Since India won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007, there has never been a look back for the shortest format. It has grown by bounds year by year, and now it is almost a mandatory occasion in all bilateral series.
Even though multiple domestic T20 leagues are proceeding around the globe, there is always a separate fanbase for international T20s.
Like batters, bowlers also have an equal role in any team’s success in T20 cricket. Having said that, very few bowlers have been able to crack the T20 code and continue to be successful in the format for a long time.
So, we will talk about those bowlers who have fetched success for the men in blue for a long time.
What follows is the list of the top ten Indian bowlers who have picked the most number of wickets in T20 Internationals.
Most Wickets for India in T20Is
| BOWLER | WICKETS | INNINGS | BEST | ECONOMY | STRIKE RATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuzvendra Chahal | 96 | 79 | 6/25 | 8.19 | 18.37 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 90 | 86 | 5/4 | 6.96 | 19.9 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 89 | 69 | 3/7 | 6.27 | 16.95 |
| Hardik Pandya | 86 | 91 | 4/16 | 8.17 | 18.82 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 83 | 54 | 4/9 | 8.37 | 13.43 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 72 | 65 | 4/8 | 6.90 | 20.1 |
| Kuldeep Yadav | 69 | 39 | 5/17 | 6.77 | 12.46 |
| Axar Patel | 62 | 60 | 3/9 | 7.38 | 18.69 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 54 | 71 | 3/15 | 7.13 | 25.11 |
| Ravi Bishnoi | 48 | 32 | 4/13 | 7.29 | 15.58 |
Key Stats
South African opener Loots Bosman dismissed by Zaheer Khan, thanks to the catch by Sachin Tendulkar at first slip, is the first-ever wicket by an Indian bowler in T20Is. It happened in the only T20 match of India’s bilateral tour to South Africa in Johannesburg in late 2006.
Only two players have picked a 6-wicket haul for India in T20Is – Deepak Chahar (6/7) and Yuzvendra Chahal (6/25), with the former holding the tag of best bowling performance for Team India in T20Is.
The table topper, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, is the leading 5-wicket haul picker in the format for the side too. Will he be the first Indian to pick 100 T20I wickets? We have to wait and see as the swing-bowler has been sidelined after India’s losing semi-final exit in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
Bhuvi also tops the Indian bowlers’ list for most maiden overs in T20 cricket.
