Over the past decade, cricket has often felt like a batter’s paradise, with advanced batting techniques, mighty bats, and postage-stamp-sized boundaries tipping the scales. Yet, every now and then, bowlers remind us that they can still be the life of the party, crashing through defenses like an uninvited guest. Let’s tip our hats and raise our imaginary bails to the top five bowling figures in Men’s T20 World Cup history.
Ajantha Mendis tops the list with his phenomenal performance against Zimbabwe in the 2012 T20 World Cup. Sri Lanka posted 182, thanks to significant contributions from Kumar Sangakkara (44) and Jeevan Mendis (43*). Mendis then delivered a spellbinding performance, taking six wickets for just eight runs, completely dismantling the Zimbabwean batting order. His figures of 6/8 are the best in T20 World Cup history, ensuring Sri Lanka’s victory by a huge margin as Zimbabwe was all out for 100. Mendis’s magical spell remains a benchmark for bowling excellence in T20 cricket.
Rangana Herath
Rangana Herath’s spell against New Zealand in the 2014 T20 World Cup is a testament to his extraordinary skill as a spinner. Defending a low total of 119, Herath wreaked havoc on the New Zealand batting lineup, finishing with figures of 5/3 in just 3.3 overs. Kane Williamson was the only Kiwi batter to put up a fight with 42 runs, but the rest of the lineup crumbled, with five batsmen getting out for a duck. New Zealand was all out for 60, giving Sri Lanka a remarkable 59-run victory and Herath a place in T20 World Cup history.
Umar Gul
Umar Gul’s performance against New Zealand in the 2009 T20 World Cup is etched in cricketing folklore. Coming into the attack when New Zealand was at 72/4, Gul tore through their lineup, taking 5 wickets for just 6 runs in three overs. His victims included key players like Scott Styris and Nathan McCullum. New Zealand was bundled out for 99, and Pakistan chased down the target in under 14 overs, with Shahzaib Hasan and Shahid Afridi making significant contributions.
Fazalhaq Farooqi
On June 3, 2024, Afghanistan faced Uganda in Guyana, and Fazalhaq Farooqi delivered one of the most remarkable spells in T20 World Cup history. Afghanistan posted a challenging total of 183, thanks to impressive knocks from Rahmanullah Gurbaz (76) and Ibrahim Zadran (70). Farooqi then unleashed his magic with the ball, taking two crucial wickets in his first over, and finishing with figures of 5/9. Uganda was bowled out for just 58, highlighting Farooqi’s dominance and securing a comprehensive victory for Afghanistan.
Sam Curran
In the T20 World Cup 2022, Sam Curran delivered a stunning performance against Afghanistan, claiming five wickets for just ten runs. Afghanistan had a steady start with contributions from Ibrahim Zadran (32) and Usman Ghani (30), but Curran’s spell dismantled their innings, reducing them to a modest total of 112. England chased down the target comfortably in under 19 overs, with Liam Livingstone top-scoring with 29 not out.
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