T20I is the shortest form of cricket played internationally. It became popular after the 2007 T20 World Cup in South Africa. People thought it would be a batsman-friendly game since batsmen could hit hard from the start.
Many batsmen have ended bowlers’ careers with their powerful shots. However, some bowlers have managed to dominate the batsmen. Leg-spinners have changed T20 bowling by taking more than 5 wickets in their 4 overs.
Here are the top 10 T20I teams and the best individual bowling performances by their bowlers in a T20I innings:
10. England – Ravi Bopara – 4/10 vs West Indies, 2011
Ravi Bopara, an all-rounder, holds the record for the best bowling performance by an English player in a T20I match. His full name is Ravinder Singh Bopara. He achieved this against the strong West Indies team.
When England played against the Caribbean team in a T20I match in London, the English captain Graeme Swann chose to field first after winning the toss. J Charles and DR Smith helped West Indies start well, reaching 62/1. But the game changed when Swann brought Bopara into the attack.
Bopara, a medium pacer, disrupted the West Indies innings by taking the wickets of D Hyatt, N Bonner, C Barnwell, and their captain Darren Sammy. He finished with figures of 3.4 overs, 10 runs, and 4 wickets. Despite having only 16 wickets in his entire T20I career, Bopara was named the man of the match for his outstanding performance with the ball.
9. Australia – James Faulkner – 5/27 vs Pakistan, ICC WT20 2016
Australian all-rounder James Faulkner was the first Australian bowler to take 5 wickets in a T20 international. He achieved this against Pakistan in a WT20 group stage match in 2016. Australia chose to bat first and scored 193/4 in 20 overs, with captain Steve Smith making 61 not out. Faulkner bowled the sixth over and dismissed opener Sharjeel Khan by hitting the stumps. He then took Khalid Latif’s wicket when Latif was on 46. Faulkner also dismissed Imad Wasim on the next ball. In the final over, Faulkner completed his 5-wicket haul by taking the wickets of Sarfraz Ahmed and Wahab Riaz with the first two balls of the over.
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8. West Indies – Darren Sammy – 5/26 vs Zimbabwe, 2010
The Windies played against Zimbabwe in a single T20I match at the Port of Spain. It was a low-scoring game, with only 184 runs scored in 39.5 overs. Zimbabwe batted first and was bowled out for just 105 runs in 19.5 overs. S Benn took 4 wickets for 6 runs, and Darren Sammy also bowled brilliantly, taking 5 wickets. He dismissed key Zimbabwean players, including their captain. Despite their excellent bowling, the Windies could not chase the target of 106 runs. They managed to score only 79/7 in 20 overs. Five of Zimbabwe’s eight bowlers had an economy rate under 4.5. Sammy’s performance was notable as he recorded the best bowling figures by a Windies bowler in this match.
7. South Africa – Ryan McLaren – 5/19 vs West Indies, 2010
Ryan McLaren was one of the best T20 all-rounders, playing in many T20 leagues around the world. He also shined in T20 internationals, holding the record for the best individual bowling performance by a South African. In a match against the Windies at North Sound, South Africa batted first and set a target of 137. The Windies, led by Chris Gayle, lost both openers early as McLaren dismissed Andre Fletcher and Gayle before the powerplay ended. McLaren then returned to bowl the death overs, taking the wickets of Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, and Sulieman Benn to complete his 5-wicket haul. He was named man of the match with figures of 3.5-0-19-5.
6. New Zealand – Tim Southee – 5/18 vs Pakistan, 2010
In December 2010, Pakistan visited New Zealand for a T20I series. In the first match, New Zealand’s captain Ross Taylor won the toss and asked Pakistan to bat first. Pakistan started well and scored 58-2 in 6 overs. However, in the eighth over, Tim Southee changed the game by taking a hat-trick. He dismissed Younis Khan, Mohammed Hafeez, and Umar Akmal in three consecutive balls, disrupting Pakistan’s innings. Earlier, he had also taken the wicket of Ahmed Shahzad. Southee completed his five-wicket haul by getting Abdul Razzaq out. Tim Southee’s performance earned him the Man of the Match award and helped New Zealand take a 1-0 lead in the series.
5. Bangladesh – Elias Sunny – 5/13 vs Ireland
In 2012, Bangladesh visited Ireland for a T20I series. In the first match in Belfast, Bangladesh scored 190/5 after batting first. People expected Ireland to put up a strong fight at home. However, they struggled against Elias Sunny, a left-arm spinner making his T20I debut for Bangladesh. Sunny made history by becoming the first Bangladeshi bowler to take 5 wickets in his debut T20I match. He dismissed Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien, J Mooner, A Cusack, and D Johnston, finishing with impressive figures of 4-1-13-5. He was named the man of the match. So far, Sunny has taken 9 wickets in his T20I career for Bangladesh.
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4. Pakistan – Umar Gul – 5/6 vs New Zealand, ICC WT20 2009 and 5/6 vs South Africa, 2013
Umar Gul was known as one of Pakistan’s fastest bowlers in T20I cricket. He had great success in this short format, achieving his best bowling figures of 5/6 twice in his career.
The first time Gul achieved this feat was on 13th June 2009 during a WT20 match against New Zealand. He bowled brilliantly, dismissing Scott Styris, McGlashan, Nathan McCullum, James Franklin, and Kyle Mills, as New Zealand were all out for just 99 runs in less than 19 overs.
His second 5-wicket haul of 5/6 in a T20I match came in 2013 against South Africa at Centurion. Gul’s fast bowling skills shone again as he took the wickets of F du Plessis, Chris Morris, J Ontong, Farhaan Behardien, and Kyle Abbott, helping Pakistan to a memorable victory.
3. Afghanistan – Rashid Khan – 5/3 vs Ireland, 2017
Rashid Khan, a talented young leg-spinner, has been instrumental in putting Afghanistan on the cricket map. During a match against Ireland at Greater Noida, Afghanistan set a target of 185 runs. Due to rain, Ireland’s target was reduced to 111 runs in 11 overs. Ireland looked on track to win, reaching 68/2. However, Rashid Khan turned the game around with a brilliant bowling performance. In just 2 overs, he conceded only 3 runs and took the wickets of Kevin O’Brien, G Wilson, L Tucker, B McCarthy, and G Thompson. This restricted Ireland to 93/9, sealing Afghanistan’s victory.
2. India – Yuzvendra Chahal – 6/25 vs England, 2017
Yuzvendra Chahal, a leg-spinner from India, has become known as the country’s top leg-spinner due to his impressive performances in international cricket. In 2017, he made history by becoming the first Indian bowler to take 6 wickets in a single T20I match. During a crucial match against England in Bengaluru, with the series tied at 1-1, India scored 202 runs in their 20 overs. Despite England’s strong start with 119 runs for 2 wickets in the 13.2 overs, Chahal turned the game around. He dismissed key batsmen Joe Root and Eoin Morgan in quick succession in the 14th over. In his next over, he also took the wickets of Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, and Chris Jordan, finishing with figures of 6 wickets for 25 runs. Chahal’s outstanding performance earned him the Man of the Match award.
1. Sri Lanka – Ajantha Mendis – 6/8 vs Zimbabwe, ICC WT20 2012
Ajantha Mendis made a big impact in cricket with his mysterious leg-spin, especially at the Asia Cup where he dominated against India in the final. He became a key player for Sri Lanka, helping them succeed in the 2012 T20 World Cup. In the tournament’s opening game, Mendis dismantled Zimbabwe’s batting lineup in the second innings.
Zimbabwe, chasing 183 runs, struggled throughout their innings against Ajantha and Jeevan Mendis, who together took 9 wickets. Ajantha Mendis was particularly impressive, dismissing six Zimbabwean batsmen to set a record for the best bowling figures in T20 Internationals.
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