On Friday, April 4, Hardik Pandya made waves in the cricket world by becoming the first captain ever to take five wickets in an IPL match. The 31-year-old from Baroda, who’s at the helm of the Mumbai Indians during IPL 2025, delivered a stellar performance against the Lucknow Super Giants at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. Hardik’s fantastic bowling saw him claim five wickets for 36 runs over four overs, a feat that played a crucial role in keeping LSG’s score to 203 for 8 in their 20 overs.
Hardik kicked off his wicket haul by sending Nicholas Pooran back to the pavilion, catching him for just 12 runs on the fifth ball of the ninth over. Pooran got caught by Deepak Chahar, marking a solid start for Hardik. Just a couple of balls later in his second over, he struck again by dismissing LSG captain Rishabh Pant for a mere 2 runs off six balls. Pant’s catch was taken by substitute fielder Corbin Bosch, further adding to Hardik’s impressive bowling display.
The highlight of Hardik’s day came when he bowled the 18th over of LSG’s innings. On the fifth ball, he took down Aiden Markram, who had been batting well, scoring 53 runs off 38 balls before being caught by Raj Angad Bawa. Then, in the final over, Hardik continued his momentum by dismissing David Miller after he contributed 27 runs from 14 balls. Miller was caught by Naman Dhir, and then, in a dramatic twist, Hardik took the last wicket of the innings as Akash Deep went out without scoring—caught by Mitchell Santner on the fifth ball.
Now, when it comes to leading wicket-takers in IPL history, Hardik Pandya’s name is right there in the mix with some legendary players. As of now, he shares the second spot among captains with 30 wickets, tying with Anil Kumble, while Shane Warne leads with 57. Here’s a quick rundown of the top few:
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shane Warne | 57 |
| 2 | Hardik Pandya | 30 |
| 3 | Anil Kumble | 30 |
| 4 | Ravichandran Ashwin | 25 |
| 5 | Pat Cummins | 21 |
Before Hardik’s impressive outing, the record for the best bowling figures by a captain in IPL belonged to Anil Kumble, who took 4 wickets for 16 runs while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Deccan Chargers way back on May 24, 2009.
Here’s a look at the best-ever bowling figures in IPL by captains:
| Player | Team | Bowling Figures | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardik Pandya | MI | 5/36 | LSG | Lucknow | April 4, 2025 |
| Anil Kumble | RCB | 4/16 | Deccan Chargers | Johannesburg | May 24, 2009 |
| Anil Kumble | RCB | 4/16 (3.3 overs) | Deccan Chargers | Navi Mumbai | April 24, 2010 |
| Jean-Paul Duminy | DC | 4/17 | SRH | Visakhapatnam | April 18, 2015 |
It’s worth noting that Hardik is now just the second bowler in IPL history to notch a five-wicket haul against the Lucknow Super Giants, with the first being Akash Madhwal. Madhwal made headlines by taking five wickets for just five runs in 3.3 overs during an eliminator match against LSG in the 2025 IPL season at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on May 24, 2023. Hardik’s remarkable achievement adds another exciting chapter to IPL history and showcases his all-around talent as a player and captain.
