5 Best Spinners Of ICC T20 World Cup 2021

The ICC T20 World Cup 2021 ended on Sunday with Australia winning an ICC title for the very first time in the history of the tournament. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, Australia exhibited sensational performances to finish at number two in Group 1 after the end of the Super 12 stage. Aaron Finch and Co. met Kane Williamson’s New Zealand in the summit clash and registered a clinical win by 8 wickets.

There is no denying that the slow and sluggish tracks of the UAE offered great help to the spinners. Spinners ruled the roost in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Three out of the top five highest wicket-takers in the tournament are, in fact, spinners. Perhaps, it wasn’t something that nobody had expected. Spinners always have an impact on the slow and sluggish tracks of the UAE.

On that note, here’s a look at five spinners who performed admirably in ICC T20 World Cup 2021.

5 Best Spinners Of ICC T20 World Cup 2021

1. Wanindu Hasaranga

There is no denying the fact that Wanindu Hasaranga is one of the rising stars in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He impressed one and all with his fearless attitude and wicket-taking ability. The Sri Lanka spinner finished the tournament as the highest wicket-taker, having managed to pick 16 wickets in 8 matches at an average of 9.75.

He was the biggest bet in Sri Lanka’s bowling line-up. Every time when a partnership was developing, Hasaranga ensured he breaks that. Most of his wickets were amongst top seven in the batting line-up, which tells you the value of those breakthroughs. Not to forget that Sri Lanka were placed in the Group of death, which comprised teams like South Africa, Australia, West Indies, England, which makes you want to praise Hasaranga’s performance even more.

2. Adam Zampa

In a star-studded bowling line-up, comprising the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and Pat Cummins, it was Adam Zampa who had the biggest impact with the ball for Australia. The Australian leg spinner was outstanding throughout the tournament.

He ensured he didn’t allow the opposition to accelerate in the middle-orders. He bowled the majority of his overs in the middle phase of the innings and gave runs at less than 6 an over. Zampa finished the tournament as the second-highest wicket-taker.

The 29-year old took 13 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 12.08. His best performance came against Bangladesh in the 34^th match of the tournament. Zampa picked five wickets for just 19 runs in four overs, helping Australia bundle out Bangladesh for just 73 runs.

3. Shadab Khan

9 wickets in 6 matches perhaps don’t do justice to the impact Shadab Khan had in the tournament. Much like Zampa, Shadab too bowled in the middle overs or immediately after the powerplay. He kept the batsmen guessing with his variations and consistently bowled at the right areas. Shadab couldn’t add a lot of wickets to his tally but kept the pressure from one end by not giving too many easy runs. He was nothing short of outstanding in the semi-final match against Australia.

The Pakistan leg-spinner kept picking wickets at regular intervals in a bid to deny Australia chase down a 176-run total in the second innings. He picked four out of the first five wickets and gave away just 26 runs in his four overs. However, sadly, his effort wasn’t enough for Pakistan to win the game as Australia chased down the target in 19 overs.

4. Shakib Al Hasan

Shakib Al Hasan played an instrumental role in helping Bangladesh qualify for the Super 12 round. He picked nine wickets in the first three matches of the first round of the competition. Shakib bowled in the powerplay as well as in the middle order and gave little room for the batsmen to free their arms.

The one which cane back in after pitching proved to be the most effective delivery during his spells. His performances, however, saw a dip in the Super 12 round before getting ruled out of the tournament due to injury. Overall, Shakib Al Hasan picked 11 wickets in 6 matches at an average of 11.18.

5. Ish Sodhi

New Zealand leg-spinner, Ish Sodhi played an instrumental role in helping New Zealand reach the final of ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Sodhi deceived the batsmen by giving a lot of flight and picked the majority of his wickets because of that. The surfaces in UAE suited his style of bowling and it reaped rewards as well.

He played a pivotal role in New Zealand’s first win against India, which set the tone for the rest of the tournament. Sodhi didn’t allow the batsmen to accelerate in the middle-overs and exerted more pressure on the Indian batsmen. He continued his fine form throughout the tournament and went on to pick 9 wickets in 7 matches at an average of 21.56. Sadly, his only bad performance came in the final of the tournament against Australia and New Zealand went on to lose that game by 8 wickets.