There’s no doubt batters have a huge role to play in T20Is, but bowlers’ performances cannot be understated. Bowlers have the mighty task of keeping a lid on batters and strangling them for every single run while picking up wickets.
Their role becomes even more prominent in multi-nation tournaments like the T20 World Cup. A bowler’s performance can make a huge difference in a team’s overall campaign.
Over the years, the T20I competition has witnessed bowlers put out remarkable performances consistently throughout a single edition.
On that note, let’s look at the top 10 instances of bowlers taking the most wickets in a single T20 World Cup edition.
Most Wickets in a Single T20 World Cup Edition
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Economy | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arshdeep Singh (IND) | 8 | 17 | 7.16 | 2024 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG) | 8 | 17 | 6.31 | 2024 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 8 | 16 | 5.20 | 2021 |
| Ajantha Mendis (SL) | 6 | 15 | 6.12 | 2012 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 8 | 15 | 6.41 | 2022 |
| Jasprit Bumrah (IND) | 8 | 15 | 4.17 | 2024 |
| Anrich Nortje (SA) | 9 | 15 | 5.74 | 2024 |
| Dirk Nannes (AUS) | 7 | 14 | 7.03 | 2010 |
| Rashid Khan (AFG) | 8 | 14 | 6.17 | 2024 |
| Rishad Hossain (BAN) | 7 | 14 | 7.76 | 2024 |
Key Insights
Arshdeep Singh and Fazalhaq Farooqi hold the record for picking up the most wickets in a single T20 World Cup edition. Both pacers dismissed 17 batters in 8 innings at an impressive economy of 7.16 and 6.31, respectively, in 2024.
Hasaranga (2021 & 2022) and Umar Gul (2007 & 2009) are the only 2 bowlers who have taken 13 or more wickets in 2 different World Cup editions. Coincidentally, both did this in consecutive tournaments.
Ajantha Mendis and Anrich Nortje have picked up the most four-wicket hauls in a single tourney. Both bowlers grabbed 2 four-fers each, with Mendis achieving it first in 2012 and Nortje levelling the feat in 2022.
South Africa’s Nortje also has the best bowling average (8.54 in 2022) for a bowler in an edition, while his fellow countryman Charl Langeveldt has the best strike rate (8.7 in 2010).
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