T20Is are all about batting fireworks. And the entertainment lies in the number of boundary sixes being scored by the batters.
There is little room for a bowler to err in their line and length, as it is a format where even the best of deliveries can be punished. Hence, the main task for a bowler is to keep the run flow as minimal as possible, and with just a maximum of 24 balls in their spell, a bowler does not need to concentrate on picking heaps of wickets in an innings.
But there are instances where a bowler has run through a batting line-up, much like the other two longer formats. These spells put one’s team in the ascendancy and make sure the opposition can’t find a way to make a comeback.
Here in this article, “Best Bowling Figures in T20Is,” we will list down such spells.
Best Bowling Figures in T20I Cricket
| Player | Team | Bowling Figures | Against | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonam Yeshey | Bhutan | 8/7 | Myanmar | Gelephu | 26 Dec 2025 |
| Syazrul Idrus | Malaysia | 7/8 | China | Kuala Lumpur | 26 Jul 2023 |
| Ali Dawood | Bahrain | 7/19 | Bhutan | Gelephu | 11 Dec 2025 |
| Harsha Bharadwaj | Singapore | 6/3 | Mongolia | Bangi | 5 Sep 2024 |
| Peter Aho | Nigeria | 6/5 | Sierra Leone | Lagos | 24 Oct 2021 |
| Deepak Chahar | India | 6/7 | Bangladesh | Nagpur | 10 Nov 2019 |
| Dinesh Nakrani | Uganda | 6/7 | Lesotho | Kigali | 19 Oct 2021 |
| Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | 6/8 | Zimbabwe | Hambantota | 18 Sep 2012 |
| Moazzam Baig | Malawi | 6/9 | Rwanda | Benoni | 16 Dec 2023 |
| Rizwan Butt | Bahrain | 6/9 | Malawi | Blantyre | 12 Jul 2025 |
Key Insights on Record-Breaking Bowling Figures in T20Is
Overall Best T20I Bowling Performances
Bhutan’s Sonam Yeshey has delivered the best bowling figures in T20I cricket. He scalped the record T20I figures of 8 for 7 against Myanmar in Gelephu in 2025. This is also the best bowling performance by a bowler on home soil in T20Is.
Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus was the first bowler to pick seven or more wickets in a T20I innings. He had figures of 7 for 8 against China in a 2023 T20I match.
Bahrain’s Ali Dawood became the second bowler to grab a seven-wicket haul in T20Is. He racked up 7 for 19 against Bhutan in 2025. This is the best bowling figure by a bowler in an overseas T20I match.
India’s Deepak Chahar holds the record for registering the best bowling figures by a full member bowler in a T20I game. He ended up with sensational bowling returns of 6 of 7 against Bangladesh in the 2019 Nagpur T20I. Here’s what the Indian pacer said on this record.
Hong Kong’s Nasrulla Rana has the best bowling figures in a losing T20I match. He claimed six wickets for 12 runs against Papua New Guinea in 2023.
Milestone & Captaincy Bowling Performance in T20Is
Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis has scalped a six-fer more than once in T20Is – 6 for 16 vs Australia (2011) and 6 for 8 vs Zimbabwe (2012). Here’s another amazing record the Sri Lankan mystery spinner holds in the sport.
Mendis’ 6 for 8 against Zimbabwe is the best bowling figure by a bowler in the T20 World Cup.
Malawi’s Moazzam Baig has claimed the best bowling analysis as a captain in a T20I innings. He had figures of 6 for 9 against Rwanda in a 2023 T20I.
Malaysia’s Khizar Hayat has taken the best bowling figures on T20I debut. He fetched five wickets for four runs against Hong Kong in the 2020 Kuala Lumpur T20I.
Elias Sunny (Bangladesh), Ankush Nanda (Luxembourg), Hassan Mehmood (Sweden), and Reo Sakurano-Thomas (Japan) are the other bowlers to take a five-for on T20I debut.
Most Five-Wicket Hauls in T20Is
Moazzam Baig and Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt are the two bowlers who have picked up three or more five-wicket hauls in T20Is.
Ashton Agar (Australia), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India), Kuldeep Yadav (India), Varun Chakravarthy (India), Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka), Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka), Tim Southee (New Zealand), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh), Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), and Umar Gul (Pakistan) are the bowlers from Test-playing nations to pick up a fifer twice in T20Is.
