The art of picking wickets in a batter-dominant format like T20 cricket is extremely valuable and over the last eight seasons of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), we have witnessed some noteworthy contributions from bowlers who helped their teams achieve glory. 

Shakib Al Hasan, who has represented multiple franchises over the years, has the most wickets in Bangladesh Premier League history. The left-arm spinner is also the first bowler to complete 100 wickets in the BPL.

He finished as the leading wicket-taker twice, in 2017 (22 wickets) and 2018 (23 wickets) and won the Player of the Tournament award four times, more than any other player in BPL history. 

Though trailing Shakib, Rubel Hossain had a pretty good outing in this tournament over the years. Representing franchises from Dhaka, Rangpur, Sylhet and Chittagong, the player has constantly been among wickets, also finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the 2019-20 edition (20 wickets). 

Former Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza too continues to impress in the tournament. The veteran has represented multiple franchises since the inception of the tournament in 2012, and won it with three different franchises - Dhaka Gladiators (2012 and 2013), Comilla Victorians (2015) and Rangpur Riders (2017). 

Taskin Ahmed is one of the best wicket-takers in the tournament and has maintained a bowling average under 15. Having represented Chittagong from 2012 to 2017, he switched later to Sylhet Sixers and currently plays for the Rangpur Riders. 

His international teammate Mustafizur Rahman also is consistently among the wickets in BPL and is widely considered as one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. 

Among overseas cricketers, Thisara Perera is the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. Currently plying his trade with the Sylhet Strikers, he also represented Barisal Bulls, Comilla Victorians, Dhaka Platoon, Khulna Tigers and Rangpur Riders over the years. 

Here’s a look at the leading wicket-takers in Bangladesh’s premier domestic T20 tournament. 

Most wickets in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)

Name

Matches

Wickets

Shakib Al Hasan

100

132

Rubel Hossain

85

110

Mashrafe Mortaza

105

97

Taskin Ahmed

66

89

Mustafizur Rahman

60

79

Arafat Sunny

83

79

Shafiul Islam

77

79

Thisara Perera

76

69

Farhad Reza

83

69

Al-Amin Hossain 

64

64

Photo Credit: Alamy