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 eight 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 two bowlers who have taken 13 or more wickets in two 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 two 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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