Best bowling figures in T20 World Cup

Sri Lanka’s Ajantha Mendis has the best bowling figures in the T20 World Cup history.The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup has seen some remarkable bowling performances that have defied the notion that T20 cricket is dominated by batsmen.

Despite smaller boundaries and heavier bats favoring the batters, several bowlers have delivered breathtaking performances, often playing crucial roles in their teams’ victories. Sri Lankan bowlers dominated the list of the best bowling performances in the history of the T20 World Cup, with three of them making the list. Here are the best bowling figures in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup:

Related: Most runs in One Season of T20 World Cup

Best bowling figures in T20 World Cup

Bowler	Overs	Maiden	Runs	Wickets	Team	Against	Year
Ajantha Mendia	4	2	8	6	Sri Lanka	Zimbabwe	2012
Rangana Herath	3.3	2	3	5	Sri Lanka	New Zealand	2014
Umar Gul	3	0	6	5	Pakistan	New Zealand	2009
Ahsan Malik	4	0	19	5	Netherlands	South Africa	2014
Adam Zampa	4	0	19	5	Australia	Bangladesh	2021
Mujeeb Ur Rahman	4	0	20	5	Afghanistan	Scotland	2021
Mustafizur Rahman	4	0	22	5	Bangladesh	New Zealand	2016
James Faulkner	4	0	27	5	Australia	Pakistan	2016
Lasith Malinga	4	0	31	5	Sri Lanka	England	2012

#1. Ajantha Mendis – 6/8 vs Zimbabwe in T20 World Cup 2012

Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis holds the record for the best bowling figures in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history with 6 wickets for 8 runs. He made this record against Zimbabwe in the 2012 T20 World Cup. Mendis’ outstanding performance helped Sri Lanka defend their total of 183 runs, leading to an 82-run victory. This win is the eighth largest margin of victory in the tournament’s history.

Mendis’ 6/8 is also the second-best bowling figure in T20 International cricket, only surpassed by India’s Deepak Chahar, who took 6 wickets for 7 runs against Bangladesh in November 2019.

#2. Rangana Herath – 5/3 vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2014

Sri Lankan spinner Rangana Herath holds the second-best bowling figures in T20 World Cup history. He took 5 wickets for just 3 runs against New Zealand in Chattogram during the 2014 T20 World Cup. Herath’s incredible performance helped Sri Lanka bowl out New Zealand for just 60 runs while defending a modest target of 120. This crucial win was instrumental in Sri Lanka’s journey to the semi-finals, and they eventually won the tournament by defeating India in the final.

#3. Umar Gul – 5/6 vs New Zealand in T20 World Cup 2009

Umar Gul, a fast bowler from Pakistan, holds the record for the best bowling figures by any fast bowler in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. His remarkable figures of 5 wickets for 6 runs at The Oval in 2009 helped Pakistan bowl out New Zealand for just 99 runs, leading to a comfortable 6-wicket victory.

Gul was the highest wicket-taker in that tournament with 13 wickets. Notably, he is one of the few bowlers to feature twice (2007, 2009) in the top wicket-takers list of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, thanks to his impressive yorkers.

#4. Ahsan Malik – 5/19 vs South Africa in T20 World Cup 2014

Ahsan Malik’s bowling figures of 5/19 against South Africa at Chattogram in 2014 are the best by a player from an associate nation in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Bowling first, Malik’s crucial wickets restricted South Africa to 145 runs. Despite his brilliant performance, the Netherlands narrowly missed out on a famous win, losing by just six runs

#5. Mujeeb Ur Rahman – 5/20 vs Scotland in T20 World Cup 2021

Afghanistan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman got his best bowling figures of 5/20 in a T20 International match against Scotland during the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. His outstanding performance helped Afghanistan bowl out Scotland for their lowest T20I score of 60, leading to a massive 130-run victory.