INDIA: Indian fast bowler Arshdeep Singh etched his name into the record books on Friday by becoming the highest wicket-taker for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) history.
Arshdeep, who needed just one wicket to claim the top spot, achieved the milestone in the IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
He made his mark by dismissing Phil Salt on the third ball of the match, played with 14 overs per side.
This was Arshdeep’s 72nd IPL match for Punjab Kings, surpassing the previous record-holder, Piyush Chawla, who took 84 wickets in 87 matches for the team.
Most Wickets for Punjab Kings:
Arshdeep Singh – 85 wickets in 72 matches
Piyush Chawla – 84 wickets in 87 matches
Sandeep Sharma – 73 wickets in 61 matches
Axar Patel – 68 wickets in 61 matches
Mohammad Shami – 58 wickets in 42 matches
His journey in the IPL began in 2019, when he played three matches and took three wickets. Since then, he has evolved into one of the most reliable bowlers for Punjab Kings.
In the current season, Arshdeep has been in fine form, picking up crucial wickets for his team.
He took two wickets against Gujarat Titans on March 25, followed by three wickets against Lucknow Super Giants at Ekana Stadium on April 1. He also took one wicket in a match against Rajasthan Royals in Mullanpur on April 5.
Although he went wicketless in Punjab Kings’ fourth match against Chennai Super Kings, which his side won by 18 runs in Mullanpur on April 8, Arshdeep bounced back in the fifth match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, dismissing one batter for 37 runs.
In his most recent match against Kolkata Knight Riders, he finished with impressive figures of 1 for 11 in three overs, continuing his consistent contribution with the ball.
Arshdeep was retained by the Punjab Kings ahead of the IPL 2022 auctions, and since then, his wicket tally has been steadily rising, with 10 wickets in 2022, 17 wickets in 2023, and 19 wickets in 2024.
In the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings successfully chased down the target of 99 runs in 12.1 overs, winning by five wickets. Nehal Wadhera played a crucial role in the chase, scoring 33 runs off just 19 balls, including three sixes and four fours.
Despite the best efforts of Josh Hazelwood (3 wickets) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2 wickets), the Royal Challengers Bangalore couldn’t stop Punjab Kings from securing victory in this low-scoring encounter.
