The T20 format was introduced to produce a fast-paced game that would not only entertain fans around the world but also help reach out to more viewers who find it hard to sit through the longer versions of the game. Since its introduction, there has been a rise in viewership and people throng the stadium to get a glimpse of the exhilarating action on display.
To make it even more viewable, cricketing boards around the world prepare flat decks in order to let the batsmen dictate the play. As a result, the bowlers are under the pump in every single T20I and only the most skillful of them thrive. One way of survival in this quick-paced game is to pick up wickets at regular intervals.
On that note, we take a look at the top 5 wicket-takers in T20I history:
5) Shakib Al Hasan (92 wickets)
The Bangladeshi cricketer is considered to be one of the greatest all-rounders ever. He made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe back in 2006, and slowly upped his game to become ICC’s top-ranked T20I all-rounder in December 2014. In the last 12 years, Shakib has been one of Bangladesh’s most dependable players.
In the shortest format, the cricketer from Magura has picked up 92 wickets in just 76 matches, at an average of 20.59. He’s very economical as well, conceding at just 6.82 runs per over.
As the captain, he picked up figures of 5/20 against West Indies, which incidentally is the second-best figures of a skipper in T20I’s. He also stands fourth in the list of most four-wicket hauls in the T20 format.
4) Rashid Khan (95 wickets)
In the T20 format, the Afghanistan cricketer is considered to be the best spinner in the world. He made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe on October 26. Just a few months later, he picked up his first five-wicket haul, finishing with figures of 5/3 against Ireland. It is the joint fourth-best figure in T20I history.
Rashid has played a pivotal role in Afghanistan’s rise in international cricket. He has picked up 95 wickets in 51 matches for Afghanistan, with an average of 12.63 and a strike rate of 12.13. It’s the best average and strike-rate recorded for a bowler in the shortest format’s history. He has 5 four-wicket hauls in his career, something that’s rarely seen in T20I.
3) Shahid Afridi (98 wickets)
The former Pakistan skipper has a record that most all-rounders would be envy of. He announced his presence on the international stage with a blistering 37-ball century, which was the fastest at the time. He was tailor-made for the T20 format, and he showed it with his performances.
Even after retiring (multiple times), Afridi remains Pakistan’s highest wicket-taker, scalping 98 wickets in 99 matches at an average of 24.45 and an excellent strike rate of 6.63. He was instrumental with the ball when Pakistan reached the finals of the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup. Although Pakistan lost the finals to India, Afridi won the Player of the Tournament award.
2) Tim Southee (99 wickets)
The Kiwi paceman has a perfect repertoire for T20 cricket, with the swinging ball being effective early on and his variations filled with slower balls and yorkers troubling the batsmen at the end. Southee made his debut for New Zealand in 2008 against a fancied England side.
Ever since, Southee has picked wickets left and right, just one short of the 100-mark. He averages 25.11 in 83 matches, with a best of 5/18 coming against Pakistan in Eden Park, Auckland. His economy is on the higher side at 8.37, but his knack of taking wickets at regular intervals is the reason why he’s extremely effective in New Zealand’s T20I squad.
1) Lasith Malinga (107 wickets)
The Sri Lankan stalwart is the only bowler in the history of T20I cricket to breach the 100-wicket mark. He’s known for his deceiving slower balls and inch-perfect yorkers, something that’s arguably unmatched in the cricketing world. He is only the second bowler after Rashid Khan to pick up four wickets in four deliveries, something he achieved against New Zealand.
In 84 matches, Malinga has taken 107 wickets at an average of 20.79, with best figures of 5/6 coming against New Zealand at Pallekele. He is the only player to take two hat-tricks in T20I’s. Although he has retired from franchise cricket, Malinga continues to ply his trade for Sri Lanka in the shortest format.
His next focus will certainly be the upcoming T20 World Cup in October.