In the fast-paced world of T20 World Cup, bowlers often find themselves under pressure to contain the opposition’s scoring rate. However, some bowlers have risen to the challenge and delivered exceptionally economical spells, leaving a lasting impact on the game.
Here are the top 5 most economical bowling spells in T20 World Cup history:
5. Wanindu Hasaranga – 3/8
In a cricket match between Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates at Geelong during the 2022 T20 World Cup, the spin bowlers were the standout performers.
In the first part of the game, Sri Lanka found it difficult to play against leg-spinner Karthik Meiyappan, who took three wickets in a row. However, Pathum Nissanka played well and helped Sri Lanka score 152 runs.
United Arab Emirates had trouble chasing this score. They lost many wickets early in their innings and couldn’t recover. Eventually, they were all out for 73 runs. Wanindu Hasaranga was the top bowler, taking three wickets and only giving away eight runs. As a result, Sri Lanka won the match.
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4. Mahmudullah – 1/8
Bangladesh had their first match in the 2014 T20 World Cup against Afghanistan. They decided to bowl first and did very well. Afghanistan could only score 72 runs before all their players were out. This was the first time Bangladesh achieved this in T20 matches.
Mahmudullah bowled really well, giving away only eight runs in four overs. Shakib Al Hasan also took three wickets quickly.
Bangladesh easily reached the target of 72 runs in just 12 overs. It was a fantastic start to their tournament journey.
3. Ajantha Mendis – 6/8
Ajantha Mendis played very well in a cricket match after not playing for a while. When he returned in the 2012 T20 World Cup, he did amazingly. He set a new record by taking six wickets and giving away only eight runs.
In the match against Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka won convincingly. The pitch was favorable for spin bowlers, and Sri Lanka’s spinners did an excellent job. Zimbabwe had to chase 183 runs to win, but they struggled. Both Ajantha Mendis and Jeevan Mendis bowled exceptionally well, making it tough for Zimbabwe to score.
Ajantha Mendis bowled brilliantly with his tricky deliveries confusing the Zimbabwe batsmen. He dismissed six of them by targeting the stumps, including key players like Hamilton Masakadza, Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor, Elton Chigumbara, Prosper Utseya, and Kyle Jarvis.
2. Anrich Nortje – 4/7
South Africa had a great start in the 2024 T20 World Cup by easily defeating Sri Lanka. They managed to bowl out Sri Lanka for their lowest ever score in T20 cricket. Despite a challenging pitch, South Africa’s batsmen successfully chased down the target of 78 runs in less than 17 overs.
Anrich Nortje was the standout bowler for South Africa in this match. He bowled exceptionally well, taking 4 wickets for just 7 runs. This was his best performance since recovering from an injury. Nortje bowled very fast, reaching speeds of up to 150kph at times. He also cleverly used slower deliveries to confuse the Sri Lankan batsmen, making it difficult for them throughout their innings.
1. Frank Nsubuga – 2/4
On Wednesday, June 5th, Frank Nsubuga, who is 43 years old and the oldest player in the 2024 T20 World Cup, made history. His team Uganda won against Papua New Guinea, marking their first-ever victory in a T20 World Cup.
Nsubuga bowled extremely well and had the best bowling performance ever in a T20 World Cup match. He took two wickets and gave away just four runs while bowling all four of his overs on a slow pitch at Providence Stadium in Guyana.
His performance was even better than Anrich Nortje’s record of taking 4 wickets for 7 runs, which was set a few days earlier in the tournament against Sri Lanka in New York.
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