There are times when some standout performances don’t result in a win for their respective side and undeservingly end up coming short. This can be a lone warrior innings with the bat or a lion-hearted effort with the ball. These instances may not have resulted in their team’s win, but surely won’t go unnoticed.
Here we will see the best bowling figures that ended up on the losing side of the result.
Best T20I Bowling Figures in Losing Causes
| Player | Match Figures | Against | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasrulla Rana (Hong Kong) | 6/12 | P.N.G | Kuala Lumpur | 2023 |
| Aqib Iqbal (Austria) | 5/5 | Belgium | Waterloo | 2021 |
| Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal) | 5/9 | Kenya | Nairobi | 2022 |
| Kepler Lukies (Philippines) | 5/10 | Vanuatu | Port Moresby | 2023 |
| Hassan Mehmood (Sweden) | 5/14 | Denmark | Brondby | 2021 |
| Abass Gbla (Sierra Leone) | 5/16 | Nigeria | Lagos | 2021 |
| Samuel Conteh (Sierra Leone) | 5/17 | Nigeria | Lagos | 2021 |
| Varun Chakravarthy (India) | 5/17 | South Africa | Gqeberha | 2024 |
| Kervon Hinds (Bahamas) | 5/18 | Cayman Islands | Buenos Aires | 2023 |
| Ahsan Malik (Netherlands) | 5/19 | South Africa | Chattogram | 2014 |
Key Insights on Exceptional Bowling Performances in T20I Defeats
Most Wickets in a T20I Losing Cause
Nasrulla Rana has delivered the best bowling figures in a losing cause in T20Is. The Hong Kong pacer’s 6 for 12 wasn’t enough to overcome Papua New Guinea in the 2023 Malaysia tri-nation series.
Varun Chakravarthy’s 5 for 17 against South Africa in the 2024 Gqeberha T20I is the best bowling figure in a losing cause by a bowler from a Test-playing nation. (Check Chakravarthy’s opponent-wise T20I stats here.)
Chakravarthy is the only bowler to pick up two five-wicket hauls in T20I losses. His other five-for – 5 for 24 – came against England in the 2025 Rajkot T20I.
The Netherlands’ Ahsan Malik has recorded the best bowling figures in a defeat in the T20 World Cup. He had figures of 5 for 19 against South Africa in the 2014 edition.
Nalin Nipiko (Vanuatu) and Lucas Oluoch (Kenya) are the two bowlers with three or more four-wicket hauls in losing T20Is.
Best Figures in T20I Losses by Captains and Host Bowlers
Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane has delivered the best bowling figures as a captain in a losing T20I. He had figures of 5 for 9 against Kenya in the 2022 Nairobi T20I.
Ghana’s Obed Harvey is the other captain with a five-for in a losing cause in T20Is, as his 5 for 36 against Uganda ended up on the wrong side in 2024.
Argentina’s Hernan Fennell has bowled the best bowling figures at home in a losing T20I. He returned with 5 for 14 against the Cayman Islands in Buenos Aires in 2024.
Expensive Spells in T20I Losses
Gambia’s Musa Jobarteh has bowled the most expensive bowling figures in a T20I loss. He gave away 93 runs for zero wickets against Zimbabwe in 2024. This is also the most expensive spell in all T20Is.
Read Next | Best Bowling Average in T20I Cricket
