Arshdeep Singh holds the record for the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition for India. 

During a T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match against Australia at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Saint Lucia, Arshdeep Singh surpassed former pacer RP Singh’s T20 World Cup 2007 tally of 12 wickets to bag the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition for India. 

Arshdeep Singh was in sensational form in T20 World Cup 2024 and scalped 17 wickets in eight matches at an average of 12.64 and an economy of 7.16.

The talented left-arm pacer earlier made his T20 World Cup debut against arch-rivals Pakistan in Melbourne in 2022. His figures of 3/32 helped India restrict Pakistan to 159/8 in their 20 overs. India later won the game by six wickets courtesy of Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 82 off 53 balls.

Arshdeep finished as India’s leading wicket-taker at T20 World Cup 2022 with 10 scalps in six matches at an average of 15.60 and an economy of 7.80.

Pace bowling spearhead Jasprit Bumrah features second on the list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition for India. 

Jasprit Bumrah was one of the standout bowlers for India in T20 World Cup 2024. The right-arm pacer tormented most of the batters, having picked up 15 wickets in eight matches at an average of 8.26 and an impressive economy of 4.17.

Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi holds the record for the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. The star left-arm pacer scalped 17 wickets in eight games in 2024.

Meanwhile, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is fourth on the list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition for India. 

Ravichandran Ashwin claimed 11 wickets in six matches in T20 World Cup 2014 to guide India to the final. However, India later suffered a six-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

Get list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition for India.

Most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition for India

Player	Tournament	Matches	Wickets
Arshdeep Singh	T20 World Cup 2024	8	17
Jasprit Bumrah	T20 World Cup 2024	8	15
RP Singh	T20 World Cup 2007	7	12
Ravichandran Ashwin	T20 World Cup 2014	6	11
Hardik Pandya	T20 World Cup 2024	8	11

Photo credit: Alamy

Throughout the history of the T20 World Cups, we have seen excellent performances from bowlers helping their teams get over the line on various occasions. 

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and Sam Curran of England were awarded the Player of the Tournament in the 2007 and 2022 editions, respectively, for their excellent bowling performances.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi holds the record for the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. He bagged 17 wickets in eight matches in 2024. Interestingly, five of the top 10 list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition have come in 2024.

India’s Arshdeep Singh is fourth on the list with 15 wickets from seven matches and just three wickets away from moving to the top. Arshdeep has one last shot at the feat as India meet South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Here is a look at the list of bowlers with most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. 

Most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition

Rank	Player	Edition	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy	Strike Rate	Best Bowling
1	Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG)	2024	8	17	9.41	6.31	8.94	5/9
2	Wanindu Hasaranga (SL)	2021	8	16	9.75	5.20	11.25	3/9
3	Ajantha Mendis (SL)	2012	6	15	9.80	6.12	9.60	6/8
4	Arshdeep Singh (IND)	2024	7	15	13.00	7.50	10.40	4/9
5	Wanindu Hasaranga (SL)	2022	8	15	13.26	6.41	12.40	3/8
6	Rashid Khan (AFG)	2024	8	14	12.78	6.17	12.42	4/17
7	Dirk Nannes (AUS)	2010	7	14	13.07	7.03	11.14	4/18
8	Rishad Hossain (BAN)	2024	7	14	13.85	7.76	10.71	3/22
9	Jasprit Bumrah (IND)	2024	7	13	8.15	4.12	11.84	3/7
10	Sam Curran (ENG)	2022	6	13	11.38	6.52	10.46	5/10

Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan) - 17 wickets in 2024

Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the chart for the bowlers with the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. The left-arm pacer has taken 17 wickets from eight matches for Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America. 

Fazal was one of the main architects of Afghanistan’s best showing in an ICC World Cup helping his side storm into the semi-finals of the showpiece event in 2024. He averaged just 9.41 runs per wicket with an unbelievable strike rate of 8.94, which means a wicket every nine balls.

Fazal started the T20 World Cup 2024 with a bang, picking up a five-wicket haul in Afghanistan's first match against Uganda in Guyana. He registered his career-best T20I figures with an impressive 5/9 in four overs as Afghanistan thrashed Uganda by 125 runs. 

The pacer showed no signs of slowing down as he picked up a match-winning 4/17 against New Zealand to power Afghanistan to a historic 84-run win over the Kiwis. He also registered a three-wicket haul against India in Afghanistan’s Super 8 contest.

Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) - 16 wickets in 2021

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga is second on the list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition with 16 wickets from eight matches in the 2021 edition held in Oman and United Arab Emirates. He averaged just 9.75 runs per wicket at a miserly economy of 5.20.

Hasaranga picked up his best figures of 3/9 in three overs as the Lankans skittled out Netherlands for 44 in their first-round match in Sharjah. Sri Lanka pocketed the contest by eight wickets and progressed to the next round. 

Throughout the World Cup Hasaranga proved to be a threat picking up a wicket every two overs for Sri Lanka. The leg-spinner was also the highest wicket-taker in the next edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022 with 15 wickets from eight matches.

Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) - 15 wickets in 2012

Ajantha Mendis was one of the pillars in Sri Lanka’s run till the finals of the T20 World Cup 2012 held in their backyard, which is still the best run by any home team in the T20 World Cup. 

Mendis tallied a total of 15 wickets from just six matches at an average of 9.80 and an excellent strike rate of 9.60. Batters found it hard to pick his mystery spin as he finished the competition with an economy of just 6.12.

Mendis provided a cue to other teams of what was in store by bowling an unbelievable spell against Zimbabwe in the first match of the T20 World Cup at Hambantota. His 6/8 off four overs is still the best bowling figures recorded by any bowler in a T20 World Cup match. Sri Lanka thrashed Zimbabwe by 82 runs to start their campaign in style.

Photo credit: Alamy

The Indian cricket team will host South Africa in a five-match T20 series scheduled to start on Thursday, June 9.  

The BCCI selection committee has announced an 18-man squad for the upcoming T20I series. Keeping in mind workload management and the rescheduled Test against England in Edgbaston to be played from July 1, the board has decided to rest several of their star players including captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

In the absence of India’s regular T20I skipper, BCCI has announced KL Rahul as the captain and Rishabh Pant as his deputy for the South Africa series.

Several standout players in the ongoing edition of the Indian T20 League have also been rewarded with a spot in the squad. Bangalore wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik and Gujarat captain Hardik Pandya have made a return to the T20I squad following their impressive performances in the Indian T20 League. 

Young pacers Umran Malik and Arshdeep Singh have also received their maiden India call-up after playing an important role for their respective franchises in the Indian T20 League. Malik, who delivered the fastest bowl in Indian T20 League 2022, picked 22 wickets in 14 matches while Arshdeep bagged 10 scalps in the ongoing tournament.

On the other hand, the South Africa cricket team has also announced its squad to be led by Temba Bavuma.

Middle-order batter Tristan Stubbs has received his maiden call-up to the Proteas set-up. Stubbs recently made his Indian T20 League debut for Mumbai in the Indian T20 League 2022.

Veteran all-rounder Wayne Parnell has made a return to the T20I squad for the first time since South Africa’s tour of England in 2017.

Fast bowler Anrich Nortje and batters Reeza Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen have also been added to the squad after recovering from their respective injuries.

All five matches of the T20I series will start at 7:00 PM IST to be played in Delhi, Cuttack, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot and Bengaluru.

India vs South Africa T20I squads

India T20I squad: KL Rahul (captain), Rishabh Pant (vice-captain/wicket-keeper), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), Hardik Pandya, Venkatesh Iyer, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Bhuvneshwar, Harshal Patel, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik

South Africa T20I squad: Temba Bavuma (captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen (wicket-keeper), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen, Marco Jansen

India vs South Africa T20I schedule and live India match times

All times in India Standard Time (IST)

Day and Date	Match	Time	Venue
Thursday, June 9	India vs South Africa, 1st T20I	7:00 PM IST	Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Sunday, June 12	India vs South Africa, 2nd T20I	7:00 PM IST	Barabati Stadium, Cuttack
Tuesday, June 14	India vs South Africa, 3rd T20I	7:00 PM IST	ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Friday, June 17	India vs South Africa, 4th T20I	7:00 PM IST	Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
Sunday, June 19	India vs South Africa, 5th T20I	7:00 PM IST	M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Benguluru

Where to watch India vs South Africa T20I series live in India?  

The India vs South Africa T20I series will be telecast live on Star Sports Network’s TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the India vs South Africa T20I series will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and JioTV. 

Play fantasy cricket with SportsAdda. Create your team, track your progress and win prizes. Start here.

Follow us on Telegram for the latest updates from the world of sports!

Interested in cricket betting? Click here to check out the list of top sites.

Featured photo: RODGER BOSCH / AFP

Sanju Samson’s Team Rajasthan and KL Rahul’s Team Punjab played yet another scorcher of a high-scoring Indian T20 League game on April 12 at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, but this time around, the former fell a mere four runs short of their target.

Monday’s game was the third consecutive instance where two teams played a game that had 180-plus runs on the board. Last season Rajasthan had triumphed in both the fixtures, but it just wasn’t their night this time around.

Chasing a target of 222 set by Punjab, Rajasthan made a superb start despite losing early wickets but faltered in the middle overs. Sanju Samson, who scored the highest individual score by a Rajasthan player, upped the ante and took the game right until the match's final ball. Facing Arshdeep Singh, Rajasthan either needed a six to win or a boundary to take the game into the Super Over.

The young skipper did try to go for the maximum but fell a few yards short as Punjab won the game by four runs. A game of a magnitude such as this is bound to produce swashbuckling stats, and here we look at a few of them.

Chetan Sakariya - The unsung hero

All of Rajasthan bowlers were taken to the cleaners by Punjab’s batsmen, but a certain Chetan Sakariya, playing in his maiden Indian T20 League season, bowled at an economy of just 7.75. That certainly is a brilliant figure considering that as many as 438 runs were scored during the match. His bowling effort was, in fact, the best among all the other bowlers who bowled more than one over in the match.

Top 5 economy rate in Rajasthan vs Punjab
Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets	Economy
Chetan Sakariya	4	31	3	7.75
Mohammed Shami	4	33	2	8.25
Arshdeep Singh	4	35	3	8.75
Chris Morris	4	41	2	10.25
Murugan Ashwin	4	43	0	10.75

A figure of 3/31 is now his third-best figure in T20 cricket. Sakariya, during his spell, bowled 13 dot balls, with only Punjab��s Mohammed Shami managing to match the tally. 

Most dot balls in Rajasthan vs Punjab

• 13- C Sakariya
• 13 �?M Shami
• 9 - Arshdeep Singh

Furthermore, two of his three wickets were opening batters and a further bifurcation explains that he gave away just 16 runs off 13 balls he bowled to the Punjab openers. 

Sanju Samson’s almost-match-winning knock

While his 63-ball 119 is the highest ever score by a Rajasthan player, Sanju Samson also achieved another record of becoming the first player to hit a ton on a captaincy debut in the Indian T20 League. Here are the top three scores by Indian T20 League captains on their debut:

• Sanju Samson 119 vs Punjab, 2021
• Shreyas Iyer 93* vs Kolkata, 2018
• Kieron Pollard 83 vs Punjab, 2019

Samson’s third century in the Indian T20 League is now the second-most by an Indian after Virat Kohli and joint fifth overall. Here is a list of players with the most tons in the Indian T20  League:

• 6 �?Chris Gayle
• 5 �?V Kohli
• 4 �?Shane Watson and David Warner
• 3- Ab De Villiers and Sanju Samson

Furthermore, Samson’s effort of 119 now the joint second-highest individual score while chasing a target in the league. It is also the second-highest individual score in a losing cause in the league.

• 128*R Pant Delhi v Hyderabad 2018
• 119 S Samson Rajasthan v Punjab 2021
• 117*A Symonds Deccan v Rajasthan 2008

*Highest runs in losing cause*

A whopping 90 of his 119 runs came through boundaries (12x4, 7x6), and this is the fourth-best return by a batsman against Punjab in the Indian T20 League. His knock also helped him complete 2000 runs in the league for Rajasthan. He is now the third Rajasthan player to reach the milestone after Ajinkya Rahane and Shane Watson.

Arshdeep Singh keeping his cool

Rajasthan needed 13 runs in the final over, and judging by the batting display they had shown in the entire game, it was supposed to be nothing but a cakewalk. On the contrary, 22-year-old Arshdeep Singh not only managed to defend the target but also scalped the wicket of Sanju Samson. He eventually ended with a figure of 3/35, which is now his second-best figure in the Indian T20 League.

Top three spells for Arshdeep Singh in Indian T20 League
Wickets	Runs	Opponent	Venue	Date
3	23	Hyderabad	Dubai	20 October 2020
3	35	Rajasthan	Mumbai	12 April 2021
2	33	Hyderabad	Dubai	8 October 2020

The young pacer made quite an impact in the game. In fact, in every phase he came to bowl, he picked a wicket. He bowled two overs during the powerplay and managed to get the wicket of Manan Vora. He got Shivam Dube in the middle over and Samson in the final over.

In his two-and-a-half-year career in the Indian T20 League, the 22-year-old has picked 15 wickets, and nine out of those have come in the death overs. Here is his detailed bifurcation of wickets:

• 4 wickets have come �?20th over.
• 3 wickets have come �?19th over.
• 1 each in -17th and 18th over.

Feature image courtesy: Twitter / Indian Premier League

This is the sixth in a series of features where we will be taking a detailed dive into the various factors that stood out during the course of the Indian T20 League 2020 season.

Just like previous editions, we saw some fine young talents turning the heat on in the recently concluded Indian T20 League season as well.

"One of the things I most enjoy is keeping an eye on budding talents," said Lee.

"To that end, this year's Indian T20 League offered up some tantalising prospects for the future. We saw Padikkal's consistency shine through for Bangalore as he ended up as their highest run-scorer. Then there was Ruturaj Gaikwad finally coming good once let out on a longer leash by Chennai. As the old guard eventually bows out, these are some of the names I see shining bright in the years to come."

So, here we take a look at some of those youngsters and how they performed during the course of the tournament.

Devdutt Padikkal and his consistency

Everyone had a lot of expectations from the 20-year-old at the beginning of the season. He had scored heaps of runs across all formats in domestic cricket prior to the Indian T20 League and he didn't let anyone down when he got the opportunity to open for Bangalore in this tournament as well. 

Padikkal not only scored a fifty on his debut but also went on to give consistent returns at the top of the order throughout the season, which saw him becoming the highest run-getter for Bangalore as well. By the end of the season, Padikkal had 473 runs to his name at an average of 31.53 and these runs included five scores of fifty or more.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and his mature knocks

The 23-year-old batsman from Maharashtra didn't get the same kind of backing in the first half of the season from Chennai as Padikkal got from his team. However, he showed what he is capable of when he was given his chance to open the innings in the last few matches.

Gaikwad went on to score 199 runs at an average of 99.50 in his last four innings combined and that included three consecutive fifties as well. All of these three half-centuries turned out to be match-winning knocks for Chennai. The best part about his knocks was the maturity with which he played. Gaikwad remained unbeaten in two out of these three occasions and thus guided his team over the line.

Kartik Tyagi's pace and impeccable yorkers

Kartik Tyagi's bowling numbers in this season -- nine wickets at an average of 40.77 -- might not appear to be that impressive but it would be harsh to judge the youngster based just on these numbers. Tyagi bowled regularly at speeds of over 140 kph and thus troubled a lot of batsmen with his pace and hard lengths.

The 20-year-old also showed an exceptional ability to bowl accurate yorkers. He had already done that in the U-19 World Cup earlier this year, but it takes immense confidence and courage to do that consistently against quality international batsmen on this stage.

Arshdeep Singh and his accuracy

He is another young pacer who impressed in this edition of the Indian T20 League. The left-arm seamer played eight matches for Punjab and picked up nine wickets at an impressive strike-rate of 16.55. Arshdeep performed well both with the new ball and in the death, but his most impressive quality was his accuracy of line and length.

He kept teasing the batsmen with good length deliveries in the off-stump channel in the powerplay overs and when it came to bowling in the death, he executed the yorkers beautifully as well. Arshdeep doesn't have the same pace as someone like Tyagi but he showed what a bowler can do with accurate lengths and clever use of angles.

Hyderabad bounced back to winning ways on Thursday, riding on the back of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow's 160-run opening wicket stand to beat Punjab by 69 runs.

After having won the toss and elected to bat, skipper David Warner decided to set a score on the board, a decision that worked wonders. Cruising alongside his partner in crime, Jonny Bairstow, Warner finally set the momentum for Hyderabad, putting 201/6 on board. And while their batting was top notch on the day, their bowling contingent oozed similar confidence, as four of their six bowlers maintained an economy of under eight, with Rashid Khan, as one can expect, topping the chart by picking three wickets for 13 in four overs, which is now his best bowling figure in the Indian T20 League.

Punjab got off on a wrong foot, and while Nicholas Pooran gave them a hope, the others crumbled like a house of card to hand Hyderabad their third-biggest win (by runs) of the Indian T20 League. 

That said, here are a few talking points from the game:

Warner and Bairstow finally off the mark

Openers David Warner and Jonny Bairstow were often criticized for letting it loose this season. In fact, prior to tonight’s game, the duo had jotted a mere 154 runs in five innings (18 vs Bangalore, 24 vs Kolkata, 77 vs Delhi, 1 vs Chennai, 34 vs Mumbai), a figure that is even less than what they accumulated at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

This was the duo’s first 100-run partnership against Punjab and fifth in the Indian T20 League. Warner and Bairstow got off to a strong start and went on to score 58 runs in the power play overs; the highest they have accumulated in the ongoing edition thus far.

Partners	Runs	Wkt	Opposition	Ground	Match Date
JM Bairstow, DA Warner	185	1st	v Bangalore	Hyderabad (Deccan)	31-Mar-19
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	160	1st	v Punjab	Dubai (DSC)	08-Oct-20
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	131	1st	v Kolkata	Hyderabad (Deccan)	21-Apr-19
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	118	1st	v Kolkata	Kolkata	24-Mar-19
DA Warner, JM Bairstow	110	1st	v Rajasthan	Hyderabad (Deccan)	29-Mar-19

Table: Highest partnership between Warner and Bairstow in Indian T20 League

Riding on their 160-run opening wicket stand - the duo’s second-highest partnership in the competition - Hyderabad went on to score 201/6 in 20 overs, which is now the fourth time the one-time league winners have scored 200 or more runs against Punjab in the Indian T20 League.

Bairstow may feel gutted for missing out on a century by three runs, but Warner achieved something to rejoice. A 40-ball 52 was his 11th half-century against Punjab, and in doing so, he became the first player to score 50 fifth-plus scores in the Indian T20 League (46 half-centuries and four centuries). 

Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	100	50	50+
DA Warner	132	132	4933	4	46	50
V Kohli	182	174	5545	5	37	42
SK Raina	193	189	5368	1	38	39
RG Sharma	194	189	5109	1	38	39
AB de Villiers	159	147	4550	3	35	38

Table: Players with most 50+ scores in Indian T20 League 

Bishnoi and Arshdeep: The needed spark in the dark

While the likes of Sheldon Cottrell, Mohammad Shami and Glenn Maxwell were hit across the park, there was something positive about Punjab’s bowling line-up, as youngster Ravi Bishnoi continued to wreak havoc with the ball. It was the 20-year-old who got put a dent in the Warner- Bairstow partnership, dismissing both the openers in a single over. He was at it once again in the 18th over, this time dismissing Abdul Samad.

The youngster did concede 29 runs in his three overs, but he more than made up for it by picking three important wickets.

It certainly was a night to forget for the senior bowlers, but rightfully not for a certain Arshdeep Singh. Apart from playing his part in dismissing Samad, the 21-year-old left-arm seamer got himself two wickets while maintaining an economy of 8.25; lowest amongst the Punjab bowlers.

Nicholas Pooran: More of the same, please?

Nicholas Pooran had a rather forgettable outing in the first innings, dropping Samad at the long-off in what was a not-so-difficult catch. Samad had a good connection with the bat off Ravi Bishoi's ball but lacked the power. And while the elevation was flat, Pooran could only manage to tip it off for a boundary.

But as Punjab struggled to get going with the bat, Pooran gave the team a renewed hope, hitting a quick-fire 17-ball 50 to bring his side right in the game. By the end of the eight over, Punjab were 63/3, but all that changed as Warner decided to bring Samad into attack. An act of sweet revenge was on card as Pooran went no to smash 28 runs in his over. And in the midst, he scored the fastest half-century of the ongoing edition. Overall, it is now the second-fastest 50 for Punjab in the Indian T20 League, behind KL Rahul's 14-ball half-century he scored against Delhi in 2018.

Player	Balls	Match	Venue	Date
KL Rahul	14	Punjab vs Delhi	Chandigarh	08-Apr-18
N Pooran	17	Punjab vs Hyderabad	Dubai	08-Oct-20
DA Miller	19	Punjab vs Rajasthan	Sharjah	20-Apr-14
KL Rahul	19	Punjab vs Chennai	Chandigarh	05-May-19
V Sehwag	21	Punjab vs Chennai	Mumbai	30-May-14
GJ Maxwell	21	Punjab vs Hyderabad	Sharjah	22-Apr-14

Table: Fastest 50 for Punjab in Indian T20 League (by balls faced)

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / @IndianT20League