In this blog, we will take a look at the Best Bowling Figures in ODI, Test, and T20 Cricket.
A few years back a legendary Pakistan bowler quoted “Batsmen win you matches; Bowlers win you Tournaments”. That versatile cricketer is Azhar Mahmood who served as the head bowling coach of Pakistan’s men’s national team till 2019.
Gone are the days when batting was considered a driving seat of the game. In this blog, we are going to limelight the modern-day specialists that are creating a tough time for the batsmen out there on the 24 yards. The ever-best bowling figures in international cricket and other associated leagues are solid proof that bowling has never been in the back seat. On the contrary, bowlers have always equally dominated the game and pushed the batsmen to the back foot.
It’s true that the game has introduced great batsmen like Sir Don Bradman, Sir Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Brain Lara, Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith, and modern-era legends like Virat Kohli, Joe Root, Steven Smith, and a few more. But it would be unfair to ignore the fact that many bowlers have left their legacy behind which is now like many more left a legacy behind.
To further break that stereotype; bowlers like Jimmy Anderson, Chaminda Vaas, Stuart Broad, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Jasprit Bumrah, and many more are indeed bothering the batsmen out of that 22-yard wicket. So, let’s begin with the best bowling figures in Test Cricket, ODIs, T20Is, and IPL.
List of Best Bowling Figures in ODIs (One-Day Internationals)
| Player | Ov. | Mdns | Runs | W | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Date | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WPUJC Vaas | 8.0 | 3 | 19 | 8 | 2.37 | Sri Lanka | v Zimbabwe | Colombo (SSC) | 8 Dec 2001 | ODI # 1776 |
| Shahid Afridi | 9.0 | 3 | 12 | 7 | 1.33 | Pakistan | v West Indies | Providence | 14 Jul 2013 | ODI # 3389 |
| GD McGrath | 7.0 | 4 | 15 | 7 | 2.14 | Australia | v Namibia | Potchefstroom | 27 Feb 2003 | ODI # 1970 |
| Rashid Khan | 8.4 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 2.07 | Afghanistan | v West Indies | Gros Islet | 9 Jun 2017 | ODI # 3884 |
| AJ Bichel | 10.0 | 0 | 20 | 7 | 2.00 | Australia | v England | Gqeberha | 2 Mar 2003 | ODI # 1976 |
| M Muralidaran | 10.0 | 1 | 30 | 7 | 3.00 | Sri Lanka | v India | Sharjah | 27 Oct 2000 | ODI # 1650 |
| TG Southee | 9.0 | 0 | 33 | 7 | 3.66 | New Zealand | v England | Wellington | 20 Feb 2015 | ODI # 3607 |
| TA Boult | 10.0 | 3 | 34 | 7 | 3.40 | New Zealand | v West Indies | Christchurch | 23 Dec 2017 | ODI # 3944 |
| Waqar Younis | 10.0 | 0 | 36 | 7 | 3.60 | Pakistan | v England | Leeds | 17 Jun 2001 | ODI # 1724 |
| Aaqib Javed | 10.0 | 1 | 37 | 7 | 3.70 | Pakistan | v India | Sharjah | 25 Oct 1991 | ODI # 685 |
Sri Lankan Cricket and its fans were blessed to have players like Sanath Jayasuriya, Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayawardene. And bowlers like Chaminda Vaas, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Lasith Malinga were just incredible at their work.
On the 8th of December 2001, Sri Lanka played Zimbabwe in Colombo and decided to field after winning the toss. Zimbabweans were hoping for some runs on the board but Chaminda Vaas had other plans. He first trapped Dion Ebrahim in front of the stumps and then cleaned up Grant Flower with an absolute ripper. Chaminda went on to ball his dream spell and destroyed the entire lineup with his magnificent 8 Wickets for 19 Runs in 8 Overs followed by 3 Maidens. For this performance, he was obviously awarded “Man of the Match”.
Best Bowling Figures in Tests
List of Best Bowling Figures in a Test Match
| Player | Overs | Mdns | Runs | W | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Date | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JC Laker | 68.0 | 27 | 90 | 19 | 1.32 | England | v Australia | Manchester | 26 Jul 1956 | Test # 428 |
| SF Barnes | 65.3 | 16 | 159 | 17 | 2.42 | England | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 26 Dec 1913 | Test # 131 |
| ND Hirwani | 33.5 | 6 | 136 | 16 | 4.01 | India | v West Indies | Chennai | 11 Jan 1988 | Test # 1089 |
| RAL Massie | 60.1 | 16 | 137 | 16 | 2.27 | Australia | v England | Lord’s | 22 Jun 1972 | Test # 699 |
| M Muralidaran | 113.5 | 41 | 220 | 16 | 1.93 | Sri Lanka | v England | The Oval | 27 Aug 1998 | Test # 1423 |
| GA Lohmann | 33.3×4 | 16 | 28 | 15 | 1.24 | England | v South Africa | Cape Town | 25 Mar 1889 | Test # 32 |
| GA Lohmann | 25.3×5 | 11 | 45 | 15 | 2.10 | England | v South Africa | Gqeberha | 13 Feb 1896 | Test # 47 |
| C Blythe | 38.3 | 10 | 99 | 15 | 2.57 | England | v South Africa | Leeds | 29 Jul 1907 | Test # 94 |
| H Verity | 58.3 | 23 | 104 | 15 | 1.77 | England | v Australia | Lord’s | 22 Jun 1934 | Test # 234 |
| RJ Hadlee | 52.3 | 13 | 123 | 15 | 2.34 | New Zealand | v Australia | Brisbane | 8 Nov 1985 | Test # 1029 |
List of Best Bowling Figures in an Innings of a Test Match
| Player | Overs | Mdns | Runs | W | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Date | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JC Laker | 51.2 | 23 | 53 | 10 | 1.03 | England | v Australia | Manchester | 26 Jul 1956 | Test # 428 |
| A Kumble | 26.3 | 9 | 74 | 10 | 2.79 | India | v Pakistan | Delhi | 4 Feb 1999 | Test # 1443 |
| AY Patel | 47.5 | 12 | 119 | 10 | 2.48 | New Zealand | v India | Wankhede | 3 Dec 2021 | Test # 2438 |
| GA Lohmann | 14.2×5 | 6 | 28 | 9 | 2.33 | England | v South Africa | Johannesburg | 2 Mar 1896 | Test # 48 |
| JC Laker | 16.4 | 4 | 37 | 9 | 2.22 | England | v Australia | Manchester | 26 Jul 1956 | Test # 428 |
| M Muralidaran | 40.0 | 19 | 51 | 9 | 1.27 | Sri Lanka | v Zimbabwe | Kandy | 4 Jan 2002 | Test # 1583 |
| RJ Hadlee | 23.4 | 4 | 52 | 9 | 2.19 | New Zealand | v Australia | Brisbane | 8 Nov 1985 | Test # 1029 |
| Abdul Qadir | 37.0 | 13 | 56 | 9 | 1.51 | Pakistan | v England | Lahore | 25 Nov 1987 | Test # 1081 |
| DE Malcolm | 16.3 | 2 | 57 | 9 | 3.45 | England | v South Africa | The Oval | 18 Aug 1994 | Test # 1266 |
| M Muralidaran | 54.2 | 27 | 65 | 9 | 1.19 | Sri Lanka | v England | The Oval | 27 Aug 1998 | Test # 1423 |
Tell us the name of a Cricketer that doesn’t feel the thrill and sense of severe intensity and the sheer competition before a 5-Day Cricket Test Match, we’ll wait. Such is the aura and significance of days cricket for the sport. Thanks to test cricket we’ve witnessed some great batting and bowling performance throughout the entire journey of legendary cricketers.
Jim Laker (James Charles Laker) was a Veteran English Off Break Bowler who will be remembered for his almost unachievable performance as long as the game survives, which means FOREVER.
Unsurprisingly, Laker holds the record for taking the most wickets in a combined inning of a Test match. England played Australia at Old Trafford in 1956 and the rest is history. He almost achieved the fate of taking ten wickets in the first inning with his 9 wickets for just 37 runs but the second inning came as a cherry on the cake with his remarkable 10 for 53. He finished the game with the best-ever bowling figures (19 wickets for 90 runs) in test matches which is yet to be broken. Laker became the first bowler to take 10 wickets in an Innings in Test Cricket.
Best Bowling Figures in T20 Internationals
| Player | Overs | Mdns | Runs | W | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Date | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Aho | 3.4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1.36 | Nigeria | v Sierra Leone | Lagos | 24 Oct 2021 | T20I # 1360 |
| DL Chahar | 3.2 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 2.10 | India | v Bangladesh | Nagpur | 10 Nov 2019 | T20I # 1014 |
| DM Nakrani | 4.0 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 1.75 | Uganda | v Lesotho | Kigali | 19 Oct 2021 | T20I # 1315 |
| BAW Mendis | 4.0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2.00 | Sri Lanka | v Zimbabwe | Hambantota | 18 Sep 2012 | T20I # 263 |
| JJ Smit | 4.0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 2.50 | Namibia | v Uganda | Windhoek | 10 Apr 2022 | T20I # 1507 |
| BAW Mendis | 4.0 | 1 | 16 | 6 | 4.00 | Sri Lanka | v Australia | Pallekele | 8 Aug 2011 | T20I # 203 |
| OC McCoy | 4.0 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 4.25 | West Indies | v India | Basseterre | 1 Aug 2022 | T20I # 1718 |
| PK Langat | 4.0 | 1 | 17 | 6 | 4.25 | Kenya | v Mali | Kigali | 20 Nov 2022 | T20I # 1900 |
| H Fennell | 4.0 | 0 | 18 | 6 | 4.50 | Argentina | v Panama | North Sound | 10 Nov 2021 | T20I # 1417 |
| JN Frylinck | 4.0 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 6.00 | Namibia | v U.A.E. | ICCA Dubai | 5 Oct 2021 | T20I # 1281 |
T20 has fasten-up cricket and the format has been accepted globally with open arms. Although the game lasts for a few hours, the purpose is to combine all the knowledge and skills to produce better results as a player for the fans out there. India has yet to win a T20 World Cup since the tournament was first hosted in South Africa in 2007.
Since then, we have witnessed some great bowling performances in the format and the top spot in the list of best bowling figures in T20 Internationals belongs to Peter Aho. The Nigerian right-arm quick gun made his T20I debut against Kenya on the 11th of September 2021. Quite soon, he delivered a very special spell and took 6 wickets for just 5 runs against Sierra Leone at Lagos on October 24th, weeks after his debut. This is the best bowling figure in a T20 cricket match.
He dethroned India’s Deepak Chahar who had shattered Bangladesh in 2019 at Nagpur. his figures were 6 wickets with just 7 runs conceded.
Also Read: Most Wickets in Test Cricket
Best Bowling Figures in IPL
| Player | Overs | Mdns | Runs | W | Econ | Team | Opposition | Ground | Date | Scorecard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AS Joseph | 3.4 | 1 | 12 | 6 | 3.27 | Mumbai | v Sunrisers | Hyderabad (Deccan) | 6 Apr 2019 | T20 |
| Sohail Tanvir | 4.0 | 0 | 14 | 6 | 3.50 | Royals | v Super Kings | Jaipur | 4 May 2008 | T20 |
| A Zampa | 4.0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 4.75 | Supergiants | v Sunrisers | Visakhapatnam | 10 May 2016 | T20 |
| A Kumble | 3.1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 1.57 | RCB | v Royals | Cape Town | 18 Apr 2009 | T20 |
| JJ Bumrah | 4.0 | 1 | 10 | 5 | 2.50 | Mumbai | v KKR | DY Patil | 9 May 2022 | T20 |
| I Sharma | 3.0 | 0 | 12 | 5 | 4.00 | Chargers | v Kochi | Kochi | 27 Apr 2011 | T20 |
| SL Malinga | 3.4 | 1 | 13 | 5 | 3.54 | Mumbai | v Daredevils | Delhi | 10 Apr 2011 | T20 |
| AS Rajpoot | 4.0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | 3.50 | Kings XI | v Sunrisers | Hyderabad (Deccan) | 26 Apr 2018 | T20 |
| AD Russell | 2.0 | 0 | 15 | 5 | 7.50 | KKR | v Mumbai | Chennai | 13 Apr 2021 | T20 |
| RA Jadeja | 4.0 | 0 | 16 | 5 | 4.00 | Super Kings | v Chargers | Visakhapatnam | 7 Apr 2012 | T20 |
Indian Premier League has been one of the major deciding tournaments for BCCI to find and give opportunities to the best cricketers in India. Currently, IPL welcomes almost every associated playing nation except Pakistan due to political reasons. In 2008, IPL was first introduced in India and soon after its launch, the tournament gained significant popularity across the other big associated playing nations. For the past 14-15 years, we have witnessed some great bowling performances.
The record for the best bowling figure in IPL was for long captured by Sohail Tanvir for his 6 wickets for 14 runs since the inaugural edition of the tournament. This record was finally broken against Sunrisers Hyderabad by Alzarri Joseph from Mumbai Indians who forced the batters to face his wrath. The lethal spell from Alzarri awarded him with the “Man of the Match” with the best ever 6 wickets for just 12 runs. He dismissed David Warner, Deepak Hooda, Rashid Khan, Vijay Shankar, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, and Siddharth Kaul and helped Mumbai Indians to win the game by 40 runs.
