5 Bowlers With Most Wickets In T20Is

T20I is the quickest and the shortest format in international cricket. A team only gets 20 overs to bat in T20Is due to which batsmen have to bat at a high strike rate. Moreover, a bowler gets a maximum of 4 overs to bowl in a particular match. As the result, players have to carry out a lot of efforts to come up with their best show in T20Is.

The first T20I game was played in February 2005 between New Zealand and Australia. Since then, more than 1200 T20I games have been played among different nations, including six editions of the ICC T20 World Cups. There are few bowlers who have scalped a lot of wickets in the T20Is while executing their remarkable skills with the ball. In this article, we talk about the 5 bowlers with the most wickets in T20Is.

5 Bowlers With Most Wickets In T20Is

5. Rashid Khan- 95

Rashid Khan is the 5th highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket. The Afghanistan bowler has picked 95 wickets in 51 T20I games so far. The right-arm spinner owns a spectacular bowling average of 12.63 and an impressive strike rate of just 6.21.

The leg spinner has also picked 2 five-wicket hauls in the shortest format. Rashid Khan’s best bowling figures in the T20I game is 5/3, which he bagged in an encounter against Ireland in March 2017.

4. Shahid Afridi- 98

Former Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi gets the 4th spot in this list. Afridi, who represented Pakistan in T20I cricket from 2006 to 2018, accounts for 98 wickets in the 20-overs cricket in 97 innings. The right-arm bowler had an average of 24.44 and an economy of 6.63 while bowling in T20Is.

The leg spinner picked 3 four-wicket hauls in his T20I career. Afridi’s best bowling figure was 4 wickets for 11 runs, which he achieved in a clash against the Netherlands during ICC T20 World Cup 2009.

3. Tim Southee- 99

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee bags the 3rd spot in this list. The right-arm bowler accounts for 99 wickets in 81 T20I innings at an average of 25.17. The Kiwi player owns an economy of 8.39 while bowling in T20I cricket.

He has also picked 1 five-wicket haul in the format. Southee’s best bowling show in a T20I game stands at 5 wickets for 18 runs. He achieved this triumph in a game against Pakistan in December 2010.

2. Shakib Al Hasan- 102

Shakib Al Hasan grabs the 2nd spot on this list. After picking 7 wickets in the recent 5-match T20I series against Australia, the Bangladesh cricketer has jumped to the 2nd spot in the list of most wicket-takers in T20Is. The left-arm bowler has picked 102 wickets in 83 innings at an average of 20.63.

The Bangladesh all-rounder also has an amazing economy rate of just 6.80 while bowling in the shortest format. He has also picked a five-wicket haul once. 5/20 is his best bowling figure in T20Is, which he grabbed in an encounter against West Indies in December 2018.

1. Lasith Malinga- 107

Sri Lankan bowler Lasith Malinga steals the top spot in this list. Malinga, who has already retired from ODI and Tests, has scalped 107 wickets in 83 T20I games. The right-arm pacer has a bowling average of 20.79 and an economy rate of 7.42 in the shortest format.

The Sri Lankan pacer has also picked 2 five-wicket hauls in his T20I career. Malinga’s best bowling figures in a match is 5 wickets for 6 runs, which he achieved in a match against New Zealand in September 2019.