In this article, we are going to find out the best wicket-taker in T20 international cricket and consider who are the next nine among the top 10 T20I wicket-takers.
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1. SL Malinga
Sri Lankan paceman Lasith Malinga has played 84 T20Is in which he has taken 107 wickets at 20.79. He achieved his best bowling performance against the touring New Zealand team in a match in Pallekele in September 2019. Chasing 126 to win, New Zealand were bundled out for 88 mainly due to Malinga’s bowling returns of 5/6 to dismiss the top five batsmen. Among his many match-winning performances, arguably his most impactful one came against the West Indies in the semifinal of the ICC World T20 in Dhaka on 3 April 2014 when he took 2/5 to thwart a run chase. Sri Lanka went on to beat India in the final to lift the Cup. He last played in a T20I match in March 2020.
2. Shahid Afridip>Pakistani leg spinner Shahid Afridi has taken 98 wickets in 99 T20Is at 24.44. He achieved his best bowling figures of 4/11 against the Netherlands at Lord’s on 9 June 2009, in a group match of the ICC World T20. In that game, Pakistan batted first and scored 175/5. Replying, the Netherlands were bowled out for 93 in 17.3 overs. Afridi’s 4/11 in 4 overs included the wickets of B Zuiderent, TN de Grooth, DLS van Bunge and E Schiferli. During his career, Afridi has had many more match-winning bowling performances, including 4/19 against Scotland in Durban in September 2007 and 3/14 against Australia in Dubai in May 2009. He last played a T20I game in May 2018. 3. Rashid Khanp>Afghanistan’s leg-break bowler Rashid Khan has taken 89 wickets in 48 T20Is at 12.62. In an incredible performance against Ireland in Greater Noida, India, in March 2017, Khan took 5 wickets for just 3 runs in two overs to help restrict Ireland to 93/9 when they were chasing a rain-reduced target of 111 in 11 overs. Rashid took 5/27 against the same rivals in Dehradun in February 2019 to restrict Ireland to 178/8 after Afghanistan, batting first, had posted 210/7 on the board. He last appeared in a T20I game in March 2020. 4. Umar Gulp>Pakistani right-arm fast bowler Umar Gul has played 60 T20Is and taken 85 wickets at 16.97. Against New Zealand in an ICC World T20 match held at the Oval in England on 13 June 2009, Gul produced unbelievable figures of 5/6 to help bowl out New Zealand for 99, enabling Pakistan to chase down the target in 13.1 overs. Pakistan went on to win the tournament that year. Gul last appeared in a T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton in January 2016. 5. Saeed Ajmalp>Pakistani off break bowler Saeed Ajmal has taken 85 wickets in 64 T20I games at 17.83. On 15 June 2009 at the Oval in England, Ajmal recorded his best bowling figures against Ireland in an ICC World T20 game. Batting first, Pakistan made 159/5. Ireland in reply were restricted to 120/9, to which Ajmal contributed 4/19, accounting for the dismissals of Porterfield, K O’Brien, Mooney and Cusack. During his career, Ajmal also took 4/26 against South Africa in May 2010 and 4/23 against England in February 2012. He last appeared in a T20I Match in April 2015. 6. Shakib Al Hasanp>In 76 T20I matches, Bangladesh’s slow left-arm orthodox bowler Shakib al Hasan has taken 84 wickets at 20.58. Shakib achieved his best bowling figures against the West Indies in Dhaka in December 2018 when the tourists, who were chasing 212 to win the game, were bowled out for 175 in 19.2 overs thanks to Shakib’s returns of 5/20 that saw him named the Man of the Match. Against the same rivals in Johannesburg in September 2007 in a group game of the ICC World T20, Shakib took 4/34 to help restrict WI to a score of 164/8, paving the way for Bangladesh to chase down the target with 6 wickets and 12 balls to spare. 7. TG Southeep>New Zealand’s right-arm pacer Tim Southee has taken 78 wickets in 71 matches at 27.44. He achieved his best bowling figures against Pakistan in Auckland in December 2010. In that game, Pakistan batted first and Southee took 5/18, accounting for the dismissals of Md Hafeez, Ahmed Shahzad, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq. Southee’s effort helped to restrict Pakistan to 143/9, paving the way for New Zealand to chase down the target in 17.1 overs with 5 wickets to spare. He last appeared in a T20I Match in February 2020. 8. GH Dockrellp>Irish slow left-arm orthodox bowler George Dockrell has taken 76 wickets in 77 T20I games at 21.36. On 13 February 2010, Ireland faced the Netherlands in an ICC World T20 qualifier in Dubai. Batting first, they made 151/6. Replying, the Netherlands were bowled out for 86, thanks largely to Dockrell’s best T20I bowling figures of 4/20, in which he accounted for the scalps of Van Bunge, Borren, Jonkman and Seelaar. Dockrell last appeared in a T20I in March 2020. 9. Mohammad Nabip>Afghanistan’s right-arm off break bowler Md Nabi has played 75 T20I matches to take 69 wickets at 26.65. He achieved his best bowling figures against Ireland in Dubai in January 2017. Nabi took 4/10, including the scalps of Stirling, Porterfield, K O’Brien and Young, to help bowl out Ireland for 71, paving the way for a 10-wicket win that Afghanistan achieved in 7.5 overs. Nabi last appeared in a T20I in March 2020. 10. BAW Mendisp>Sri Lankan right-arm spinner BAW Mendis has taken 66 wickets in 30 T20Is at 14.42. Mendis achieved his best bowling figures against Zimbabwe in Hambantota in September 2012. In that game, Sri Lanka batted first and scored 182/4. Replying, Zimbabwe were bowled out 100 largely due to Mendis’s figures of 6/8 in which he accounted for the dismissals of the top four batsmen in the batting order. He also took 6/16 against Australia in August 2011. Mendis last appeared in a T20I Match in May 2014