T20 World Cup Records: Best Bowling Figures
Lovers of cricket have also witnessed record-breaking centuries and profound batting and bowling displays in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Although T20 format cricket is a ball-friendly format of the game, full of boosted batting sides, some of the bowlers too had produced stunning shows on the field. As it can be seen, Sri Lanka dominated the bowling table. The record for the best bowling figures belongs to the tournament that Ajantha Mendis performed in.
| Rank | Figures | Player | Overs |
| 1 | 6/8 | Ajantha Mendis | 4.0 |
| 2 | 5/3 | Rangana Herath | 3.3 |
| 3 | 5/6 | Umar Gul | 3.0 |
| 4 | 5/9 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | 4.0 |
| 5 | 5/10 | Sam Curran | 3.4 |
- Ajantha Mendis (6/8 vs Zimbabwe, 2012)
Ajantha Mendis has been creating headlines ever since one of his sensational spells during the T20 World Cup in 2012 against Zimbabwe. Bowling at what is currently called MRIC Stadium in Hambantota, the bowler took six wickets at an astonishing 8 runs in just 4 overs. The confusing spins left Zimbabwean batters on their knees, thereby guiding Sri Lanka to an easy victory. And, it is still the best bowling figure in T20 World Cup history. This performance reflects Mendis’s mystery spin at its acme and also sets the stage for Sri Lanka’s campaign.
- Rangana Herath (5/3 vs New Zealand, 2014)
Rangana Herath produced almighty havoc on the New Zealanders in a must-win Super 10 match at the 2014 T20 World Cup, staged under lights in Chittagong. He took 5 wickets for just 3 runs in 3.3 overs and destroyed the New Zealand batting line-up. Bowl them out for 60: thanks to his masterful use of flight and spin, Sri Lanka qualified for the semi-final. It was a defining-match spell from the veteran left-arm spinner, hailed as one of the most economical five-wicket hauls in T20 cricket.
- Umar Gul (5/6 vs New Zealand, 2009)
Umar Gul of Pakistan conjured a fiery bowling spell against New Zealand at The Oval in the 2009 T20 World Cup, where he put all the Kiwi batsmen to rest, wrapping up 5 wickets for a meager 6 runs in just 3 overs. His reverse swing with the old ball in the death overs dismantled the Kiwi lower order. This explosive performance helped Pakistan bowl out New Zealand under 100, which eventually saw Pakistan crowned champions. Gul has written his name into the legendary books of T20 bowling efforts.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi (5/9 vs Uganda, 2024)
In the 2024 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan speedster Fazalhaq Farooqi set the stage by enjoying a prosperous spell against Uganda, claiming 5 wickets for 9 runs in 4 overs. Taking place at Providence Stadium in Guyana, he proved that early movement and accuracy can be devastating against certain top-order batsmen. His spell, as expected of Afghanistan, had Afghanistan go forth to a dominating score while further enhancing esteem as an effective new-ball bowler. This performance reiterated how Afghan cricket was maturing into a strong international T20 competition.
- Sam Curran (5/10 vs Afghanistan, 2022)
England’s Sam Curran stood master and conqueror in the 2022 T20 World Cup against Afghanistan, played at Perth Stadium, where he took 5 wickets at 10 runs in 3.4 overs, thus being the first player from England ever to claim a five-wicket haul in a T20 World Cup. Demonstrating the best discipline and versatility in his bowling, Curran made it difficult for Afghanistan to solidify a fair score, hence securing a clean win. This performance greatly contributed to England’s standing in the tournament, which culminated in triumph.
The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has produced some incredible moments, but Ajantha Mendis has set the benchmark for the best bowling figures. His 6/8 against Zimbabwe in 2012 illustrates how a particular bowler can influence a game that is usually all about batsmen.
The world has seen a lot of bowlers coming up and dominating opponents in this format of the game and a special mention to Mendis whose efforts have self-empowered young bowlers who feel it is within them to make history in any form of cricket especially when considering cricket betting tips on Khelraja.
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