There is an iconic saying: Batters win you matches, and bowlers win you tournaments. IPL 2026 was no exception to this saying, as both teams in the grand finale had incredible bowlers in their ranks.

For RCB, their pace attack spearheaded by Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the talk of the town. But it wasn't just Bhuvi who single-handedly challenged the Royal Challengers. The supporting play from his teammates was equally exceptional. Here is a look at the top five bowlers for RCB at the end of IPL 2026.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 28 wickets
Kumar was a notch above the others throughout the tournament. Whether with the new ball or at the death, Kumar proved almost unplayable. The way he moved the new ball both ways showed the markings of his iconic self that secured two back-to-back Purple Caps. At the end of it all, he missed out on the Purple Cap by a solitary wicket but still finished with his best-ever IPL season. His tally reached a staggering 28 wickets at an economy rate of 7.95 in an edition where batters looked almost unstoppable.

Rasikh Salam Dar – 19 wickets
The young, quick stepped up by leaps and bounds this year and proved his worth throughout the tournament. He claimed 19 wickets in the fray, a tally that also featured a crippling performance in the grand finale. Dar was instrumental in breaking partnerships and, more importantly, registered an economy rate of 9.45 in the middle-overs, where batters would simply flick the switch against youngsters trying to find their rhythm.

Josh Hazlewood – 15 wickets
The towering Aussie fast-bowler arrived late in the tournament but was as impactful as ever. Hazlewood’s exploits with the new ball left batters on edge, and his ability to extract movement with the ball, irrespective of the condition, was iconic. More importantly, Hazlewood hunted in packs alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar, making life quite a nightmare for the opposition.

Krunal Pandya – 14 wickets
Pandya’s all-round brilliance was always an added catalyst for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Pandya was a master game-reader throughout the season, and his ability to bowl those miserly overs under pressure and eke out wickets from practically every tough situation is what made him stand out. He concluded the season with 14 wickets at an economy rate of 8.41 while registering a BBI of 2/16.

Suyash Sharma – 9 wickets
The young leg-spinner did make significant ripples in the latest iteration of the tournament as well. However, in an edition where batters stormed forth with intent against anything they found in their yard, Sharma chronicled an economy rate of 9.2. He also claimed nine wickets in the fray, proving to be one of the clutch names in the RCB unit for the season.