(Cricket news) Dwayne Bravo has become a regular feature in the top wicket takers of the Indian Premier League. He has now taken 166 wickets in 150 matches and is joint second on the list of all time wicket takers along with Amit Mishra who has played 154 matches. Lasith Malinga is on top with 170 wickets from 122 matches and the top five list has bowlers from four different teams. 

Bravo made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians and after three seasons moved to Chennai Super Kings. He has also played for Gujarat Lions and has only missed one season 2017 so far in the league history. Bravo held the record for most wickets in a season in the league which Harshal Patel equalled this season and took 32 wickets for Chennai in the 2013 season in 18 matches. He has been a major part of Chennai’s bowling attack since his inclusion in the squad.

Bravo turned 38 a week ago but is still one of the most sought after T20 players in the world. A handy batsmen who can hit the ball long, has also shone through his fielding exploits and as a bowler he can give breakthroughs as he has proved to be a consistent wicket taker. Bravo’s slower balls have been his strengths as it reduces the run flow and has been a threat especially in the death overs. He bowls around 130- 135 km/ hour with variations coming in every ball.

This season, Bravo has played 10 matches for Chennai while taking 13 wickets at an economy of 8.36. His best performance came against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase where he took three wickets for 24 runs in four overs. Bravo took the wickets of Virat Kohli and in the last over took two wickets with the crucial strike of Glenn Maxwell while giving two runs. He has been expensive in the last three matches, giving away 83 runs in 40 balls while taking two wickets.

Bravo can play a major role in the final as he has played over 500 matches in T20 for more than fifteen teams. He is also the leading wicket taker in T20s overall and will look to break Malinga’s record or finish as the second highest wicket taker in IPL. His experience will be a major boost for the side and can trouble the Kolkata players with the bat and the ball along with being a wall in the field.

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