A wicket on the first ball of a match sets up much-needed momentum for not just the innings but for the rest of the match.
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In T20 cricket, where the batters attempt to take down the bowlers in the powerplay with field restrictions, an early wicket is like gold dust, putting pressure on the batting side.
In the history of the Indian Premier League, we have multiple accounts where a wicket has fallen on the word go. From the iconic Brett Lee to Unmukt Chand, to the latest instance of Mohammed Shami dismissing Shaik Rasheed.
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In this article, TSN takes a deep dive into the records and sees the bowlers with the most first-ball wickets in an IPL match.
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Which bowler has taken the most first-ball wickets in the IPL matches?
Mohammed Shami holds the record for the most wickets on the first ball of an IPL match, with 4 wickets to his name.
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The latest instance occurred on April 25, 2025 when the visiting Sunrisers Hyderabad faced CSK at Chepauk.
Shami dismissed Shaik Rasheed in a traditional Test match fashion - length delivery with the ball outside off, which found the edge of the bat and was caught by Abhishek Sharma at slips.
Who are the batters Mohammad Shami has dismissed on the first ball of IPL matches?
The batters who have fallen prey to Shami's excellence with the new ball include the likes of Jacques Kallis and KL Rahul among others.
| Batter | Opponent | Year | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacques Kallis | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2014 | Dubai |
| KL Rahul | Lucknow Super Giants | 2022 | Wankhede |
| Phil Salt | Kolkata Knight Riders | 2024 | Ahmedabad |
| Shaik Rahseed | Chennai Super Kings | 2025 | Chepauk |
Bowlers with the most wickets on the first ball of an IPL match
Shami leads the pack with the legendary bowlers like Trent Boult and Lasith Malinga following.
| Bowler | Total dismissals | Batters dismissed |
|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Shami | 4 | Jacques Kallis, KL Rahul, Phil Salt, and Shaik Rasheed |
| Trent Boult | 2 | Marcus Stoinis and Virat Kohli |
| Lasith Malinga | 2 | Mayank Agarwal and Mayank Agarwal |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 2 | Kusal Perera and Prabhsimran Singh |
| Dirk Nannes | 2 | Sanath Jayasuriya and Jacques Kallis |
| Umesh Yadav | 2 | Chris Gayle and Suryakumar Yadav |
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