Bowling captains are a rarity in cricket, and if a bowler does lead a side, it happens mostly in white-ball cricket. This is because the game is short and a skipper can have a clear set of plans on the field as opposed to being at the helm in Tests or, to an extent, in T20Is.
But that said, leading a team while also having to bowl themselves is a different challenge, and many skippers have embraced it. They not only skippered the side but never let their own game get affected by the pressures of leading the side.
Here in this piece, we will celebrate such captains who have upped their game while being at the helm of things. Have a look at the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets as captains in T20I cricket.
Most Wickets as a Captain in T20I
| Player | Team | Innings | Wickets as Captain | Average | BBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Perchard | Jersey | 51 | 83 | 13.68 | 5/17 |
| Mohammed Aslam | Kuwait | 69 | 77 | 19.46 | 4/5 |
| Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 41 | 69 | 13.37 | 4/14 |
| Gerhard Erasmus | Namibia | 56 | 58 | 16.25 | 3/7 |
| Clinton Rubagumya | Rwanda | 62 | 58 | 21.48 | 3/5 |
| Sikandar Raza | Zimbabwe | 54 | 57 | 20.45 | 5/18 |
| Moazzam Baig | Malawi | 33 | 55 | 9.50 | 6/9 |
| Aqib Iqbal | Austria | 44 | 54 | 20.35 | 3/28 |
| Sylvester Okpe | Nigeria | 52 | 46 | 19.41 | 5/9 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 39 | 46 | 21.08 | 5/20 |
Key Insights on Exceptional Bowling Records by T20I Captains
Dominant Wicket-Takers from Associate Nations
Charles Perchard (Jersey) leads the overall list of captain wicket-takers, closely followed by Mohammed Aslam (Kuwait).
The top two wicket-taking captains, Charles Perchard and Mohammed Aslam are from countries that are not yet full-member ICC sides.
Full Member Nations: Rashid Khan (AFG) and Sikandar Raza (ZIM) are the only two players from the full-member teams to have 50+ T20I wickets, while leading the national side. Find out which spinner has the most wickets in the shortest format of the game.
In total, 8 bowlers have secured 50 or more wickets while leading their respective sides in T20 Internationals.
World Record Bowling Averages and Strike Rates
Moazzam Baig of Malawi holds the record for the least bowling average (best) for a captain with at least 20 wickets, maintaining a remarkable figure of 9.95.
This record is significantly better than the next best, 10.78, held by Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane.
The best strike rate among captains with 20 or more wickets is held by another Baig – Qatar’s Mirza Mohammed Baig.
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, a captain from a full-member nation, has a highly impressive average of 13.37.
Read: Bowlers with the Best Economy Rate in T20I
Best Innings Figures and Multiple Five-Wicket Hauls
Moazzam Baig’s 6/9 (6 wickets for 9 runs) stands as the best bowling figure by any captain in T20Is.
The only other bowling skippers to take 6 wickets in an innings are Hernan Fennell, who recorded figures of 6/18, and Maurice Castillo with 6/16 vs Panama in 2024.
A total of 16 captains have achieved a five-wicket haul (5-fer) in a T20I innings while leading their side.
Shakib Al Hasan (twice) and Moazzam Baig (thrice) are the only two captains who have managed this exceptional feat more than once.
