In 2023, even though it was a year for the fifty-over World Cup, T20 cricket kept growing in popularity. There were 451 T20 International (T20I) matches played, including those by smaller cricketing nations.
Cricket fans enjoyed an exciting year, especially in T20 matches. While batters dominated this fast-paced format, bowlers also made a big impact with their performances. There were 28 instances where a bowler took five wickets in a match, including the best-ever bowling spell in T20I history.
Let’s look at the five best bowling performances of 2023
5. Haris Rauf- 4/18 vs New Zealand at Lahore, April 2023
Haris Rauf, one of Pakistan’s top fast bowlers in white ball cricket, delivered an outstanding performance in a T20 match against New Zealand earlier this year. He took four important wickets, significantly contributing to Pakistan’s huge victory.
Thanks to strong performances by Fakhar Zaman and Saim Ayub, Pakistan scored a solid 182 after choosing to bat first. The pitch at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore was excellent for batting, and New Zealand felt confident about their chances to chase the target.
While Zaman Khan and Shaheen Afridi initially put pressure on New Zealand, Haris Rauf shone in the middle overs, taking key wickets. He trapped Tom Latham in front of the stumps and then dismissed James Neesham and Rachin Ravindra. New Zealand was bowled out for just 94 runs in under 16 overs.
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4. Adam Milne- 5/26 vs Sri Lanka at Dunedin, April 2023
Adam Milne, a quick bowler who can make the ball swing both ways, has become one of New Zealand’s top fast bowlers in limited-overs cricket. In April 2023, he took his first five-wicket haul in a T20 international match.
Milne started impressively with the new ball, getting rid of the dangerous Kusal Mendis, who was in great form. He made the ball swing back late, causing trouble for the Sri Lankan batsmen. Kusal Perera and Charith Asalanka tried to increase the scoring rate but were caught out in the deep.
Milne came back strongly in his final spell, dismissing Pramod Madhusan and Dilshan Madushanka, ending with outstanding figures of 5/26. New Zealand chased down the runs easily, winning the match by 9 wickets. Tim Seifert was outstanding, staying unbeaten on 79 from 43 balls.
3. Hardik Pandya- 4/16 vs New Zealand at Ahmedabad, February 2023
Hardik Pandya is one of the top all-rounders in the world, especially in limited-overs cricket. He’s a valuable player for any team. Although injuries have often troubled him, when he’s in good form, he’s considered one of the best white-ball all-rounders.
Earlier this year, Hardik showed his bowling skills in the third T20I against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, taking 4 wickets for just 16 runs. India scored a huge 234 runs, thanks to a fantastic century by Shubman Gill, leaving New Zealand with little chance to win.
Hardik bowled excellently with the new ball, hitting the right lengths and quickly dismissing Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips. He returned for his final spell to take the wickets of Lockie Ferguson and Blair Tickner, helping India bowl out New Zealand for just 66 runs.
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2. Mitchell Santner- 4/16 vs Bangladesh at Mount Maunganui, December 2023
Mitchell Santner, acting as New Zealand’s temporary captain, ended 2023 with an excellent performance in slow left-arm bowling, taking four key wickets against Bangladesh. His skillful and deceptive bowling helped New Zealand tie the three-match series 1-1.
Bangladesh batted first but struggled, losing wickets regularly.
Tim Southee, Ben Sears, and Adam Milne took three early wickets, and then Santner and Ish Sodhi’s spin bowling completely unsettled the Bangladeshi batters, eventually dismissing them for 110 runs in the final over.
Santner cleverly varied his bowling speed and benefited from the pitch conditions. Towhid Hridoy and Afif Hossain, who were trying to increase the score for Bangladesh, lost their wickets to Santner, setting Bangladesh further back.
Santner was named Player of the Match for his outstanding all-round performance. New Zealand won the game by 17 runs using the DLS method.
1. Kuldeep Yadav- 5/17 vs South Africa at Johannesburg, December 2023
Kuldeep Yadav, one of the best wrist spinners in white-ball cricket, continued to impress in South Africa, taking five wickets in the 3rd T20I match. He finished with outstanding figures of 5/17, helping India bowl out South Africa for just 95 runs.
India’s innings was boosted by a brilliant century from captain Suryakumar Yadav, who scored his fourth T20I century. Thanks to his high-quality batting, India posted a strong total of 201 runs in their 20 overs after being asked to bat first.
South Africa lost wickets regularly, and despite keeping a good run rate, they were always behind. This set the stage for Kuldeep Yadav, who took four wickets in just seven balls during a remarkable spell. His performance included taking the wicket of David Miller, who was looking dangerous. India won by a huge margin of 106 runs, tying the series 1-1.
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