Key Takeaways:
Shakib Al Hasan leads T20 World Cup wickets with 47.
Shahid Afridi follows with 39 wickets.
Lasith Malinga ranks third with 38 wickets.
The most limited format of the game has made a difference for the bowlers to deliver unused varieties in their bowling. The modern varieties have unquestionably helped the bowlers to urge more wickets within the T20s. The first-ever T20 World Cup was played in 2007. A total of 8 T20 World Cup editions so far. The 2024 T20 World Cup will be the 9th edition and is set to start from 2nd June. In this article, we will take a look at the top 6 players with most wickets in T20 World Cup history.
Who is the leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history?
The leading wicket-taker in T20 World Cup history is currently Shakib Al Hasan with 47 wickets in 36 matches with a bowling average of 18.63 and strike rate of 16.48.
Most Wickets in T20 World Cup
Rank | Name | Wickets | Matches | Best Figures | Economy |
1 | Shakib Al Hasan | 47 | 36 | 4/9 | 6.78 |
2 | Shahid Afridi | 39 | 6 | 4/11 | 6.71 |
3 | Lasith Malinga | 38 | 31 | 5/31 | 7.43 |
4 | Saeed Ajmal | 36 | 23 | 4/19 | 6.79 |
5 | Ajantha Mendis | 35 | 21 | 6/8 | 6.70 |
5 | Umar Gul | 35 | 24 | 5/6 | 7.30 |
1) Shakib Al Hasan - 47 wickets
Shakib Al Hasan is currently tops the list of highest wicket takers in T20 World Cup history with 47 wickets in 36 matches with the excellent economy of 6.78. His best bowling figures came against Papua New Guinea in the 2021 T20 World Cup, he bowled an impressive spell of 4/9 helping Bangladesh to win the match easily. Shakib has participated in all the T20 World Cup editions.
2) Shahid Afridi – 39 Wickets
The Former Pakistani spinner Shahid Afridi has taken 39 wickets in 34 matches in the T20I World Cup history with an economy of 6.71 and is at 2nd position. He has the bowling average of 23.25 and strike rate of 20.76 in T20 World Cups. Afridi has participated in 6 World cups (2007-2016) for Pakistan. His best bowling figures in t20 world cup 4/11 came against Netherlands in the 2009 edition. Afridi played a critical role in winning the 2009 T20 World Cup for Pakistan, in the final, he scored a blistering 54 off 40 balls and grabbed 2 wickets as well.
3) Lasith Malinga – 38 Wickets
On the third spot is none other than Lasith Malinga (also known as "Slinga Malinga '') is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest limited over bowlers of all time. He has taken a total of 38 wickets in just 31 matches with an economy of 7.43. He has the bowling average of 20.07 and strike rate of 16.21 in T20 World Cups. He captained the Sri Lanka 2014 T20 World Cup winning side. In T20 World Cups, His best bowling figures are 5/31 which came against England in 2012 T20 World Cup.
4) Saeed Ajmal – 36 Wickets
Saeed Ajmal is ranked fourth in this list as he has taken 36 wickets in just 23 matches with an economy of 6.79. He has an excellent bowling strike rate of 14.88 and an average of 16.86. His best bowling performance in the T20 World cup is 4/19 which came against Ireland in 2009 T20 World Cup.
5) Ajantha Mendis – 35 Wickets
Ajantha Mendis is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who played for Sri Lanka national cricket team in all three formats, who is also known as the "mystery spinner" due to the unusual bowling action variations, and widely regarded as one of the best limited over bowlers in the world arena. In the T20 World Cups, He has taken 35 wickets in just 21 matches he played with an economy of 6.70. His bowling average is 15.02 and strike rate of 13.45 during the T20 world cups. His best bowling figures in T20 World Cup 6/8 came against Zimbabwe in the 2012 edition.
6) Umar Gul – 35 Wickets
Umar Gul has taken a total of 35 wickets in 24 matches with an economy of 7.30 which puts him in 5th position. He gained fame as one of the most successful bowlers in Twenty20 cricket finishing as the leading wicket taker and bowler in both the 2007 and 2009 Twenty20 World Cup tournaments. His bowling strike rate is just 14.30 in T20 World Cups. His most impressive performance came in 2009 t20 world , where his spell of 5/6 against New Zealand helped Pakistan secure a crucial victory.
Who do you think will be the next bowler to top this list?
Note: The stats mentioned in this article are taken from ESPN Cricinfo
