Once considered a batsman’s playground and a bowler’s nightmare, the T20 format has slowly and steadily evolved into a format more friendly towards the bowlers. Or maybe it is the bowlers who have reinvented themselves to the nitty-gritty of the sport. In these days, you can win a T20 match with an average batting lineup but maybe not with average bowlers. To celebrate the bowlers and how bowling in T20 cricket has magnificently evolved in the last decade, we take a look at the Top 5 bowling performances in World T20.
1. Ajantha Mendis (4-2-8-6 vs Zimbabwe at Hambantota in 2012)
Ajantha Mendis, the mystery Sri Lankan spinner who burst onto the scene in 2008 with a man of the series winning display against India, demolished Zimbabwe at Hambantota in the 2012 World T20. The offspinner bamboozled the Zimbabwe batsmen in an incredible haul of six wickets for eight runs from four overs. Mendis ripped through a hapless Zimbabwe with an array of off-spinners, googlies and his trademark carrom balls. Mendis’ six-wicket haul still remains the greatest spell of spin bowling in a T20 international.
2. Rangana Herath (3.3-2-3-5 vs New Zealand at Chittagong in 2014)
Rangana Herath’s five-for took Sri Lanka atop Group 1 and into the semifinals as the Lankans went on to claim their first World T20 in Bangladesh in 2014. Herath breezed through the New Zealand batting lineup on a spinner’s paradise at Chittagong and Sri Lanka bowled out the Kiwis for a mere 60 runs to win the match by 59 runs and march on to the semifinals. Herath bowled in tandem with off-spinner Sachitra Senanayake and piled on the pressure on a New Zealand batting lineup which looked hapless on a rank turner at Chittagong. Herath’s figures of five for three are the third best figures in the history of the shortest format of the game, only behind Ajantha Mendis’ twin six-wicket hauls.
3. Umar Gul (3-0-6-5 vs New Zealand at The Oval in 2009)
Pakistani pacer Umar Gul became the first bowler to take a five-wicket haul in T20 internationals when he ran through the New Zealand batting at The Oval in the 2009 edition of the World T20. It was a terrific display of bowling as Gul managed to reverse swing a ball that was only about 10 overs old and cleaned up the New Zealanders for 99, making it an easy chase for Pakistan. Gul played a crucial role throughout the tournament for Pakistan, particularly with his death bowling and was instrumental in Pakistan clinching the World T20 in 2009. Umar Gul’s fine display of pace bowling is 3rd in our list of Top 5 bowling performances in World T20.
4. Ahsan Malik (4-0-19-5 vs South Africa at Chittagong in 2014)
Netherlands seamer Ahsan Malik returned the best ever bowling figures for an Associate player against a full member in a T20 international with his five for 19 against South Africa in the previous edition of the World T20 at Chittagong. Malik was the star performer for the Netherlands as they restricted a world-class South African batting lineup to a modest score. South Africa only managed 146 and Imran Tahir stepped up and saved South Africa’s blushes by restricting Netherlands to 139 in 18.4 overs with a four-wicket haul. So nearly an upset!
5. Lasith Malinga (4-0-31-5 vs England at Pallekele in 2012)
Arguably the best T20 bowler in this generation, Lasith Malinga’s figures of 4-0-31-5 were instrumental in knocking out defending champions England from the Super-8 stage of the World T20 in 2012. It was a superb display from the fast bowler as he ripped out the English top order with three wickets in four balls and returned at the death to complete the England misery, bamboozling the batsmen with a mix of slower balls, inswinging yorkers and short deliveries. “Slinga Malinga” takes the 5th spot in the Top 5 bowling performances in World T20.