Most Wickets for RCB in Each IPL Season (2008–2025) – The Complete Guide

Royal Challengers Bengaluru are known for their batting firepower: Kohli, Gayle, AB de Villiers. But behind every RCB season there has always been a bowler quietly carrying the attack, hunting wickets, defending totals, and keeping the team alive. From Zaheer Khan and Anil Kumble in the early years, through Yuzvendra Chahal’s eight-season reign of spin, to Harshal Patel’s record-equalling 32 wickets in 2021, and Josh Hazlewood’s title-winning campaign in 2025 RCB’s bowling history is rich, underappreciated, and full of great stories.

This is the complete, season-by-season breakdown of the bowler who took the most wickets for RCB in every IPL season from 2008 to 2025, with context, records, and the stories that make each performance worth remembering.

RCB’s Top Wicket-Taker Every IPL Season – Full Table

Season-by-Season Bowling Stories

2008 – Zaheer Khan: The Lone Wolf (13 Wickets)

RCB’s debut season was chaotic, and their bowling attack reflected that. Zaheer Khan, one of India’s finest ever fast bowlers, was the sole consistent threat. He took 13 wickets and showed moments of his international class, but with little quality support around him, RCB ended the season in the bottom half of the table.

2009 – Anil Kumble: The Captain’s Wickets (21)

This was Kumble’s masterclass. Captaining RCB for the first time and bowling alongside young spinners, he took 21 wickets making him the second-highest wicket-taker in the entire IPL 2009 season. His leadership and bowling took RCB to their first ever final. They fell short by 6 runs against Deccan Chargers, but Kumble’s 2009 is one of the great individual bowling seasons in RCB history.

2010 – Anil Kumble Again: The Quiet Leader (17)

Kumble retained his bowling form into 2010, picking up 17 wickets as RCB reached the semi-finals. It was his final major season as a player before transitioning into coaching roles, and he signed off from RCB’s bowling attack with his reputation fully intact.

2011 – Sreenath Aravind: The Unsung Hero (21)

Sreenath Aravind is the most underrated name on this list. While Gayle smashed hundreds and Kohli anchored innings, Aravind quietly took 21 wickets making him the joint-highest wicket-taker for RCB in 2011. His left-arm swing and ability to take wickets in the powerplay were a key reason RCB reached their second final. He remains one of the most overlooked performers in the franchise’s history.

2012–2013 – Vinay Kumar: The Home-Grown Warrior (19 & 23)

Vinay Kumar gave RCB back-to-back seasons of reliability 19 wickets in 2012 and a career-best 23 wickets in 2013. Despite RCB failing to qualify for the knockouts in both years, Vinay’s consistency offered a rare bright spot. His 2013 haul of 23 wickets set a new benchmark for RCB bowlers at the time.

2014 – Varun Aaron: Pace from Both Ends (16)

Varun Aaron’s raw pace made him RCB’s most dangerous bowler in 2014 with 16 wickets, but the team still crashed out in the group stage. Aaron’s thunderbolts excited the crowd at Chinnaswamy but RCB lacked the all-round bowling depth to convert performances into wins.

2015 – Yuzvendra Chahal Arrives (23)

This was the season the Chahal era began. In just his second full IPL season, the leg-spinner took 23 wickets matching Vinay Kumar’s RCB record at the time. Chahal’s ability to turn the ball on flat Chinnaswamy surfaces and deceive batters with his loop and variations made him instantly one of the most valuable bowlers in the competition. RCB reached Qualifier 2 that year.

2016 – Chahal in Kohli’s Greatest Season (21)

While Kohli’s 973-run season stole the headlines, Chahal was instrumental in the bowling department with 21 wickets. His battles against top-order batters in the powerplay and the crucial wickets he took in the knockouts were central to RCB reaching the 2016 final. Even in defeat against SRH, Chahal had delivered a season of genuine quality.

2017 – Pawan Negi: An Unexpected Leader (16)

This was one of the stranger entries in RCB’s bowling history. Pawan Negi, who had been bought at the 2016 auction for ₹8.5 crore one of the biggest buys of that auction ended up as RCB’s highest wicket-taker in a season where the team finished last. 16 wickets in a struggling side is a muted return, and it largely defined why Negi was not retained beyond the 2017 season.

2018 – Umesh Yadav: A Lone Fast-Bowling Bright Spot (20)

Umesh Yadav had one of his finest IPL seasons with the ball in 2018, taking 20 wickets for RCB. His ability to swing the ball in the powerplay and generate genuine pace made him a constant threat, even as RCB exited at the group stage for the second year in a row.

2019 – Chahal Holds the Fort (18)

RCB’s third consecutive group stage exit came despite Chahal’s 18-wicket effort. By this point, Chahal had been RCB’s leading wicket-taker in three of the last five seasons, cementing his legacy as the franchise’s most important bowler of the era. The team around him, however, was not good enough to convert his contributions into playoff qualification.

2020 – Chahal Steers RCB Back to Playoffs (21)

In the UAE edition played entirely in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah — Chahal took 21 wickets and was again RCB’s best bowler by distance. His spin on the slower, drier Gulf pitches was even more effective than usual. RCB qualified for the knockouts for the first time since 2016, before being eliminated by SRH in the Eliminator.

2021 – Harshal Patel: The Record-Breaking Season (32)

This is the defining chapter of RCB’s bowling history. Harshal Patel, returning to RCB after years on the fringes, took 32 wickets in 15 matches equalling Dwayne Bravo’s all-time IPL record from 2013 and winning the Purple Cap. His slow balls, dipping yorkers, and variations baffled the best batters in the world. He took a 5-wicket haul against Mumbai Indians in the very first match of the season. He became the first bowler to take a five-for against MI in IPL history. He also took a hat-trick against MI later in the season. A season that will never be forgotten by RCB fans.

2022 – Wanindu Hasaranga: A Global Star Arrives (26)

Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga arrived at RCB in 2022 and immediately justified his status as one of the best all-round cricketers in the world. He took 26 wickets, the second-highest haul in RCB’s history at the time with his leg-spin and googlies regularly beating international batters. RCB reached Qualifier 2 that year, with Hasaranga at the heart of the bowling effort.

2023 – Mohammed Siraj Leads the Attack (19)

Mohammed Siraj was RCB’s best bowler in 2023 with 19 wickets, but inconsistency in the lower and middle order meant RCB exited at the group stage. Siraj’s express pace and swinging deliveries were threatening on any given day, but he couldn’t single-handedly carry an under-firing team into the knockouts.

2024 – Yash Dayal & Mohammed Siraj Share the Load (18 Each)

For the first time in recent memory, RCB did not have a clear standout bowler instead, Yash Dayal and Mohammed Siraj shared the wicket-taking load with 18 each. RCB qualified for the knockouts and reached the Eliminator under Rajat Patidar’s captaincy, before being knocked out by Rajasthan Royals.

2025 – Josh Hazlewood: The Champion’s Wickets (22)

Josh Hazlewood delivered one of the great individual bowling performances in an IPL title-winning season. The Australian pacer took 22 wickets in IPL 2025, combining accuracy, bounce, and subtle variations to consistently trouble the best batters in the world. He bowled the final over of the IPL 2025 final against Punjab Kings with RCB defending 7 runs and did not flinch. When the last ball was bowled, RCB were IPL Champions for the first time. Hazlewood’s 2025 season will forever be linked with RCB’s greatest ever moment.

RCB All-Time Top Wicket-Takers (Across All Seasons)

Key Bowling Records for RCB in IPL History

• Most wickets in a single season (RCB): Harshal Patel – 32 (IPL 2021). Also the joint-most wickets in a single IPL season ever, alongside Dwayne Bravo (2013).
• Most seasons as RCB’s top wicket-taker: Yuzvendra Chahal – 5 seasons (2015, 2016, 2019, 2020 + his 2013 debut partial contributions). He was RCB’s go-to bowler for nearly a decade.
• Most career wickets for RCB: Yuzvendra Chahal – 139 wickets in 113 matches.
• Purple Cap won while playing for RCB: Harshal Patel (2021) – 32 wickets.
• Best figures in a match for RCB: Harshal Patel – 5/27 vs Mumbai Indians, IPL 2021. Also the first bowler to take a five-for against MI in IPL history.
• Most recent title-winning top wicket-taker: Josh Hazlewood – 22 wickets in RCB’s IPL 2025 championship season.

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