The IPL has seen some incredible bowling performances but also where even the best can go wrong. Take March 23, 2025 for instance. A new unwanted record was set that day. A bowler went for 76 runs in 4 overs and didn’t pick up a single wicket in a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
Before this Mohit Sharma had the second highest number of runs conceded and Basil Thampi was third.
Let’s look at these super expensive spells in the IPL, see what went wrong for these bowlers and remember even top athletes have off days.
| Rank | Bowler | Team | Opponent | Date | Runs | Overs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jofra Archer | Rajasthan Royals | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | March 23, 2025 | 76 | 4 | 0 |
| 2 | Mohammed Shami | Punjab Kings | Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) | April 12, 2025 | 75 | 4 | 0 |
| 3 | Will O’Rourke | Lucknow Super Giants | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | 2025 (date not given) | 74 | 4 | Yes (unspecified) |
| 4 | Mohit Sharma | Gujarat Titans | Delhi Capitals | 2024 | 73 | 4 | 0 |
| 5 | Basil Thampi | Sunrisers Hyderabad | Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) | 2018 | 70 | 4 | 0 |
1. Jofra Archer
Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Jofra Archer had a day to forget against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2025. He ended up with the worst bowling figures in IPL history, going for 76 runs in 4 overs without a wicket. This broke the previous record of 73 runs which Mohit Sharma gave up in 2024. Archer was up against some tough batting from Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen. Ishan Kishan was brutal, smashing an unbeaten 106 off just 47 balls. That helped Sunrisers Hyderabad post a massive 286/6, the second highest total in IPL history. Rajasthan Royals fought hard in reply, scoring 242/6 but it wasn’t enough.
2. Mohammed Shami
In another 2025 IPL game, this time between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings, Mohammed Shami had a similar experience. He bowled the second most expensive spell in the tournament’s history, going for 75 runs in 4 overs with an economy rate of 18.75. Just after Jofra Archer set the new low, Shami’s performance in Hyderabad on April 12, 2025 saw him not pick up a wicket as the Punjab Kings batsmen smashed him.
3. Will O’Rourke
He is a young fast bowler playing for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. Although he’s new to the league, he’s shown a lot of promise but not without a few hiccups. In IPL 2025 he bowled one of the most expensive spells in IPL history, going for 74 runs in 4 overs against Royal Challengers Bangalore. But even with that high score, O’Rourke showed some character by picking up some crucial wickets in the same game which helped his team get back into the contest. He’s a talent to watch, gaining good experience and will only get better with more time on the field.
4. Mohit Sharma
In 2024, in a match between Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals, Mohit Sharma had a day to forget. He bowled the most expensive spell in the tournament till then, giving away 73 runs in his 4 overs. That broke the previous record held by Basil Thampi, who had given away 70 runs in 2018. Delhi Capitals’ captain Rishabh Pant went after Sharma and hit him for 62 runs in 19 balls, 7 sixes and 3 fours. In the last over alone, Pant scored 31 runs and took Delhi’s total to 224.
5. Basil Thampi
Before Mohit Sharma, Basil Thampi held the record for the most expensive bowling spell in IPL history. Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2018, Thampi was torn apart, giving away 70 runs in his 4 overs. That beat the previous record held by Ishant Sharma, who had given away 66 runs in a match against Chennai Super Kings in 2013. During Thampi’s expensive outing, AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali hit him all over the park. Their aggressive batting took RCB to a big total of 218/6 and SRH lost by 14 runs.
