| 1 | Yuzvendra Chahal MI / RCB / RR / PBKS | 12 First-Ball Wickets The IPL's all-time wicket leader strikes off the first ball of his spell as frequently as any bowler in the tournament, with 12 first-ball wickets across his career. Chahal's approach — attacking from the first delivery with his leg-break rather than feeling his way in — reflects his natural aggression, and these instant breakthroughs have repeatedly turned matches for his franchises. | MI, RCB, RR, PBKS | 174 | 221 | 12 |
| 2 | Jasprit Bumrah Mumbai Indians | 12 First-Ball Wickets India's ace pacer has taken 12 wickets off the very first ball of his spell, the joint highest of any bowler in the tournament. Bumrah's ability to immediately bowl at full intensity from his very first delivery — whether a yorker or a back-of-the-hand slower ball — reflects a mindset of attacking from ball one that sets him apart from almost every other IPL bowler. | MI | 145 | 183 | 12 |
| 3 | Lasith Malinga Mumbai Indians | 11 First-Ball Wickets Sri Lanka's yorker king took 11 wickets off the first ball of his spell — often against batsmen who were expecting something different from his famous sling-arm action. Malinga's ability to bowl a perfect yorker or a deceptive wide slower ball from his very first delivery made him uniquely dangerous at the start of each spell. | MI | 122 | 170 | 11 |
| 4 | Sunil Narine Kolkata Knight Riders | 10 First-Ball Wickets KKR's mystery spinner struck off the first ball of his spell 10 times in IPL history, with batsmen often unable to pick his variations even before they had time to settle. Narine's ability to immediately bowl his carrom ball or off-spinner with perfect accuracy and disguise made him an instant wicket threat from delivery one. | KKR | 189 | 192 | 10 |
| 5 | Bhuvneshwar Kumar SRH / RCB / PWI | 10 First-Ball Wickets India's swing king has taken 10 wickets off the first ball of his spell, frequently generating edges with his opening delivery through swing or seam movement that surprises even set batsmen. Bhuvneshwar's first-ball wickets most often come in the powerplay when he has the new ball and its maximum swing potential. | SRH, RCB, PWI | 190 | 198 | 10 |
| 6 | Rashid Khan SRH / GT | 9 First-Ball Wickets Afghanistan's leg-spin genius took 9 wickets off the first ball of his spell, frequently surprising batsmen with his immediate aggression and sharp variations before they had a chance to read his action. Rashid's opening delivery in a spell is often a googly or a quicker ball, delivering the unexpected from ball one. | SRH, GT | 130 | 158 | 9 |
| 7 | Trent Boult MI / DC / KKR / SRH / RR | 9 First-Ball Wickets New Zealand's left-arm swing specialist took 9 first-ball wickets, most commonly in the powerplay where his opening delivery generates maximum swing against fresh batsmen. Boult's ability to bowl an in-swinging first ball that batsmen leave or miss outside off-stump has produced some of the most memorable powerplay breakthroughs in IPL history. | MI, DC, KKR, SRH, RR | 119 | 143 | 9 |
| 8 | Dwayne Bravo CSK / MI | 8 First-Ball Wickets The death-over specialist took 8 wickets off the first ball of his spell, often surprising batsmen who expected time to settle against a bowler primarily known for his later-over work. Bravo's first-ball variations — often a back-of-hand slower ball or wide yorker from the off — produced several match-changing breakthroughs. | CSK, MI | 161 | 183 | 8 |
| 9 | Amit Mishra DD / SRH / LSG | 8 First-Ball Wickets India's most aggressive leg-spinner took 8 wickets off the first ball of his spell, reflecting his attacking philosophy and readiness to bowl his googly or top-spinner from delivery one. Mishra's three hat-tricks began with first-ball wickets that triggered cascading collapses, and his approach of attacking immediately from ball one produced consistent impact. | DD, SRH, LSG | 162 | 174 | 8 |
| 10 | Kagiso Rabada DD / DC / PBKS / KKR | 8 First-Ball Wickets South Africa's pace spearhead took 8 wickets off the first ball of his spell, with his opening delivery often being a full-length delivery aimed at hitting the top of off-stump at pace. Rabada's first-ball wickets include several crucial powerplay breakthroughs during his record 30-wicket IPL 2020 campaign. | DD, DC, PBKS, KKR | 90 | 120 | 8 |
| 11 | Mohammed Shami DD / KKR / PBKS / GT | 7 First-Ball Wickets India's red-ball pace specialist took 7 wickets off the first ball of his spell, with his late-swinging opening deliveries regularly defeating batsmen who expected to see where the ball was going before committing. Shami's best first-ball wickets included several in his 2023 Purple Cap season for Gujarat Titans. | DD, KKR, PBKS, GT | 105 | 120 | 7 |
| 12 | Harshal Patel RCB / PBKS | 7 First-Ball Wickets The death-over specialist took 7 first-ball wickets through his wide yorkers and back-of-the-hand slower balls delivered at the very start of his spell. Harshal's 2021 record-breaking season included multiple first-ball wickets that immediately set the tone for devastating bowling spells. | RCB, PBKS | 120 | 139 | 7 |
| 13 | Dale Steyn RCB / DC / SRH / GL | 7 First-Ball Wickets South Africa's pace legend took 7 first-ball wickets with his opening delivery frequently a full-length ball angled into the stumps at high pace. Steyn's first ball in a spell was often his most dangerous, as batsmen hadn't yet calibrated the pace he was generating from the pitch. | RCB, DC, SRH, GL | 95 | 97 | 7 |
| 14 | Imran Tahir CSK / DD | 6 First-Ball Wickets South Africa's leg-spinner took 6 first-ball wickets, immediately attacking with his big-turning googly from the very first delivery of his spell. Tahir's natural attacking instinct meant he never bowled a defensive first ball — and batsmen who tried to play their way in against him were regularly punished from delivery one. | CSK, DD | 68 | 86 | 6 |
| 15 | Piyush Chawla CSK / KKR / KXIP / MI | 6 First-Ball Wickets The veteran leg-spinner took 6 first-ball wickets by bowling an immediate leg-break or googly from his opening delivery. Chawla's consistency and control meant his first ball was often already a pressure delivery, and batsmen who misread the turn paid the price immediately. | CSK, KKR, KXIP, MI | 192 | 192 | 6 |
| 16 | Harbhajan Singh MI / CSK / KKR | 6 First-Ball Wickets India's veteran off-spinner took 6 first-ball wickets, often surprising batsmen with his sharp doosra or top-spinner from the first delivery of his spell. Harbhajan's immediate aggression — especially against right-handers expecting a stock off-break — produced several crucial partnership-breaking breakthroughs. | MI, CSK, KKR | 163 | 150 | 6 |
| 17 | Kuldeep Yadav KKR / DC | 5 First-Ball Wickets India's left-arm wrist-spinner took 5 first-ball wickets, frequently surprising batsmen with his chinaman or googly from his opening delivery before they had time to read his action. Several of his first-ball wickets came during his impressive 2023 DC campaign where he took 25 wickets overall. | KKR, DC | 85 | 82 | 5 |
| 18 | Umesh Yadav DD / RCB / KKR / GT | 5 First-Ball Wickets The Chhattisgarh express took 5 first-ball wickets through the raw pace and unexpected bounce of his opening delivery in each spell. Batsmen facing Umesh for the first time in a match were regularly surprised by the steep extra bounce he generated, and his first ball was often the most dangerous of any given spell. | DD, RCB, KKR, GT | 137 | 143 | 5 |
| 19 | Wanindu Hasaranga RCB | 5 First-Ball Wickets Sri Lanka's wrist-spinner took 5 first-ball wickets across his career for RCB, his googly and leg-break proving immediately effective against batsmen who hadn't faced him before in a match. His ability to load up his variations from ball one contributed to several of his most impactful IPL spells. | RCB | 63 | 70 | 5 |
| 20 | R Ashwin CSK / DC / KXIP / RPS / RR | 5 First-Ball Wickets India's most decorated off-spinner took 5 wickets off the first ball of his spell, often delivering his carrom ball or top-spinner immediately without any warm-up deliveries. Ashwin's cerebral approach means his first ball in a spell is already calculated based on the match situation — and batsmen who underestimate that planning have paid the price. | CSK, DC, KXIP, RPS, RR | 221 | 187 | 5 |