Who Is the Best T20 Bowler of All Time? Ranked!

The evolution of cricket into the shorter formats has made the batters look superlative. The modern-day spectators are often charmed by towering sixes rather than bowling brilliance. As a result, the rigorous hard work of a bowler often goes unnoticed. But it’s worth stating that a team cannot show dominance based on just batting prowess. A unit will need excellent bowlers who can rip the opposition apart even under tough circumstances to win tournaments. 

With cricket transcending quickly into shorter formats, the art of bowling has become even more difficult. But there are always characters who defy the odds to stand tall by making invaluable contributions to the team’s cause. In this case, we shall look beyond superficial numbers and employ an insightful analytical procedure to rank the best T20I bowlers in cricket history.

Example: Afghanistan’s premier spinner Rashid Khan is well known for his deception with the ball. In 93 T20Is, the Afghan skipper has bagged 152 wickets at an astounding bowling average of 14.3. What makes him look even more dangerous is an economy of just 6.08 after bowling as many as 353.2 overs in his career. Although we’re yet to find out if Rashid is the most economical bowler in T20 cricket, he could be one of the favorites to top the charts.

Methodology 

We use a specialized scoring system to rank the best T20I bowlers in cricket history. This involves the consideration of three major metrics. Firstly, the number of wickets snapped is taken into account, reflecting a 50% weightage. It highlights the longevity and consistency of the cricketer. Secondly, 30% weightage is marked for the bowler’s economy followed by a 20% aggregate to the bowling average. The last two metrics are crucial in determining the world's best bowler in the T20I format. Economy highlights the tightness of bowling while the bowling average refers to the “amount of runs conceded to scalp a wicket”.

Explanation

Abiding by the analytical procedure to find the world’s best T20 bowler, Rashid tops the ranking with a score of 84.61. While Tim Southee has a dozen wickets more than him, Rashid’s impressive bowling average sets him apart from the rest. Kenya’s Shem Ngoche has the best economy as per the above table but it's worth arguing that the African country seldom competes against any top cricketing nations. Barring these two, Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga and Bangladeshi veteran Shakib Al Hasan are the only bowlers to fetch over 70 scores.

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After a thorough evaluation, Rashid emerges as the best T20I spinner in the cricketing realm. He has a unique ability to keep the batter guessing with a whippy action and subtle variations. With consistent performances adding to his repertoire, the leggie is deemed to be the No. 1 T20 bowler in cricket’s history. Besides Rashid, Hasaranga and Shakib are other honorable mentions while Southee, Mustafizur Rahman, and Mark Adair are the only pacers to make it to the top ten.

1. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is rated as the best bowler by SportsBoom because of the impact he has made in the middle overs in the T20s. The leg-spinner has often changed the game's complexion on his own and has won games for his team from the losing position.

Rashid, who is currently the No.4 ranked T20I bowler, is rated highly as the best leg-spinner going around in the world of cricket. This is well justified with the kind of numbers that he has in the shortest format of the game. Playing leagues all around the world, Rashid has developed himself into one of the most threatening bowlers.

In the 433 matches that he has played in the T20s, Rashid has bagged 588 wickets with the best figures of 6/17. What has been impressive is his average of 18.31 and the economy of 6.47, which is the second lowest among the top 10 highest wicket-takers in the T20 format.

Not only in the T20s, Rashid has been nothing short of exceptional in international cricket as well. In the 93 T20Is that he has played, the leg-spinner has picked 152 wickets at an eye-catching average of 14.4 and economy of just 6.08, which speaks to the kind of impact that he has made for Afghanistan.

2. SO Ngoche

Ngoche is one of the Kenyan veterans who has carried their bowling for more than a decade. He loves bowling left-mar orthodox spin from around the wicket and is known for his arm balls. The 35-year-old is precise with his line and tends to hit the right areas, eventually getting rewarded for his consistency. Ngoche has bagged 117 wickets in 95 innings at a bowling average of 16.54. His T20I economy reads 5.87. 

Ngoche was born to a family of cricket with five of his siblings having represented the men’s and women’s national sides. He is eleventh on the list of leading wicket-takers in T20Is, and sixth in the list of most consecutive matches (78) for a team.

3. Wanindu Hasaranga

The Sri Lankan wrist spinner came up the ranks after impressive performances in national U19 teams in 2015 and 2016. Initially, Hasaranga bore a mystery factor in his bowling, often leaving the batters baffled with his variations. 

With time, the Richmond College alumni made a reputation for himself with consistent performance and was adjudged the captain of the side as well. However, constant injuries post-pandemic cost his leadership title, and many matches for the national side. Yet, the all-rounder has managed to be at par with his performance, having bagged 131 wickets in 79 T20Is. 

Apart from his googlies and leg-breaks, Hasaranga is more than a handy batter in the lower-middle order. He is known to use the long handle well and his batting is a work in progress. He represented the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League.

4. Shakib Al Hasan

One of the influential beings born on Bangladesh soil, Shakib Al Hasan gained the spotlight in the mid-2010s due to his all-round abilities. The veteran was named captain of the side several times in his illustrated career, with the most recent being the 2023 World Cup in India.

The left-handed batter smashed 2551 runs in 129 T20Is while scalping 149 wickets at an economy of 6.81. He is known for his tight line and subtle variations, that often leave the opposition flabbergasted. Although Shakib’s form with the bat can be best understood in patches, he has been a constant pillar in Bangladesh Tiger’s bowling department for the last couple of decades. 

Apart from International outing, Shakib represented the Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. He also participated in other franchise tourney’s such as Lanka Premier League, Pakistan Super League, Caribbean Premier League, and the Bangladesh Premier League. 

5. Tim Southee

Known for his exploits with the new ball, Tim Southee has been a constant name featuring in New Zealand’s squads since 2008. Succeeding in the shoes of great Shane Bond and Kyle Mills, Southee carried the Black Caps baton successfully across formats for 17 years. He recently retired in the latest New Zealand summer, facing England at home and concluding a distinguished career on a high. 

While Southee is labeled a better bowler in the red-ball format, he hasn’t kept any stone unturned in the white-ball formats. The right-arm pacer bucketed 164 and 221 scalps from 126 and 161 matches in the T20I and ODI formats respectively. He was also a key member of New Zealand’s ICC event triumph in the inaugural World Test Championship cycle.

Apart from his bowling brilliance, Southeev earned a reputation for hitting sixes in the Test format. As a bowler, he stands fourth in the list of most sixes hit in red-ball cricket.

6. Mark Adair

One of the hit-the-deck bowlers that originated from the Irish soil, Mark Adair has tasted immense success with the ball in hand. He represented the national team in 88 T20Is, earning 127 wickets at a bowling average of 19.18. 

The tall, burly bowler gained the spotlight after outwitting English veteran Marcus Trescothic as his maiden County Championship wicket. Despite being a great rugby player like his brother, his success in the Warwickshire trials in 2013 led to his entry into cricket. Adair is a regular in the English County setup and played for the Bears in the T20 Blast.

Apart from national and domestic success, the pacer tried himself in the franchise tournaments but tasted little success.

7. Mustafizur Rahman

One of the best pacers who played T20 cricket from Bangladesh, Mustafizur Rahman broke into the national side in 2015. Almost nearing six feet, the left-arm pacer took the world by surprise with his outlandish off-cutters that troubled batters across the globe. Soon, Rahman became a worldwide demand in the franchise tournaments and had a scintillating IPL outing with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. He claimed 17 wickets from 16 games at an economy of under seven, winning the title for the franchise.

Mustafizur continued his brilliant form in the national side and the franchise circuit before constant injuries halted his progress. Although he suffered a dip in form around the pandemic, the pacer bounced back with a strong performance in IPL 2024 for the Chennai Super Kings.

8. Ish Sodhi

Born to a Punjabi family in India, Ish Sodhi moved to Auckland at a young age and trained under Dipak Patel and Matt Horne. His rigorous hustle helped him earn his debut cap for New Zealand at the age of 20. Since then, the nation has barely seen another talent of Sodhi’s caliber.

In a country that hardly falls shy of quality pacers and pace-bowling all-rounders, Sodhi was a unique breed that could bowl leg-breaks and googlies accurately. With the advent of the shorter formats, he tasted even more success as the tossed-up deliveries often found the bat’s top edge or the wrong’un’s frequently deceived the counterpart. 

The 32-year-old has featured in 119 T20Is for New Zealand, racking up 138 scalps at an economy of 7.98. While he is not economical of all, Sodhi’s knack for wickets kept him among the top three in New Zealand’s leading T20I wicket-takers.

9. Adam Zampa

If there was no Shane Warne, perhaps Adam Zampa would’ve been the greatest leg spinner from the continent in the limited format. Popular for his constantly changing unique hairstyles, Zampa has picked up 117 wickets from 95 T20Is at an economy of 7.16. 

Zampa wasn’t a regular in the Aussie outfit in the initial days of his career until the 2018-19 season in the lead-up to World Cup 2019. Since then, he travelled with the side in majority of the bilateral series and tournaments, outfoxing opposition in the middle overs phase and making a reputation for himself. 

Besides shining in national colour, Zampa became a popular character in the Big Bash League featuring for the Melbourne Stars. He had his moments in the prestigious T20 tourney, picking up 132 wickets in 117 games at a bowling strike rate of 19.5.