A bowler’s job is quite tough in T20 cricket. Batters smash them left, right, centre to score as many runs as possible.
This can be demoralising for a bowler. But a few of them overcome the batters with heaps of wickets. And to do so in the T20 World Cup is a special achievement for a bowler.
So, who has picked the highest wickets in each T20 World Cup edition?
Let’s find out in the table below!
Most Wickets in Each T20 World Cup Edition
| Edition | Player | Wickets | Innings | Economy | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Umar Gul (PAK) | 13 | 7 | 5.60 | 4/25 |
| 2009 | Umar Gul (PAK) | 13 | 7 | 6.44 | 5/6 |
| 2010 | Dirk Nannes (AUS) | 14 | 7 | 7.03 | 4/18 |
| 2012 | Ajantha Mendis (SL) | 15 | 6 | 6.12 | 6/8 |
| 2014 | Imran Tahir (SA) Ahsan Malik (NED) | 12 12 | 5 7 | 6.55 6.68 | 4/21 5/19 |
| 2016 | Mohammad Nabi (AFG) | 12 | 7 | 6.07 | 4/20 |
| 2021 | Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 16 | 8 | 5.20 | 3/9 |
| 2022 | Wanindu Hasaranga (SL) | 15 | 8 | 6.41 | 3/8 |
| 2024 | Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG) Arshdeep Singh (IND) | 17 17 | 8 8 | 6.31 7.16 | 5/9 4/9 |
Key Insights
Fazalhaq Farooqi and Arshadeep Singh scripted history in the 2024 T20 World Cup edition. The two left-arm pacers picked up 17 wickets each, making it the joint-most scalps in a single iteration.
Umar Gul and Wanindu Hasaranga are the two bowlers to top the wicket charts in two T20 World Cup editions each. Gul took 13 wickets in consecutive editions in 2007 and 2009. Hasaranga picked up 16 and 15 wickets in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Jasprit Bumrah, who was the second-highest wicket-taker in 2024, had an economy of 4.17, the lowest by a bowler with at least 10 wickets in a single edition.
Shakib Al Hasan, who tops the list of most wicket-takers in the T20 World Cup, does not feature in this list. This shows his contribution through multiple editions of the World Cup.
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