October 13, 2022: With the frequent fall of wickets crucial to restricting the flow of runs in T20Is we rank the top strike bowlers for every team at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
In the T20 format made for huge hits and swift scoring, bowlers can perhaps have the most impact by taking early wickets or running through the middle order.
With a close look at the MRF Tyres T20I Bowling Rankings and the latest form, we rank the T20 World Cup strike bowling combinations that can influence results for every team.
Note: Rankings and statistics as on 10 October 2022
1. Afghanistan
Afghanistan have arguably the most damaging T20 bowler in the world in Rashid Khan.
The 24-year-old leg-spinner has taken the second most wickets in T20Is (118) while also having one of the best strike rates (13.6).
Rashid took eight wickets in five matches at the T20 World Cup last year and should make more of an impact this time especially with 21-year-old off-spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman posing a threat at the other end.
Rashid Khan
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 2
Career wickets: 118
Career strike rate: 13.6
Latest T20I bowling: 0/33, 2/25, 1/39, 3/22, 0/12
Mujeeb ur Rahman
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 8
Career wickets: 45
Career strike rate: 16.2
Latest T20I bowling: 0/29, 0/12, 2/30, 3/16, 2/24
2. India
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has emerged as India’s key T20I bowler especially with Jasprit Bumrah missing through injury.
Bhuvneshwar only played one match at the T20 World Cup last year but with 32 wickets already in 2022, and two of those coming with the first ball of an innings, he looms as integral to India’s chances this time.
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal offers useful variety and is one of only 10 bowlers to claim six wickets in a T20I.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 12
Career wickets: 85
Career strike rate: 19.2
Latest T20I bowling: 1/39, 0/52, 5/4, 0/30, 1/40
Yuzvendra Chahal
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 34
Career wickets: 85
Career strike rate: 18.2
Latest T20I bowling: 1/22. 0/12, 1/42, 3/34, 1/43
3. South Africa
Imposing speedster Lungi Ngidi has the best strike rate (12.4) of any bowler to take 50 wickets or more in T20Is and will be pivotal to South Africa’s chances especially in the absence of Dwaine Pretorius.
Left-arm spinner Tabraiz Shamsi took eight wickets in five matches at the last T20 World Cup and has a recent five-for against England to his name.
Lungi Ngidi
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 37
Career wickets: 51
Career strike rate: 12.4
Latest T20I bowling: 2/51, 0/49, 1/14, 1/39, 0/10
Tabraiz Shamsi
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 5
Career wickets: 69
Career strike rate: 17.9
Latest T20I bowling: 0/27, 1/31, 2/37, 5/24, 3/27
4. Australia
Josh Hazlewood has been at the top of his game this year with 20 wickets in 11 T20Is and arrives at the tournament as the No.1 ranked T20 bowler.
Leg-spinner Adam Zampa has taken the most wickets in T20Is (75) for the defending champions and claimed the equal second-most victims (13) at the last T20 World Cup.
Josh Hazlewood
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 1
Career wickets: 52
Career strike rate: 15.1
Latest T20I bowling: 0/19, 3/35, 1/40, 0/20, 2/39
Adam Zampa
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 4
Career wickets: 75
Career strike rate: 19.1
Latest T20I bowling: 1/34, 0/21, 0/44, 3/16, 0/36
5. New Zealand
Lachlan Ferguson hits the deck hard and unsettles batters with his raw speed but also has the control to claim regular wickets with 32 in 21 T20Is.
Trent Boult took more wickets (13) than any other pace bowler, and the equal second-most overall, at the last T20 World Cup and can be relied on to again be a key player for New Zealand.
Lachlan Ferguson
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 23
Career wickets: 32
Career strike rate: 14.1
Latest T20I bowling: 0/16, 1/33, 0/23, 1/35, 1/10
Trent Boult
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 26
Career wickets: 66
Career strike rate: 16.5
Latest T20I bowling: 2/25, 1/22, 0/21, 1/36, 1/31
Ranked: Opening pairs at the T20 World Cup
6. Sri Lanka
With two spinners in the top seven of the MRF Tyres T20 Bowling Rankings, Sri Lanka have the potential to back up their Asia Cup triumph with a long T20 World Cup run.
Wanindu Hasaranga has 71 wickets in just 44 T20Is while taking those at a devastating strike rate of a wicket every 13.1 deliveries. Few would doubt the leg-spinner can make a similar impact to the last T20 World Cup when he was the leading wicket-taker with 16.
Off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana might be less damaging but has shown he can claim scalps while restricting runs from the opening overs.
Wanindu Hasaranga
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 3
Career wickets: 71
Career strike rate: 13.1
Latest T20I bowling: 3/27, 3/21, 0/39, 0/23, 2/41
Maheesh Theekshana
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 7
Career wickets: 22
Career strike rate: 27.27
Latest T20I bowling: 1/25, 2/21, 2/29, 1/29, 1/23
7. England
After overcoming a series of injuries Mark Wood is finally making the most of his express pace and has prepared for the T20 World Cup with nine wickets in his past three T20Is.
Left-arm seamer Reece Topley adds useful variety to the attack and also looks ready to deliver on his promise with 16 wickets in T20Is this year.
Mark Wood
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 32
Career wickets: 35
Career strike rate: 14.3
Latest T20I bowling: 3/34, 3/20, 3/24, 0/34, 0/47
Reece Topley
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 14
Career wickets: 21
Career strike rate: 20.9
Latest T20I bowling: 2/36, 1/34, 1/31, 2/37, 1/22
8. Pakistan
Pace bowler Haris Rauf has risen up the MRF Tyres T20 Bowling Rankings this year with 21 wickets in 15 T20Is, after taking eight at the T20 World Cup last year.
The 21-year-old Mohammad Wasim is the rising star for Pakistan and already has an impressive strike rate of a wicket every 13.7 balls.
Haris Rauf
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 15
Career wickets: 62
Career strike rate: 16.9
Latest T20I bowling: 3/28, 1/38, 0/24, 2/41, 3/32
Mohammad Wasim
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 74
Career wickets: 24
Career strike rate: 13.7
Latest T20I bowling: 2/20, 3/24, 0/61, 0/29, 1/32
9. Bangladesh
Bangladesh rely on their spinners more than most and when they need a wicket their left-armer Shakib Al Hasan is often thrown the ball to add to his record tally of 122 victims.
Mustafizur Rahman is six wickets short of becoming just the sixth bowler to claim 100 T20I wickets, with the pace bowler still crucial to the Bangladesh bowling mix.
Shakib Al Hasan
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 22
Career wickets: 122
Career strike rate: 18.2
Latest T20I bowling: 0/23, 0/31, 1/13, 1/10, 1/38
Mustafizur Rahman
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 39
Career wickets: 94
Career strike rate: 16.5
Latest T20I bowling: 0/48, 2/31, 1/32, 0/30, 1/22
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10. West Indies
Left-arm speedster Obed McCoy has emerged as a weapon for the West Indies and showed the impact he can have when removing India captain Rohit Sharma with the first ball of a T20I in August then finishing with 6/17 off four overs.
Jason Holder has 23 wickets in 16 T20Is this year and will need to carry that form into theT20 World Cup if the two-time champions are to cause an upset and claim a third title.
Obed McCoy
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 41
Career wickets: 37
Career strike rate: 13.1
Latest T20I bowling: 2/33, 3/40, 1/39, 0/27, 2/66
Jason Holder
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 43
Career wickets: 46
Career strike rate: 20.5
Latest T20I bowling: 0/27, 1/30, 0/40, 1/42, 1/38
11. Ireland
The 22-year-old Josh Little is enjoying a breakout 2022 with 28 wickets in 19 T20Is, while Mark Adair is the second-fastest bowler to reach 50 T20I wickets after doing it in 28 matches.
Josh Little
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 46
Career wickets: 51
Career strike rate: 19.4
Latest T20I bowling: 2/14, 0/25, 2/29, 2/18, 1/33
Mark Adair
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 55
Career wickets: 72
Career strike rate: 15
Latest T20I bowling: 3/16, 1/23, 1/42, 2/12, 0/39
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12. Zimbabwe
Pace bowlers Luke Jongwe and Tendai Chatara often work well in tandem and between them have 28 wickets in T20Is in 2022.
Luke Jongwe
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 60
Career wickets: 48
Career strike rate: 14.2
Latest T20I bowling: 1/28, 0/7, 2/34, 1/6, 1/39
Tendai Chatara
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 68
Career wickets: 47
Career strike rate: 18.7
Latest T20I bowling: 1/21, 3/14, 1/24, 2/33, 0/24
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13. Namibia
All-rounders Jan Frylinck and JJ Smit have each claimed rare six-wicket hauls in a T20I and should relish the opportunity to test themselves on the biggest stage.
Jan Frylinck
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 67
Career wickets: 51
Career strike rate: 13.6
Latest T20I bowling: 2/25, 1/39, 1/21, 2/17, 0/32
JJ Smit
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 79
Career wickets: 31
Career strike rate: 16.4
Latest T20I bowling: 6/10, 0/44, 2/14, 0/17, 0/27
14. Scotland
Left-arm spinner Mark Watt rarely fails to take at least one wicket and will be asked to be aggressive at the T20 World Cup while Safyaan Sharif has the experience to hold up and end.
Mark Watt
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 29
Career wickets: 57
Career strike rate: 18.3
Latest T20I bowling: 0/37, 1/32, 0/41, 1/20, 1/13
Safyaan Sharif
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 65
Career wickets: 61
Career strike rate: 18.2
Latest T20I bowling: 0/48, 1/41, 0/14, 2/28, 1/21
15. Netherlands
Netherlands may look to add the promising Brandon Glover to a bowling line-up led by the reliable Fred Klaassen.
Fred Klaassen
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 80
Career wickets: 32
Career strike rate: 18.1
Latest T20I bowling: 1/29, 0/40, 5/19, 2/16, 2/18
Brandon Glover
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 72
Career wickets: 30
Career strike rate: 14.2
Latest T20I bowling: 1/12, 1/21, 3/24, 1/22, 4/12
Top wicket-takers at every T20 World Cup
16. United Arab Emirates
Zahoor Khan makes a mark with his steady line and reliable attack on the stumps, while Junaid Siddique will be riding high after a taking 5/13 against the West Indies in a T20 World Cup warm-up match.
Zahoor Khan
ICC T20I bowling ranking: 69
Career wickets: 41
Career strike rate: 17.5
Latest T20I bowling: 0/41, 1/34, 3/29, 1/14, 0/37
Junaid Siddique
ICC T20I bowling ranking: NA
Career wickets: 29
Career strike rate: 18.2
Latest T20I bowling: 0/33, 1/35, 3/14, 1/34, 1/38
