We are not very far away from the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 which is the 9th edition of this tournament. So far we have witnessed many great knocks from batsmen and match-turning bowling spells in the previous 8 editions.
In short-format tournaments, cricket fans often forget to recognize the crucial role bowlers play in leading their team to victory. We have discussed the top batsmen with the most runs in another article, here we are going to take a look at the bowlers with the most wickets in the T20 World Cup.
Most Wickets In The T20 World Cup
It seems the T20 cricket favors the batsmen who are often seen dominating the games. Batters have adopted a different style of batting in this short-form cricket and so the bowlers too have introduced some variations to put silence on their bats.
In the history of one of the most important tournaments, the T20 World Cup, we have seen many great performances from individual players. From the Bangladeshi spin bowler, Shakib Al Hasan to the right-arm off-break bowler Nathan McCullum, here are some of the best bowlers in this ICC event:
| Span | Bowler | Matches | Wickets |
| 2007-2022 | Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 36 | 47 |
| 2007-2016 | Shahid Afridi (PAK) | 34 | 39 |
| 2007-2014 | SL Malinga (SL) | 31 | 38 |
| 2009-2014 | Saeed Ajmal (PAK) | 23 | 36 |
| 2009-2014 | BAW Mendis (SL) | 21 | 35 |
| 2007-2014 | Umar Gul (PAK) | 24 | 35 |
| 2012-2022 | R Ashwin (IND) | 24 | 32 |
| 2021-2022 | PW Hasaranga (SL) | 16 | 31 |
| 2009-2016 | DW Steyn (SA) | 23 | 30 |
| 2007-2014 | SCJ Broad (ENG) | 26 | 30 |
| 2010-2022 | TG Southee (NZ) | 22 | 29 |
| 2012-2022 | MA Starc (AUS) | 20 | 27 |
| 2007-2021 | DJ Bravo (WI) | 34 | 27 |
| 2014-2022 | TA Boult (NZ) | 14 | 25 |
| 2016-2022 | IS Sodhi (NZ) | 17 | 25 |
| 2012-2016 | S Badree (WI) | 15 | 24 |
| 2007-2014 | M Morkel (SA) | 17 | 24 |
| 2016-2022 | A Zampa (AUS) | 14 | 23 |
| 2016-2022 | Rashid Khan (AFG) | 15 | 23 |
| 2007-2016 | NL McCullum (NZ) | 22 | 23 |
If we look at the top 5 players, at the number one position is seated Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan who has taken 41 wickets in just 31 matches. Following him at the second position is legendary Pakistan bowler Shahid Afridi who has played 34 matches and took 39 wickets. Another Pakistani bowler in the top five is Saeed Ajmal who is at the 4 number with 36 wickets in 23 matches.
Similar to Pakistan, there are two bowlers from Sri Lanka as well. At the second number is one of the greatest pace bowler, Lasith Malinga, who has dismissed 38 batters in 31 matches. At the fifth position is the Ajantha Mendis with 35 wickets in 21 matches. Mendis is also present in another list that we are going to explore next – highest wicket takers in a single edition.
Most Wickets In Every Edition
In 2012 the Sri Lankan bowler, Ajanta Mendis took 15 wickets in 6 matches. For almost a decade he held the record of most wickets in a single edition of the T20 World Cup, but recently in the previous season, another Sri Lankan bowler, Wanindu Hasaranga broke the record of taking 16 wickets in 8 matches. Here you can see the complete list of leading wicket-takers in each edition:
| Year | Bowler | Matches | Wickets | Team |
| 2007 | Umar Gul | 7 | 13 | Pakistan |
| 2009 | Umar Gul | 7 | 13 | Pakistan |
| 2010 | Drik Nannes | 7 | 14 | Australia |
| 2012 | Ajantha Mendis | 6 | 15 | Sri Lanka |
| 2014 | Imran Tahir | 5 | 12 | South Africa |
| 2016 | Mohammad Nabi | 7 | 12 | Afghanistan |
| 2021 | Wanindu Hasaranga | 8 | 16 | Sri Lanka |
So these were some of the most successful bowlers in the history of the T20 World Cup. This next edition of this ICC event will be played soon, we woulc recommend you to check our another article for more information: ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024: Complete Schedule