New-ball misers: the powerplay's most economical bowlers

In the powerplay, where field restrictions keep the boundary rope inviting and only two fielders patrol the outfield, a bowler who can simply stem the flow becomes worth his weight in gold. These are the overs when batters are licensed to attack, so every dot ball and every over kept below six is a small victory. Across T20 internationals and the major franchise leagues, the following men have mastered that art over a substantial workload of at least 500 legal deliveries in overs one to six.

Sri Lanka's Binura Fernando tops the list, conceding just 6.17 runs an over across 899 powerplay balls while picking up 43 wickets. West Indies spinner Veerasammy Permaul sits a whisker behind at 6.18 from 532 balls, showing that tight control need not come only from the quicks.

The standout for sheer volume is Sunil Narine, whose 6.20 economy across 2,874 powerplay balls is remarkable given how much bowling he has shouldered up front, and his 101 wickets prove containment and threat can coexist. Mohammad Amir (6.23 from 3,250 balls, 138 wickets) leads the seam brigade, combining discipline with a genuine strike weapon.

Mohammad Hafeez and Mohammad Sami are tied at 6.28, as is the ever-canny Sohail Tanvir, who has delivered 2,568 balls at that rate for 92 wickets. Nuwan Kulasekara (6.30, 38 wickets) and Nahidul Islam (6.33, 24 wickets) follow closely.

Rounding out the ten is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose 6.37 economy across a colossal 3,635 powerplay balls, allied to 138 wickets, underlines why he has long been trusted with the new ball.

What unites them is a simple truth: choking the scoring when batters are freest is among the most valuable skills the format offers.