Top 5 Most Expensive Spells By An Indian Bowler In IPL History Ft. Mohammed Shami

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has always been a battleground where cricketing giants clash in a whirlwind of color, charisma, and crushing sixes. However, as the league evolves into its 18th season in 2025, a glaring trend has emerged from the chaos — batters are not just winning games, they’re redefining them, often at the expense of bowlers’ reputations and records.

Nowhere was this shift more visible than during a recent high-octane clash between Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Hyderabad, where the seasoned Mohammed Shami was brutally taken to task. Shami’s four-over spell of 0/75 wasn’t just another off day — it went down in IPL history as the most expensive bowling performance by an Indian ever.

This wasn’t an isolated incident. In fact, it was the latest entry in a worrying trend that reveals how bowlers — especially Indian pacers — are increasingly becoming cannon fodder in the ever-flattening landscape of the IPL.

The Age of the Batters: What’s Fueling the Onslaught?

The transformation of the IPL into a batsman’s playground has been in motion for years, but recent seasons have seen an unprecedented spike in scoring rates and six-hitting frequency.

Here’s why:

Pitch Conditions: Wickets across venues, particularly in India, are being curated for high-scoring encounters to cater to fan entertainment and broadcaster demand. Flat tracks with true bounce give batters all the confidence they need.
Shorter Boundaries: Grounds like Wankhede, Chinnaswamy, and now even Hyderabad are making bowlers’ lives miserable with their unforgiving boundary dimensions.
Stronger Batting Lineups: Teams are now stacked with power-hitters till No. 8, sometimes No. 9. Bowlers no longer get relief after the top four.
T20 Revolution: Innovations like ramp shots, scoops, switch-hits, and an overall rise in strike rate mindset have blurred the lines between good and bad deliveries.
Fielding Restrictions & Impact Player Rule: With fielding limitations in the first six overs and the new tactical substitution rule, teams are more aggressive than ever, loading lineups with pure hitters who attack from ball one.

The result? Even elite bowlers like Shami, Mohit Sharma, and Ishant Sharma have faced the wrath of this batting renaissance. Let’s take a deep dive into the Top 5 most expensive bowling spells by Indian bowlers in IPL history — a list that’s as thrilling as it is painful for those who’ve delivered the balls.

Top 5 Most Expensive Indian Bowling Spells in IPL History

1. Mohammed Shami – 0/75 vs Punjab Kings, IPL 2025

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Opponent: Punjab Kings

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami had built a legacy as one of India’s most reliable seamers in white-ball cricket. But April 2025 gave him a night he’d rather forget.

SRH, riding high with a balanced side, were expecting Shami to lead the attack against a revamped PBKS unit. But the Punjab batters had other plans. It started with Prabhsimran Singh hammering Shami for three boundaries in his first over. But it was the third over that truly unraveled the pacer — young sensation Priyansh Arya launched a savage counterattack, smashing Shami for two sixes and two boundaries, causing chaos in the field.

But the final over of the innings sealed Shami’s fate. Marcus Stoinis, the Aussie powerhouse, bludgeoned four sixes on the leg-side, with precision and sheer muscle. Hyderabad’s faithful watched in stunned silence as the scoreboard ticked mercilessly.

Final Figures: 4 overs, 0 wickets, 75 runs
Record: Most expensive spell ever by an Indian in IPL history
Fallout: Shami’s spell sparked a massive online debate about whether it’s still feasible to survive in the IPL as a traditional pacer.

2. Mohit Sharma – 0/73 vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2024

Venue: Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Team: Gujarat Titans
Opponent: Delhi Capitals

The once-dependable Mohit Sharma, who had even clinched the Purple Cap in 2014, suffered his worst nightmare during a brutal encounter with Rishabh Pant and his men. Introduced in the middle overs, Mohit was carted around mercilessly by Pant and Tristan Stubbs.

The killer blow came in the 20th over, where Pant took the veteran to the cleaners, with four sixes and a four, leaving Mohit dazed. His accuracy abandoned him. His variations — once his trademark — became predictable.

Final Figures: 4 overs, 0 wickets, 73 runs
Legacy: This spell was the most expensive ever in IPL history until Shami’s 2025 meltdown.

3. Basil Thampi – 0/70 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, IPL 2018

Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Opponent: Royal Challengers Bangalore

Basil Thampi had shown great promise as a rising speedster. But that promise took a big hit in a batter-friendly clash at the Chinnaswamy.

Against a star-studded RCB lineup that included AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali, and Colin de Grandhomme, Thampi was torn apart. Moeen set the tone early, but it was AB’s magic and Sarfaraz Khan’s flair that completed the demolition.

Final Figures: 4 overs, 0 wickets, 70 runs
Impact: Thampi’s confidence took a hit; he never quite looked the same in the seasons that followed.

4. Yash Dayal – 0/69 vs Kolkata Knight Riders, IPL 2023

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
Team: Gujarat Titans
Opponent: Kolkata Knight Riders

Yash Dayal’s name will forever be associated with one of the most dramatic finishes in IPL history. Tasked with defending 29 runs in the final over, Dayal had a good game until then. But KKR’s Rinku Singh had other ideas.

Five consecutive sixes. No exaggeration. The final over became folklore. Dayal tried yorkers, slower balls, even bouncers — nothing worked.

Final Figures: 4 overs, 0 wickets, 69 runs
Aftermath: Dayal was rested for the following games, and his mental fortitude was questioned, though he did stage a comeback later.

5. Ishant Sharma – 0/66 vs Chennai Super Kings, IPL 2013

Venue: Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad
Team: Sunrisers Hyderabad
Opponent: Chennai Super Kings

This was an early example of how IPL can be ruthless to even the best. Ishant Sharma, then a premier Indian pacer, was destroyed by Suresh Raina and Michael Hussey on a dry, slow wicket that offered no movement.

His yorkers turned into full tosses. His bouncers lacked sting. The CSK batters treated him with disdain, smashing him for 9 fours and 3 sixes.

Final Figures: 4 overs, 0 wickets, 66 runs
Significance: This record stood unchallenged for several years before the next generation of bowlers experienced their share of brutality.

What This Means for the Future of Bowlers in the IPL

With every passing season, the balance between bat and ball in T20 cricket, particularly in the IPL, continues to tilt toward the batters. The increasing pace of the game, the match-up-driven strategies, and the introduction of the Impact Player Rule have made it even harder for bowlers to stay relevant — let alone dominant.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Some bowlers have adapted:

Rashid Khan with his variations.
Jasprit Bumrah with his death-over precision.
Kuldeep Yadav by reinventing his flight and pace.

Adaptation is the key. Raw pace or swing alone is no longer enough. Bowlers need deceptive variations, mental resilience, and above all, fearless execution under pressure.

Will the Tide Turn Again?

Mohammed Shami’s record-breaking spell is more than just a stat — it’s a statement. It tells us that even the best can get blown away in this ever-evolving format. The IPL isn’t forgiving, and as batting becomes more daring, bowlers must evolve or perish.

Yet, cricket has always been cyclical. The dominance of one discipline often triggers innovation in the other. So while we may be in the golden era of T20 power-hitting, bowlers are already scheming, experimenting, and waiting for their turn to flip the script once again.

Until then, brace yourself for more fireworks — and possibly, more unwanted records.

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