Virat Kohli and Yuzvendra Chahal celebrate Royal Challengers Bangalore's win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Dubai.
Yuzvendra Chahal and Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli Image Credit: Samuel Rajkumar / Sportzpics for BCCI

Dubai: After their poor performance against Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Thursday night, Royal Challengers Bangalore have fallen out of favour with punters in the international markets, but there remains a silver lining to their dipping fortunes - Yuzvendra Chahal.

A regular in the India Test team, RCB’s wrist spinner is being backed to emerge as top bowler in IPL 13 ahead of a quartet of fiery pace bowlers - Mohammed Shami, Kagiso Rabada, Jasprit Bumrah and Trent Boult.

SEE MORE

He may have only taken four wickets in two matches by the end of Thursday’s game against KXIP, but the inconspicuous looking cricketer from Haryana in the north of India is a giant among spin bowlers, having taken close to 500 wickets in all forms of the game including 55 in the Twenty20 format.

Chahal became the first Indian bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul in T20Is and has impressed the major international markets with his knack of picking up wickets at regular intervals and that has earned him pole position in the betting for top bowler hounours in the IPL at odds of 5/1

Kings XI Punjab’s Shami is available at 9/1 with Delhi Capital’s feisty South African import Rabada a 10/1 option.

Bumrah, who started the tournament as the big favourite to rule over all the bowlers, is also a 10/1 chance with Australia’s Trent Boult now available at long odds of 16/1.

IPL top bowler odds

Yuzvendra Chahal 5/1
Mohammed Shami 9/1
Kagiso Rabada 10/1
Jasprit Bumrah 10/1
Trent Boult 16/1