Best figures recorded in T20I cricket
They say T20I is a batter-dominated format in which bowlers are made to toil hard especially in the first six overs with only two fielders allowed inside the circle. The bowler gets a chance to finish on a high in his second spell in the middle and death overs, but even that depends on his luck on a given day.
However, there have been bowlers who have excelled at the shortest format by accuracy and consistency and have gone on to register best bowling figures. Without further ado, here’s a look at three of them (Full Members).
3. Ajantha Mendis – 6/16 vs Australia 2011
Ajantha Mendis’ cricket career might have come to an abrupt end due to recurring back injuries, but he was unplayable in his prime, having mastered the art of the carrom ball to bamboozle the world-class batters. He outclassed the famed Australian batting line up in the second T20I in Pallekele in August 2011, as he accounted for the likes of Shane Watson, David Warner, Shaun Marsh, Steve Smith, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson. His figures of 6/16 from four overs at an economy of four including a maiden helped the Lankans register an eight-run win.
2. Ajantha Mendis- 6/8 vs Zimbabwe 2012
The Sri Lankan mystery spinner once again finds a mention on this elite list as he went on to take yet another six-wicket haul, this time against Zimbabwe in a T20 World Cup 2012 group encounter at Hambantota. Mendis dismissed the likes of Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya and Kyle Jarvis to finish with figures of 6/8 from his four overs at an economy of just 2, including two maidens. Sri Lanka went on to register a comprehensive 82-run victory.
1. Deepak Chahar 6/7 vs Bangladesh 2019
Deepak Chahar has proved himself as one of India’s most impactful performers with the bat and ball over the years. It is his first spell with the new ball that stands out as he has the ability to provide vital breakthroughs. Chahar destroyed Bangladesh in the series-deciding third T20I at Nagpur in November 2019, dismissing Litton Das, Soumya Sarkar, Mohammad Mithun, Animul Islam, Shafiul Islam and Mustafizur Rahman. The pacer finished with outstanding bowling figures of 6/7 from his 3.2 overs at an economy of 2.10 ,as India registered a 30-run win.
