The 16th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) is all set to begin on March 31st and all 10 franchises bid their players for the tournament to get ready for the matches. The most expensive player in the IPL 2023 auction is the England all-rounder Sam Curran, who was sold for Punjab Kings with ₹18.50 crores. There are many fast bowlers and spinners who participated in the IPL Auction and many auctioned for the highest bids for each franchise.
Bowlers are always the best part of a team, who actually lead the team to winnings. As someone said, a batter will win you matches, but it is the bowlers that win you championships. There are many exceptional bowlers playing in this IPL season as well.
IPL 2023 – Retained Fast Bowlers
Let’s take a look at the top 5 best-retained bowlers in IPL this year who are expected to perform well.
- Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson is one of the top picks for IPL 2023. He was auctioned for Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 10 Cr. He made his IPL debut in 2020 for the same Kolkata Knight Riders. One of the best pacers in the world, Ferguson is known for his searing pace and lethal bouncers. His fastest bowl is 97.7 km/h. KKR has a lot of faith in Ferguson and he will feature in the starting line-up of KKR in IPL 2023. Ferguson has the potential to be a death-over specialist for the side this season.
- Kagiso Rabada
The South African right-arm fast bowler Kagiso Rabada plays for Punjab Kings in the IPL 2023 and he was auctioned for INR 9.25 crores. The only bowler who took a hat-trick in all three formats of cricket, Rabada became an essential player in the Punjab Kings this season. He played for Delhi Capitals from 2018 to 2021 and helped them make the IPL playoffs twice and reach the finals once. From the 63 IPL matches he played so far; he has got 99 wickets under his name.
- Jofra Archer
Jofra Archer, a consistent performer of the England national team, is auctioned for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2023 for INR 8 crores. The right-arm fast bowler was signed first in IPL for Rajasthan Royals in 2018 and played a vital role in the team’s success for the last few years. But last year, Mumbai Indians grabbed him in the mega auction but he was ruled out due to an injury. Jofra Archer has 46 wickets under his name out of 35 matches he played.
- Umran Malik
When it comes to speed, Indian right-arm fast bowler Umran Malik comes on top in IPL with the most consistent performances. He regularly bowls above 150 km/h in every match. Malik is being played for Sunrisers Hyderabad for the last few seasons. He will continue to play for the Sunrisers Hyderabad and auctioned for INR 4 crores. Malik has an excellent average of 22.50 in IPL, having picked 24 wickets out of the 14 matches he played.
- Lungi Ngidi
The South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi is auctioned for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2023 for INR 50 Lakhs. He is one of the most promising talents in cricket and made his debut in IPL in 2018 for Chennai Super Kings. But in last year’s mega auction, he became part of the Delhi Capitals. He has got 25 wickets in his name in IPL out of the 14 matches he played. He has not played an entire IPL season as of now, yet fans expect a lot from him in this 2023 IPL season based on his current form in the T20 format.
