Most Dot Balls in IPL History

Dot balls play a crucial role in any cricket format, as they build pressure on the batting side and create opportunities for wickets. Bowlers who consistently deliver dot balls are invaluable to their teams in a game where every run counts. These bowlers showcase exceptional control, accuracy, and strategy to restrict aggressive batting lineups. To put things into perspective, Tim Southee has reportedly bowled 2753 dot balls in the T20i format for New Zealand, handing them crucial victories in various tournaments. Fans of the Indian Premier League (IPL) have witnessed numerous bowlers who have mastered the art of consistently delivering dot balls to increase the batsman's scoreboard pressure.

Bowler with the most dot balls in IPL

Bhuvneshwar Kumar reportedly has the most dot balls in the IPL with 1729, as of February 2025. He has achieved this in 175 innings, taking 181 wickets and averaging 7.56. The next on the list is Sunil Narine who has 1631 dot balls. The West Indian also played 175 innings where he took 180 wickets with an economy rate of 6.73. The third, fourth, and fifth spots are held by Ravichandran Ashwin, Piyush Chawla, and Harbhajan Singh respectively.

Player	Innings	Dot balls	Wickets	Economy
Bhuvneshwar Kumar	175	1729	181	7.56
Sunil Narine	175	1631	180	6.73
R Ashwin	202	1606	180	7.12
Piyush Chawla	191	1358	192	7.96
Harbhajan Singh	160	1312	150	7.07

Who bowled the most dot balls in an IPL match?

Deepak Chahar reportedly has the record for the most dot balls in an IPL match with 20, as of March 2025. Chahar achieved this while playing against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019. He took three wickets with an economy rate of 5.00 in that match. Fidel Edwards is holding the second spot on the list with 19 dot balls in a match where he also played against KKR in 2009. The former Deccan Chargers pacer failed to take any wickets but had an economy rate of 1.50. Former Indian pacer and 2011 World Cup winner Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy winner Mohammed Shami are also on the list.

Name	Opponent	Dot Balls	Economy	Wickets	Year
Deepak Chahar	Kolkata Knight Riders	20	5.00	3	2019
Fidel Edwards	Kolkata Knight Riders	19	1.50	0	2009
Zaheer Khan	Chennai Super Kings	19	2.25	2	2015
Mohammed Shami	Delhi Capitals	19	2.75	4	2023
Ashish Nehra	Kings XI Punjab	19	1.50	1	2009

Which batter played the most dot balls in IPL?

Former Indian team Skipper Virat Kohli has played the highest dot balls in the IPL with 1986, as of March 2025. The list also has batsmen such as Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, David Warner, and Robin Uthappa.

Name	Matches	Dot Balls	Total Runs Scored	Average
Virat Kohli	252	1986	8004	38.67
Shikhar Dhawan	222	1977	6769	35.26
Rohit Sharma	257	1865	6628	29.72
David Warner	184	1722	6565	40.52
Robin Uthappa	205	1472	4952	27.51

Which batter played the most dot balls in an IPL match?

Former Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan reportedly played the most dot ball in an IPL match with 31, as of March 2025. Dhawan faced 66 balls in the match and scored 99 runs against Punjab Kings in 2023. Dwayne Bravo is holding the second spot with 30 dot balls against the same opponent in 2009. Bravo faced 59 balls and scored 70 runs. Former Australian skipper Aaron Finch, West Indies's Dwayne Smith, and England's Jos Buttler are holding the third, fourth, and fifth spot respectively.

Name	Opponent	Dot Balls Faced	Runs Scored	Total Balls Faced	Year
Shikhar Dhawan	Punjab Kings	31	99	66	2023
Dwayne Bravo	Kings XI Punjab	30	70	59	2009
Aaron Finch	Mumbai Indians	29	68	62	2014
Dwayne Smith	Sunrisers Hyderabad	29	47	53	2013
Jos Buttler	Mumbai Indians	28	100	68	2022