A truly magical spell can define a bowler’s career and completely derail an opposition’s run chase in a matter of overs. Here are the most devastating individual bowling performances and best figures ever recorded in the CPL.
Best Bowling Figures in CPL
| Player | Bowling Figures | Overs Bowled | Econ | Opponent | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shakib Al Hasan | 6/6 | 4.0 | 1.5 | Red Steel | Bridgetown | 3 Aug 2013 |
| Sohail Tanvir | 5/3 | 4.0 | 0.75 | Tridents | Bridgetown | 29 Aug 2017 |
| Jeremiah Louis | 5/10 | 2.5 | 3.52 | Kings | Basseterre | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Mohammad Nabi | 5/15 | 4.0 | 3.75 | Patriots | Port of Spain | 27 Aug 2020 |
| Rahkeem Cornwall | 5/16 | 4.0 | 4 | Patriots | Bridgetown | 17 Sep 2024 |
| Imran Tahir | 5/17 | 4.0 | 4.25 | Kings | Providence | 9 Sep 2026 |
| Hayden Walsh | 5/19 | 4.0 | 4.75 | Trinbago | Bridgetown | 26 Sep 2019 |
| Raymon Reifer | 5/20 | 4.0 | 5 | Amazon | Providence | 12 Aug 2018 |
| Isuru Udana | 5/21 | 4.0 | 5.25 | Royals | Basseterre | 27 Aug 2021 |
| Imran Tahir | 5/21 | 4.0 | 5.25 | Falcons | North Sound | 22 Aug 2025 |
| Gudakesh Motie | 5/21 | 3.2 | 6.3 | Royals | Providence | 14 Sep 2025 |
| Fidel Edwards | 5/22 | 4.0 | 5.5 | Tridents | Bridgetown | 3 Aug 2013 |
| Dwayne Bravo | 5/23 | 4.0 | 5.75 | Tallawahs | Port of Spain | 23 Jul 2015 |
| Matthew Forde | 5/23 | 4.0 | 5.75 | Kingsmen | Gros Islet | 21 Aug 2026 |
| David Wiese | 5/25 | 4.0 | 6.25 | Royals | Basseterre | 11 Sep 2021 |
Key Insights
Best Bowling Spell in CPL Ever: Shakib Al Hasan (Barbados Tridents) — 6/6 off 4 overs (1 maiden) vs Red Steel, Bridgetown, 3 Aug 2013.
It is also the only 6-wicket haul on the list and by far one of the most economical (1.5 RPO) spells in the tournament.
Find out who tops the overall wickets chart in CPL.
Best 5-Wicket Hauls (by economy)
| Player | Figures | Econ | vs | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sohail Tanvir (GAW) | 5/3 | 0.75 | Tridents | 29 Aug 2017 |
| Mohammad Nabi (Zouks) | 5/15 | 3.75 | Patriots | 27 Aug 2020 |
| RRS Cornwall (Royals) | 5/16 | 4.00 | Patriots | 17 Sep 2024 |
Sohail Tanvir’s 5/3 is remarkable — conceding just 3 runs in 4 overs (with a maiden) is an extraordinary economy rate. It is arguably as impressive as Shakib’s 6-wicket haul.
Player Origin Diversity
Notably, several top performances came from overseas stars, not just Caribbean players: Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan), Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan), Imran Tahir (South Africa). It shows CPL’s history of attracting elite global bowling talent.
Teams Producing Most Top Bowling Performances
| Team | Appearances in list |
|---|---|
| Barbados Tridents | 3 (Shakib, HR Walsh, RA Reifer) |
| Guyana Amazon Warriors | 3 (Sohail Tanvir, Imran Tahir, G Motie) |
| St Lucia Kings/Zouks | 3 (Nabi, D Wiese x2) |
| Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel | 2 (FH Edwards, DJ Bravo) |
Barbados Tridents stands out as both a strong bowling unit historically (3 entries) and also the most frequent victim as a batting team.
Trinidad-based teams (Tridents/Trinbago) appear as opposition 5 times — suggesting they’ve historically been vulnerable to standout bowling spells.
Royals appear as opposition 3 times, all fairly recent (2021–2025).
Venue Trends
| Ground | Count |
|---|---|
| Bridgetown | 5 |
| Providence | 3 |
| Basseterre | 3 |
| Port of Spain | 2 |
| North Sound | 1 |
Bridgetown has hosted the most standout bowling performances (5 of 14). It is worth noting since it’s also Barbados Tridents’ home ground, tying back to their strong bowling representation.
Timeline Trend
2013–2015: Early tournament years produced 4 top entries, including the all-time best (Shakib).
2017–2021: A steady mid-era cluster (5 entries).
2024–2025: Recent resurgence with 3 entries in the last 2 years (Cornwall, Tahir, Motie) — suggesting bowlers are still finding periodic dominance even as T20 scoring generally trends upward league-wide.
