Many say batters play a larger role in a team’s success. However, it’s the bowlers who hold the ultimate power to shape a team’s fortunes in a tournament like the T20 World Cup.
Over the years, many renowned bowlers have made a mark in the global T20 tournament. A few of them made a larger impact by topping the wicket charts in particular editions.
This article will list the bowlers with the most wickets in each T20 World Cup edition.
Leading Wicket-Takers in Each T20 World Cup Edition
| Player | Team | Wickets | Edition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Umar Gul | Pakistan | 13 | 2007 |
| Umar Gul | Pakistan | 13 | 2009 |
| Dirk Nannes | Australia | 14 | 2010 |
| Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | 15 | 2012 |
| Ahsan Malik / Imran Tahir | Netherlands / South Africa | 12 | 2014 |
| Mohammad Nabi | Afghanistan | 12 | 2016 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 16 | 2021 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 15 | 2022 |
| Arshdeep Singh / Fazalhaq Farooqi | India / Afghanistan | 17 | 2024 |
2007 | Umar Gul (Pakistan)
Umar Gul was the leading wicket-taker in the 2007 inaugural T20 World Cup. The Pakistani pacer played an important role in helping Pakistan qualify for the final.
Gul started the tournament by picking up a 4-fer against Scotland and continued racking up wickets in other matches. He ended up with 13 scalps in 7 innings at an economy rate of 5.60.
2009 | Umar Gul (Pakistan)
Umar Gul topped the wicket charts in the 2009 T20 World Cup and propelled Pakistan to clinch the silverware. He continued from where he left off in the inaugural iteration.
Gul was a consistent force with the ball, picking up 13 wickets in 7 outings at an economy rate of 6.44. In one of the matches against New Zealand, he took 5 wickets, making him the first bowler to grab a five-wicket haul in the T20 World Cup.
2010 | Dirk Nannes (Australia)
Dirk Nannes had a short international stint with Australia, but he made his mark in the 2010 T20 World Cup. He was the driving force behind Australia’s maiden final appearance.
The left-arm pacer stormed his way in the tournament, taking 14 wickets at an average of 13.07. This also included a four-wicket haul against Bangladesh and 2 crucial three-wicket hauls against India and Pakistan.
2012 | Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka)
Ajantha Mendis outfoxed the batters with his mystery spin. He produced one of his best performances in the 2012 edition, staged on home soil in Sri Lanka.
With familiar bowling conditions, Mendis started with a bang, delivering the best bowling figures in the T20 World Cup (6/8 vs Zimbabwe). His bowling efforts led Sri Lanka to the final, where he returned with the figures of 4 for 12 against the West Indies.
Mendis’ efforts, though, went in vain, but he topped the wicket charts, scalping 15 wickets in 6 games at an average of 9.80.
2014 | Ahsan Malik (Netherlands) & Imran Tahir (South Africa)
The 2014 edition saw 2 bowlers emerge as the joint leading wicket-takers.
The first was the Netherlands’ Ahsan Malik, who became the first bowler from an associate team to pick up the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. Malik pocketed 12 wickets in 7 innings, including a five-for against South Africa.
The other bowler was South Africa’s leg spinner, Imran Tahir. He also picked up 12 wickets in 5 matches on the spin-friendly pitches in Bangladesh.
2016 | Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
Mohammad Nabi had a remarkable outing in the 2016 edition. He powered Afghanistan to advance to the Super 10 stage with his brilliant bowling performances in the first round.
In their last match of the Super 10 stage, Nabi’s 2 for 26 against the West Indies helped Afghanistan script a massive upset. In all, the spinner rounded off his campaign with 12 wickets in 7 innings at an average of 13.66.
2021 | Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
Wanindu Hasaranga made merry on the slow UAE pitches in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Initially, he troubled batters from the weaker sides in the first round and followed it up with remarkable performances against formidable teams.
The Sri Lankan spinner grabbed 16 wickets in 8 outings at an average of 9.75. His 16 wickets are the most by a bowler in a single edition.
2022 | Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
A year later, Wanindu Hasaranga ruled the roost on the Australian pitches and topped the wicket charts. He became the second bowler to pick up the most wickets in consecutive editions after Umar Gul.
Moreover, Hasarana is the only bowler to take 15 or more wickets each in 2 T20 World Cup iterations. In 2022, he snatched 15 wickets in 8 games at an average of 13.26.
2024 | Arshdeep Singh (India) & Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan)
The 2024 edition saw 2 bowlers emerge as the leading wicket-takers. India’s Arshdeep Singh and Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi scalped 17 wickets each in 8 innings. Both pacers played a crucial role in taking their teams to knockouts, with Arshdeep helping India win the trophy the second time.
