Top 10 bowlers fastest to pick 100 wickets in T20I cricket

Let’s have a look at the bowlers fastest to pick 100 wickets in T20I cricket.

T20I cricket began 19 years ago and this format has produced many super stars in the game. Starting from Lasith Malinga to Rashid Khan, this format has seen many top-performers. Chris Gayle adopted the T20 format nicely with the bat and Lasith Malinga did the same with the ball. So far only 11 bowlers have managed to pick up 100 career wickets in T20Is.

One of the Kiwi leg-spinners is currently the slowest among the 10 to complete this special career milestone. Along with him there are a few other big names in international cricket with more than 100 T20I wickets. Let’s have a look at the top 10 bowlers fastest to pick 100 T20I scalps.

Here are the top 10 bowlers fastest to pick 100 wickets in T20I cricket:

10. Mitchell Santner (New Zealand) – 90 Matches :

Kiwi all-rounder Mitchell Santner took 90 matches to get to 100 T20I wickets. Mitchell Santner has been a magnificent all-round performer for Blackcaps across formats. Santner is also looked in as a future skipper of Blackcaps. He completed his 100th T20I wicket against England in Nottingham on 5th September, 2023. Santner has taken 106 wickets in 97 T20I games so far.

9. Shadab Khan (Pakistan) – 87 Matches :

Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan is also one of the leading match winners for Pakistan. In the calendar year 2023, Shadab Khan didn’t have a great outing but he managed to complete a special career milestone in a T20I match against Afghanistan in Sharjah. Shadab completed 100 T20I wickets in 87 games. So far, he has played 92 T20I matches in his career and has picked up 104 wickets.

8. Tim Southee (New Zealand) – 84 Matches :

New Zealand pacer Tim Southee is the leading wicket-taker in this format of the game with 157 wickets in 117 games. Right-arm pacer Southee is one of the finest T20I bowlers with many memorable spells in his career. Kiwi pacer picked his 100th T20I wicket in his 84th game against Pakistan in Sharjah in October 2021.

7. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) – 84 Matches :

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan is also among the 11 players who have taken 100 T20I wickets. Shakib contributed immensely to Bangladesh cricket with his brilliant all-round performances. Shakib touched this special milestone in his 84th game against Australia in August 2021 in Mirpur. He was the second bowler to complete this career milestone after Lasith Malinga.

6. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) – 81 Matches :

Bangladesh left-arm pacer Mustafizur Rahman is the quickest Bangladesh bowler to pick 100 wickets in T20Is. Mustafizur was three games quicker than Shakib and touched the milestone in his 81st game against England in March 2023 in Mirpur. The 28-year-old pacer has played 88 T20I games and has picked up 105 wickets so far.

5. Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) – 78 Matches :

Kiwi leg-spinner Ish Sodhi is the quickest for his country to pick 100 T20I wickets. Ish Sodhi completed his 100th T20I wicket in his 78th game against Bangladesh in Christchurch in October 2022. Ish Sodhi has been a prolific wicket-taker for Kiwis in T20Is. Sodhi has played 109 T20I games in his career so far and has picked up 132 wickets.

4. Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) – 76 Matches :

Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga was the first ever bowler to complete 100 T20I wickets. Lasith Malinga finished his career with 107 T20I wickets in 84 matches. Lasith Malinga completed 100 T20I wickets against New Zealand at Pallekele in September 2019.

3. Mark Adair (Ireland) – 72 Matches :

Ireland pacer Mark Adair had a consistent run for Ireland in past four years. Mark Adair made his debut for Irish side in 2019 and from there he took 72 matches to complete 100 wickets in T20I cricket. Mark Adair picked up his 100th T20I wicket in his 72nd game against Zimbabwe in Harare in December 2023.

2. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) – 63 matches:

On February 19, 2024, Sri Lankan all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga became 11th bowler to pick 100 wickets in T20I cricket. He dismissed Najibullah Zadran of Afghanistan as his 100th T20I scalp in a three-match T20I series between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan. Hasaranga took 63 matches to complete 100 wickets in T20I cricket, which is fastest by a Sri Lankan bowler and overall second fastest by a bowler in this format of the game.

1. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 53 Matches :

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is the quickest bowler to take 100 T20I wickets. Rashid Khan took just 53 games to reach the special milestone in his career. He touched the 100 wicket-mark against Pakistan in Dubai in October 2021. The 25-year-old leg-spinner has played 82 matches for Afghanistan and picked up 130 wickets in T20Is so far.

(All stats and numbers are updated till 19th February, 2024)

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