CPL 2024: TOP 5 Greatest Wicket-Takers In CPL History

On 30th August 2024, the 12th edition of the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL 2024) kickstarted with a bang. The opening match was won by the Patriots defeating the Falcons in a last ball-thrilling match. One of the world's most prosperous and fiercely competitive T20 leagues is the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Amidst the blinding rush of exquisite sixes and massive totals, bowlers have frequently been overlooked in a league that has some of the biggest T20 batting superstars.

As we commence a thrilling season of CPL, let's look back at the top highest wicket-takers of all time in CPL. These players have forged their names in the history of CPL with their extraordinary performances. We examine five of the most productive bowlers in the history of the CPL, measured by the total number of wickets they have claimed.

CPL 2024 - Best wicket-takers in CPL history:

5. Sheldon Cottrel - 87 wickets:

Sheldon Cottrell, a fast bowler from the West Indies, has taken 87 wickets in 76 CPL games for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and the now-defunct Antigua Hawksbills. The speedster has a bowling average of 22.85 and has only managed an economy rate of 7.71 thus far. He was instrumental in the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots' successful 2021 CPL campaign and was named "Player of the Match" during his team's pivotal victory over the Barbados Royals earlier in the competition.

4. Imran Tahir - 91 wickets:

Imran Tahir, a fervent supporter of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, has taken 91 CPL wickets in just 67 games since making his league debut in 2018. With a bowling average of 17.36, the mysterious South African player leads all CPL bowlers who have taken over 50 wickets. With 50 or more CPL wickets, Tahir's economy of 6.25 ranks third among players, only surpassed by Sunil Narine and Imad Wasim. He has become one of the most deadly spin options at CPL venues, striking once per 16.65 deliveries on average.

3. Rayad Emrit - 96 wickets:

From 2013 to 2020, Rayad Emrit amassed 96 wickets while participating in the CPL. The speedster claimed 85 wickets at an average of 22.75 and an economy rate of 7.64 while playing for the Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, and St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots. In 2014, he played for the Tridents (now the Royals), a team that won the CPL. He took 12 wickets in 10 games to help the side win.

2. Sunil Narine - 111 wickets:

The only spin bowler in CPL history to have taken over 100 wickets is Sunil Narine, a perennial legend of the Twenty20 format. In just 106 games, the off-spinner has already claimed 111 wickets at an average of 19.87. With an economy rate of just 5.39, he continues to lead all bowlers with more than 50 wickets in the history of the CPL. Sunil Narine has demonstrated that he is the ideal team player by being a part of three CPL championship teams, all with the Trinbago Knight Riders.

1. Dwayne Bravo - 128 wickets:

Legendary West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo, who has played in the most Twenty20 Twenty Twenty matches, is currently leading the all-time wicket-taking statistics in the game's shortened format with 630 wickets taken. Amazingly, Bravo has taken 128 of those wickets in the sacred CPL stadiums. The seasoned West Indies pacer, who boasts a strike rate of 15.45 and a bowling average of 22.40, is the most successful bowler in league history. Bravo already has three four-wicket hauls under his belt and one five-wicket haul.

So, these were the history makers wicket takers and ace ballers in the history of CPL. Keep a watch at this space to get the latest updates on CPL 2024.