Arshdeep became the first Indian bowler to take a wicket on the first ball of a T20 World Cup match. He joined others who have done this, like Bangladesh’s Mashrafe Mortaza and Afghanistan’s Shapoor Zadran. Namibian bowler Ruben Trumplemann has done it twice (in 2021 and 2024).
India advanced to the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 with a seven-wicket win. Suryakumar Yadav scored an unbeaten fifty, with support from Shivam Dube.
Here, we present Indian bowlers with the best bowling spells in T20 World Cup history
1. Arshdeep Singh – 4/9
Arshdeep has broken Ravichandran Ashwin’s record for India. According to ESPNcricinfo, Arshdeep is now the sixth Indian bowler to take four wickets in a T20 World Cup match. He joins Ashwin, Harbhajan Singh, RP Singh, Zaheer Khan, and Pragyan Ojha in achieving this feat. Arshdeep has taken a total of 17 wickets in T20 World Cup matches from nine games, with an average of 13.58 and an economy rate of 7.21. In the current 2024 T20 World Cup, he has taken seven wickets at an average of 10.71. In T20 internationals overall, Arshdeep has 69 wickets at an average of 19.84. He recently took his second four-wicket haul in T20Is, with an economy rate of 8.45. Overall, Arshdeep has taken 171 wickets in 135 matches at an average of 23.59.
ALSO READ: Check out the top scorers for India in international cricket in 2023
2. R Ashwin – 4/11
In the 2014 T20 World Cup in Mirpur, Ashwin bowled incredibly well against Australia. He took 4 wickets for just 11 runs in 3.2 overs. India batted first and scored 159/7. Thanks to Ashwin’s bowling, Australia could only manage to score 86 runs before getting all out. Ashwin dismissed Australian openers Aaron Finch and David Warner, as well as the important wicket of Glenn Maxwell. Overall, Indian spinners took seven of the ten Australian wickets.
In the history of ICC T20 World Cup, Ashwin holds the record for the most wickets by an Indian bowler with 32 wickets at an average of 17.25 and an economy rate of 6.49. In T20 international matches overall, he has taken 72 wickets from 65 games. Ashwin’s total wickets in T20 cricket exceed 300.
3. Harbhajan Singh – 4/12
Harbhajan Singh played a crucial role for India in the 2012 T20 World Cup against England. He bowled well, taking 4 wickets and even bowled two overs without conceding any runs. The match took place in Colombo, where India scored 170 runs in their 20 overs, with Rohit Sharma top-scoring with an unbeaten 55 runs. In response, India bowled out England for just 80 runs. Harbhajan’s key wickets included Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler.
In his career at the T20 World Cup, Harbhajan played 19 games and took a total of 16 wickets at an average of 29.25. In T20 International matches, he took 25 wickets. Overall, Harbhajan Singh claimed 235 wickets in T20 cricket, averaging 26.35 per wicket.
ALSO READ: USA vs SA 41st T20I Match Preview, Dream11 Tips, Pitch Report, and Match Details
4. RP Singh – 4/13
Former Indian fast bowler RP Singh took four wickets for thirteen runs against South Africa in the first T20 World Cup in 2007 in Durban. His bowling played a crucial role in restricting South Africa to 116/9 after India had scored 153/5 in their 20 overs. Singh dismissed South Africa’s opening batsmen Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith, as well as Shaun Pollock and Albie Morkel later in the innings. Earlier in the match, Rohit Sharma’s unbeaten 50 runs and MS Dhoni’s 45 runs helped India reach a total of over 150 runs.
In his career spanning 10 T20 International matches for India, Singh took a total of 15 wickets at an average of 15. Overall, he claimed 146 wickets in 132 T20 matches at an average of 24.91.
5. Zaheer Khan – 4/19
In 2009, Zaheer Khan, the left-handed fast bowler, played exceptionally well for India against Ireland. He bowled brilliantly, restricting Ireland to a score of 112/8 in their 20 overs in Nottingham. Zaheer took three wickets of the top four batters and also dismissed the top scorer, Andre White, who made 29 runs. India easily chased down the target. In his T20 International career, Zaheer took a total of 17 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 26.35. Overall, in T20 cricket, he took 139 wickets at an average of 27.35.
READ MORE:
