Table of Contents
T20 is often known to a batter’s game. Big bats, flat pitches (more often than not), shorter boundaries, a lot goes against bowlers in the T20 game. However, bowlers have found ways to innovate and fox the batters from time to time. Wicket-taking options are absolutely vital in a T20 team. Even in India, batters are a lot more recognized than the bowlers but there have been multiple bowlers who have stood up and make a big impact. Hence, here we look back at the top five wicket-takers for India in T20 internationals.
Yuzvendra Chahal – 96 wickets
Yuzvendra Chahal shot into the limelight on the back of some very consistent performances in the IPL in 2015 and 2016. The Haryana leg-spinner made a name for himself bowling and picking wickets on a batting-friendly, six-hitting ground like the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore.
His reputation of being a wicket-taker extended to the Indian team. Chahal made his T20I debut in June 2016 in Zimbabwe but it was only in 2017 that he became a regular member of the side. In what was only his 6th T20 international game, he returned with figures of 6/25 against England in Bangalore. 2017 and 2018 were his most productive years as he picked up 41 scalps in 24 T20Is. Add to that, his economy was under 8.
However, with India opting for batting depth and preferring all-rounders, Chahal was in and out of the side after the 2019 World Cup. He did get an extended run in 2022 in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup but warmed the benches through the tournament. He was in the squad in the 2024 T20 World Cup when India lifted the title but he didn’t play a single game.
Overall, Chahal has played 80 T20Is and has returned with 96 wickets at an economy rate of 8.19. He sits on top of the wicket charts for India in T20 international cricket.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 90 wickets
Bhuvneshwar Kumar burst onto the international scene with an exhilarating display of swing bowling against Pakistan in a T20 international game in Bangalore. He swung the ball both ways and made the Pakistan batters dance to his tunes. He took 3/9 in four overs on T20I debut.
From then, the Meerut lad became India’s premier white-ball pacer for a decade. While his USP was his swing with the new ball as he grew in experience, he added a variety of deliveries to his repertoire. He could dish out the slower ones (cutters) and even mastered the knuckleball. Moreover, Bhuvneshwar had a decent yorker as well.
If he was not picking wickets, what Bhuvneshwar did really well was to contain runs. He was very economical more often than not. His last T20 international fixture came in November 2022. He has picked up 90 wickets in 87 T20Is at an economy rate of 6.96. He is one of the only two Indian bowlers to pick two five-wicket hauls in T20Is and one of the only two Indian bowlers to take a five-wicket haul across all three formats.
Jasprit Bumrah – 89 wickets
Jasprit Bumrah is quickly but surely turning into one of the all-time great fast bowlers. The impact that he has had in the last few years has been immense. In T20 cricket, a lot of teams plan for 16 overs if there is Bumrah in the side. There is absolutely no doubt that the ace India fast bowler will take care of his four overs without going for too many and will also produce wickets.
Bumrah may not have played a lot of T20 international cricket in the last few years but he still finds himself on the list of most wickets for India. 50 out of his 70 T20Is came till the end of 2020 and he took 59 scalps in that time period. Having played 20 T20 international matches in the last four years (8 of which came in 2024), he has taken 30 scalps. In fact, he was the player of the tournament in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Bumrah was India’s lynchpin as he kept bringing them back in the game while defending low totals. He took 15 wickets at an average of 8.26 and a staggering economy of 4.17.
When Bumrah bowls, he makes things happen. He has a habit of creating wickets, if not for himself, for bowlers at the other end. Overall, he has 89 wickets in 70 T20 international games at an economy of 6.27.
Arshdeep Singh – 87 wickets
Arshdeep Singh has been around for only a little more than two years. However, he has turned into India’s premier T20 pacer. The Punjab left-arm fast bowler has this happy knack of picking wickets at regular intervals and he’s showcased that on multiple instances over the last two years.
He’s travelled around the world with the Indian T20 squad and has performed consistently across conditions. In his first year in T20 international cricket (2022), Arshdeep picked up 33 wickets in 21 games at an economy of 8.17 and a strike-rate of 13.3. He has 26 and 28 scalps in the following years respectively (2023 and 2024).
In fact, Arshdeep has been India’s leading wicket-taker in both the T20 World Cups he has played in. He took 10 scalps in six games at an economy of 7.80 in 2022 before taking 17 wickets in eight matches at an economy of 7.16. He seems to be on track to become India’s first pacer (and even first bowler) to reach the 100-wicket milestone in T20 international cricket. At the moment, he has 87 wickets from 56 matches.
Hardik Pandya – 87 wickets
Hardik Pandya’s name in the top five wicket-taker’s list could come as a surprise. But the premier India seam-bowling all-rounder has been amongst the wickets more often than not. Ever since he made his debut in 2016, Hardik has been absolutely critical to the balance of the Indian side.
His presence makes a world of difference and it allows India that flexibility to play him either the third or the fourth seamer depending on the conditions. He has a heavy ball and his pace can be quite deceptive. Pandya has the knack of breaking partnerships and he has showcased that on multiple occasions. Pandya has played 105 T20 international matches and has taken 87 wickets. They have come at an economy rate of 8.17.
