Seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Purple Cap winner with 23 wickets, paired up with Mustafizur to form a lethal combination for Sunrisers this season. The duo's death overs stifled the opposition and proved to be the diffference in the final match.
The 2016 edition of the IPL saw the resurgence of the traditional leg spinner. Most of the teams fielded a leggie and they were among the wickets for most parts of the season. KKR's Piyush Chawla, RCB's Yuzvendra Chahal, Pune's Adam Zampa and veteran Amit Mishra were among the more incisive ones, picking up 57 wickets among themselves.
This edition saw the introduction of Chinaman bowler Shivil Kaushik. He grabbed headlines for his awkward, yet effective bowling. The 20-year-old cricketer, playing for the Gujarat Lions, had a decent outing this season, picking up 7 wickets.
The Virat Kohli-A.B. de Villiers combo played a key role in RCB's successful campaign. The duo, among the top three run-getters, accumulated over 1,660 runs. The South African, in an interview, explained the reasons for their success. He said he followed his natural instinct, unlike his captain Virat Kohli who is a more meticulous customer.
The fielding standards in the IPL went a notch higher. This edition saw many catches being taken near the rope, taken over the boundary line and relayed to the fielder inside. The South Africans and Australians were among those with the most no. of catches. A.B. de Villiers took 19 while Moises Henriques and David Miller took 11 and 10, respectively.
Pune skipper M.S. Dhoni had a quiet tournament but finished with a flourish. The stage was set for the captain when his team need 23 off the last over against Kings XI Punjab. And he didn't disappoint. He hit two consecutive sixes off the last two balls to take his side to a consolation win in its last match.
