The T20 World Cup 2026, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, will start on February 07 with the Indian side playing their opening clash against the United States of America (USA) at the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. However, the curtain raiser will be between Pakistan and the Netherlands at the SSC Stadium in Colombo on the same morning. 

Over the seasons, many players earned success in the history of the T20 World Cup with the ball. Bowling in the shortest format isn’t an easy job, especially when the batters go after the bowler. But to keep the run-rate down, bagging wickets becomes crucial in the format. Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan, as of now, leads the chart in the T20 World Cup history.

List of highest wicket-takers in ICC T20 World Cup history

1.   Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)

One of the premier spin all-rounders of world cricket, Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan has achieved massive success with the ball using the variation of pace, right line, and lengths of the ball. In the T20 World Cups, Shakib has overall bagged 50 wickets in 41 innings, averaging 20.12 and maintaining an economy rate of under seven, with the help of three four-wicket hauls.

Shakib, whose international career isn’t guaranteed to be back for the national side, has amassed 149 wickets in 126 innings of the T20Is at an average of under 21 and an economy rate of under seven, with the help of six four-wicket and two five-wicket hauls.

2.   Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

The former Pakistan captain and the premier spin all-rounder of the side, Shahid Afridi, is second on the list with 39 wickets. In his six editions of the T20 World Cup, Afridi recorded those wickets in 34 innings at an average of 23.25 and an economy rate of 6.71, thanks to two four-wicket hauls.

See Also: Highest Run Scorers in ICC T20 World Cup History

Afridi, the 45-year-old, has overall bagged 98 wickets in 97 innings of the shortest format for the national side. He averaged 24.44 and a strike rate of 22.1 with an economy rate of under seven, thanks to three four-wicket hauls at the best bowling figure of 4/11 in an innings.

3.   Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)

The former Sri Lanka pacer, Lasith Malinga, is known for his slingy action to bowl the firing yorkers and fox the batters with the slower deliveries, especially in the death overs. In the history of the T20 World Cup, Malinga has overall pocketed 38 wickets in 31 innings at an average of 20.07 and a strike rate of 16.21 with an economy rate of 7.43.

The 42-year-old Galle-born pacer collected overall 107 wickets in 83 innings of the shortest format for the national side at an average of 20.79 and a strike rate of 16.80 with an economy rate of 7.42, thanks to two five-wicket hauls and one four-wicket haul.

4.   Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)

In such a short time in his career, Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner has earned massive success with the ball, in various durations of the game. The right-arm pacer has featured in just three seasons of the event and enjoyed 37 wickets in 19 innings at an average of under 12 and a strike rate of 11.72 with an economy rate of exactly six, thanks to the best bowling figures of 3/8.

The 28-year-old Hasaranga has managed overall 146 wickets in 88 innings of the shortest format at an average of 15.86 and a strike rate of 13.6 and an economy rate of under seven, thanks to four four-wicket hauls at the best figures of 4/9 in an innings.

5.   Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)

Afghanistan’s captain and the star player of the white-ball formats, Rashid Khan, has also earned so much success with the ball in the middle overs. In just 23 innings of the T20 World Cup history, the leg spinner has bagged 37 wickets at an average of under 15 and a strike rate of 14.16, thanks to an economy rate of 6.30, with the help of three four-wicket hauls.

The 27-year-old has overall fetched 182 wickets in the 108 innings of the shortest format at an average of under 14 and a strike rate of 13.5 with an economy rate of just over six, thanks to nine four-wicket and a couple of five-wicket hauls at the best figures of 5/3 in an innings.