Here’s a look at the best ‘leading from the front’ bowling performances from captains in T20Is.
Best Bowling Figures by Captains in T20Is
| Player | Team | Overs Bowled | Bowling Figures | Economy | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moazzam Baig | Malawi | 4.0 | 6/9 | 2.25 | Rwanda | Benoni | 16 Dec 2023 |
| Maurice Castillo | Belize | 4.0 | 6/16 | 4.00 | Panama | Buenos Aires | 14 Dec 2024 |
| Hernan Fennell | Argentina | 4.0 | 6/18 | 4.50 | Panama | North Sound | 10 Nov 2021 |
| Moazzam Baig | Malawi | 1.5 | 5/4 | 2.18 | Cameroon | Dar-es-Salaam | 25 Sep 2024 |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 4.0 | 5/6 | 1.50 | New Zealand | Pallekele | 6 Sep 2019 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane | Nepal | 4.0 | 5/9 | 2.25 | Kenya | Nairobi (Gym) | 29 Aug 2022 |
| Sylvester Okpe | Nigeria | 4.0 | 5/9 | 2.25 | Cameroon | Rwanda | 5 Dec 2022 |
| Waji Ul Hassan | Saudi Arabia | 3.0 | 5/9 | 3.00 | Thailand | Kuala Lumpur | 28 Apr 2025 |
| Salum Jumbe | Tanzania | 3.3 | 5/10 | 2.85 | Nigeria | Accra | 17 Mar 2024 |
| Lorne Burns | Spain | 4.0 | 5/11 | 2.75 | Guernsey | Almeria | 30 Apr 2022 |
| Moazzam Baig | Malawi | 4.0 | 5/13 | 3.25 | Eswatini | Kigali | 17 Oct 2021 |
| Charles Perchard | Jersey | 4.0 | 5/17 | 4.25 | Guernsey | Castel | 1 Jun 2019 |
| Vasu Saini | Romania | 3.5 | 5/17 | 4.43 | Luxembourg | Szodliget | 26 Jul 2025 |
| Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 4.0 | 5/18 | 4.50 | Rwanda | Nairobi (Ruaraka) | 22 Oct 2024 |
| Ahmed Raza | UAE | 4.0 | 5/19 | 4.75 | Nepal | Al Amerat | 22 Feb 2022 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 4.0 | 5/20 | 5.00 | West Indies | Mirpur | 20 Dec 2018 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 4.0 | 5/20 | 5.50 | Ireland | Chattogram | 29 Mar 2023 |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 4.0 | 5/25 | 6.25 | UAE | Dubai (DICS) | 17 Aug 2023 |
| Obed Harvey | Ghana | 4.0 | 5/36 | 9.00 | Uganda | Accra | 18 Mar 2024 |
Key Insights on Best Bowling Performances by Captains in T20 International Cricket
This compilation reveals the standout bowling performances and unique records set by captains in the Twenty20 International (T20I) format.
Best T20I Bowling Figures by a Skipper
Malawi’s Moazzam Baig has delivered the best bowling figures as a captain in T20Is, claiming six wickets for nine runs against Rwanda in 2023 while successfully defending 135 runs.
Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga has recorded the best bowling figures among full-member captains in T20Is; he snared five wickets for six runs, bowling out New Zealand for 88 runs in defence of 125 in the 2019 Pallekele T20I.
Malinga’s 5 for 6 is also the best bowling figure by a captain in home conditions in T20Is.
Check: Most Wickets as a Captain in T20Is
Record-Breaking Five-Wicket Hauls by Captains
Moazzam Baig and Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) are the only two skippers to pick up two or more five-wicket hauls in T20Is.
Shakib Al Hasan was the first skipper to bag a five-wicket haul in T20Is, picking up 5 for 20 while leading Bangladesh to a victory against the West Indies in the 2018 Mirpur T20I.
Belize’s Maurice Castillo is the youngest skipper to pick up a five-for in T20Is; he was 21 years and 310 days old when he returned with 6 for 16 against Panama in 2024.
Moazzam Baig is the oldest captain with a five-for in T20Is; his 5 for 4 against Cameroon came at the age of 39 years and 210 days in 2024.
T20I Bowling Economy and Milestone Records
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan is the only captain to claim five or more four-wicket hauls in T20Is.
Denmark’s Hamid Shah has picked up the best bowling figures as a captain while also on his T20I debut, taking 4 for 23 against Jersey in 2019.
Maldives’ Azyan Farhath has bowled the most maiden overs as a captain in a T20I innings, sending down three maidens in his 4 for 5 spell against Mongolia in 2024.
Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh had an economy rate of zero while taking a wicket in his two-over spell against Bhutan in 2022, which is the lowest economy rate by a captain in a T20I innings (minimum 12 balls bowled).
T20I Bowling in Lost and Expensive Spells
Romania’s Vasu Saini has bowled the most expensive spell as a skipper in T20Is (minimum 12 balls bowled); he had an economy rate of 27 while conceding 54 runs in two overs against Belgium in 2025.
Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane has bowled the best figures as a captain in a T20I loss; his 5 for 9 bowled out Kenya for 101, although Nepal failed in the chase by seven runs in 2022.
Ghana’s Obed Harvey is the other skipper with a five-for in a loss, with his 5 for 36 going in vain against Uganda in the 2024 African Games.
