benchmark for captaincy bowling performances in IPL cricket.
