![IPL 2026 Fast Bowling Rankings [Source: AP, AFP]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1780478826153_BestBowlingUnitsIPL2026.jpg?type=hq)
IPL 2026 Fast Bowling Rankings [Source: AP, AFP]
The IPL 2026 concluded with RCB lifting the trophy for the second time in a row. However, the tournament was more special because of the fast bowlers who showed remarkable resilience in an era where aggressive hitting became the norm.
Despite the season having the most number of 200+ run totals, some teams fought against the odds because their pace unit was strong and lethal at the same time.
On that note, let’s rank all 10 teams based on the performance of their fast bowlers.
IPL 2026 Fast Bowling Unit Ratings
10. KKR - 2/10
KKR had the worst fast bowling unit of the IPL 2026 season. They lost Harshit Rana and Matheesha Pathirana to injuries before the tournament could even begin. Kartik Tyagi did pick up 18 wickets, but Vaibhav Arora, Saurabh Dubey and Cameron Green couldn’t do much.
9. Punjab Kings - 2/10
Punjab Kings, despite having a star like Arshdeep Singh as their lead pacer, massively underperformed. At times, the team even failed to defend 50 runs in the last 3 overs. None of their pacers ranked in the top 15 of the wicket-takers list, and as a result, PBKS couldn’t qualify for the playoffs.
8. Mumbai Indians - 3/10
The pace attack of Mumbai Indians was the biggest disappointment in this season. Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t fetch a single wicket in the initial games. Trent Boult had to be dropped due to the high economy.
Deepak Chahar had the same issue. Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur did get breakthroughs, but as a whole, MI’s pace unit couldn’t step up despite having some of the biggest names in the lineup.
Also Read - IPL 2026 Replacement Players Who Can Be Retained Before Next Season
7. CSK - 4/10
As for CSK, Anshul Kamboj picked up 21 wickets, becoming the team's leading wicket-taker. However, key pacers like Khaleel Ahmed and Jamie Overton got injured mid-season.
Mukesh Choudhary and Gurjapneet Singh did get wickets but lacked consistency. As a result, CSK fell out of the playoff race.
6. Delhi Capitals - 4/10
For Delhi Capitals, Mitchell Starc performed decently well, picking up 11 wickets. T Natarajan started well but struggled with consistency, though he was economical.
However, Mukesh Kumar underperformed, and newcomers like Madhav Tiwari couldn’t get consistent chances. Hence, DC also suffered consequences of a weak pace unit by failing to qualify for the playoffs.
5. LSG - 5/10
Despite finishing at the bottom of the table, LSG did pose a strong pace bowling unit. Prince Yadav had a breakthrough season, picking 16 wickets, while Mohammed Shami also performed with the new ball.
But injuries to Mohsin Khan, Mayank Yadav and Avesh Khan were a big dent for LSG. If they had a full-strength fast bowling lineup, LSG’s fate could have been different.
4. Rajasthan Royals - 6/10
Jofra Archer was the biggest reason RR’s pace bowling unit was successful in IPL 2026. He picked up 25 wickets while Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma and Tushar Deshpande also made meaningful contributions. As a result, RR made it to the playoffs before getting eliminated in the Qualifier 2 stage.
3. Sunrisers Hyderabad - 7/10
As for SRH, Eshan Malinga grabbed 20 wickets this season. Sakib Hussain, the debutant, also picked 15 wickets while skipper Pat Cummins made meaningful contributions in the second half of the tournament.
Praful Hinge also did well, especially after a sensational debut where he picked 3 wickets in an over, but struggled consistently. So overall, SRH had a complete pace attack led by Cummins.
2. RCB - 8/10
A key reason behind RCB’s title-winning run in IPL 2026 was their pace attack. Bhuvneshwar Kumar consistently showed his class by picking up 28 wickets and narrowly missed out on the Purple Cap.
Rasikh Salam also picked up 19 wickets, including a 3-wicket-haul in the final that restricted GT to 155 runs. Josh Hazlewood also contributed with 15 wickets as the trio formed a lethal fast bowling unit to win the season for RCB.
1. Gujarat Titans - 9/10
The most complete fast bowling unit of the season belonged to the Gujarat Titans. Kagiso Rabada grabbed the Purple Cap with 29 wickets in 17 games. Mohammed Siraj also scalped 19 wickets while Jason Holder managed to fetch 17 wickets. Prasidh Krishna wasn’t behind at all with 16 wickets.
This was only the second time in IPL history that four pacers of a single team managed to get 15+ wickets in a single edition. This pace attack brought GT all the way to the finals before RCB crushed them with ruthless dominance.
Also Read - What Virat Kohli Told Vaibhav Sooryavanshi After RCB’s IPL 2026 Win?
