The countdown has begun for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, which starts in just a few days. This will be the 10th edition of the tournament and will be hosted jointly by India and Sri Lanka. The competition will run from February 7 to March 8, with 55 matches scheduled across eight grounds. Five venues will be in India, while three will be in Sri Lanka.

India enter the tournament as the defending champions. They lifted the trophy in the last edition, played in the USA and the West Indies, by winning every match they played. The Indian team will now try to win the T20 World Cup for the third time, having earlier won the title in 2010.

Only two other teams have managed to win the tournament more than once. West Indies claimed the title in 2012 and 2016, while England emerged champions in 2010 and 2022.

Across the nine previous editions of the Men’s T20 World Cup, bowlers have produced several match-winning performances. With the new tournament approaching, we revisit the top five bowling figures ever recorded in the history of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

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1. Ajantha Mendis (6/8) vs Zimbabwe – 2012

Former Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis has the best bowling figures in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup history. He took 6 wickets for 8 runs against Zimbabwe in Hambantota during the 2012 tournament.

Sri Lanka scored 182 runs after batting first. Zimbabwe were then bowled out for 100 in 17.3 overs. Mendis completely troubled the batters with his spin and variations.

He dismissed Vusi Sibanda, Brendan Taylor, Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, Prosper Utseya, and Kyle Jarvis to complete his six-wicket haul.

2. Rangana Herath (5/3) vs New Zealand – 2014

Rangana Herath produced a brilliant spell against New Zealand in the 2014 T20 World Cup in Chattogram. He picked up 5 wickets for just 3 runs in 3.3 overs.

Sri Lanka scored only 119 runs, but Herath’s bowling helped dismiss New Zealand for just 60 runs. His wickets included Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, and Trent Boult.

3. Umar Gul (5/6) vs New Zealand – 2009

Pakistan fast bowler Umar Gul took 5 wickets for 6 runs against New Zealand at The Oval in the 2009 T20 World Cup.

New Zealand were bowled out for 99 runs. Gul used yorkers and slower balls to remove Scott Styris, Peter McGlashan, Nathan McCullum, James Franklin, and Kyle Mills. Pakistan chased the target easily.

4. Fazalhaq Farooqi (5/9) vs Uganda – 2024

Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi delivered a strong performance against Uganda in the 2024 T20 World Cup in Guyana. He took 5 wickets for 9 runs in four overs.

Afghanistan scored 183 runs and then bowled Uganda out for just 58 runs. Farooqi dismissed Ronak Patel, Roger Mukasa, Riazat Ali Shah, Brian Masaba, and Robinson Obuya.

5. Sam Curran (5/10) vs Afghanistan – 2022

England all-rounder Sam Curran took 5 wickets for 10 runs against Afghanistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup in Perth.

England bowled first and dismissed Afghanistan for 112 runs. Curran’s victims included Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Usman Ghani, and Fazalhaq Farooqi. England won the match by five wickets.

Throughout the history of the Asia Cup, the bowlers have time and again managed to hog the limelight. In an era where the batters seem to be getting way too much in their favor, a handful of bowlers still manage to valiantly stun the batting sides with their exceptional bowling wizardry. Hardly anyone can forget Ajantha Mendis' destructive six-wicket haul in the 2008 Asia Cup final, which brought India to its knees. However, in recent times, it was Mohammed Siraj who produced a ground-breaking bowling performance of 6-21 to bowl out Sri Lanka cheaply for 50 in the 2023 Asia Cup final. 

While Mendis and Siraj have succeeded in leaving their lasting legacy in the Asia Cup, who are the other bowlers who still managed to find a way to thrive in this batter-dominated era of the game? And have they been successful enough to etch their names in the record books? In this article, we bring you the top five bowlers to have recorded the best-ever bowling figures in the history of the Asia Cup. 

See also: Five batters with most runs in Asia Cup history (ODI & T20I combined)

Ajantha Mendis (6-13 vs India in Asia Cup, 2008)

Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis holds the record for producing the best bowling figures in the history of the Asia Cup. His magical figures of 6-13 spun a vicious web around the Indian batters in the 2008 Asia Cup final. Leading into the Asia Cup final, India emerged as the strong favorites. At a time when a very few experts anticipated an unlikely victory for Sri Lanka, Mendis did the unthinkable. Sehwag got India off to a rapid start. Sri Lanka needed something out of the ordinary to stem the flow of runs. But as soon as the ball was tossed to Mendis, things immediately took a turn for the worse for India. Mendis deceived the in-form Indian batters with his uncanny variations in pace and flight. In addition, the mystery spinner wisely altered his line and length to further add to India's woes. Right after dismissing Sehwag in his first over, Mendis was on a roll. Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, and RP Singh were among the other five victims he accounted for. In the end, Sri Lanka achieved an incredible victory over India. On the back of Mendis's destructive 6-13, Sri Lanka went on to thrash India by an unbelievable margin of 100 runs.

Mohammed Siraj (6-21 vs Sri Lanka in Asia Cup, 2023)

In the 2023 Asia Cup Final, all hell broke loose on Sri Lanka as Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj ran riot with the ball. The Lankan side barely got a chance to stage a fightback as Siraj went on to script his career-best ODI figures of 6-21 to floor Sri Lanka cheaply for 50. In overcast conditions, Siraj utilized the new ball to good effect, leading to the undoing of six frontline Sri Lankan batters. What also played to his advantage was the brisk pace he was able to generate to trouble the Lankan batters. Contrary to what people had expected earlier, the Asia Cup final ended in a very one-sided affair, thanks to Siraj's hostile spell of bowling. He got the ball rolling by having Nissanka fend at an away swinging delivery. A couple of balls later, Samarawickrama followed suit after getting struck in front of the stumps. Siraj's onslaught continued further as Asalanka and Dhananjay fell inside the very same over. By the end of the fourth over, Sri Lanka were brought down on their knees, losing half the side for just 12 runs on the board. In his 7-over spell, Siraj only conceded two boundaries and accounted for six dismissals while giving away just 21 runs. This was also the fourth-best bowling performance recorded by an Indian bowler in the ODI format. 

Aaqib Javed (5-19 vs India in Asia Cup, 1995)

Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed unleashed an unprecedented wave of terror during the third match of the 1995 Pepsi Asia Cup against India. After posting a competitive target on the board, Javed provided the Men in Green an ideal start. The two India openers, Manoj Prabhakar and the dangerous Sachin Tendulkar, were dismissed cheaply inside the first three overs of the run chase. By then, India's momentum was severely disrupted. Despite a valiant stand between Navjot Siddhu and Mohammed Azharuddin, Javed was able to dismiss the latter and throw the game wide open for Pakistan again. Vinod Kambli and Javagal Srinath were his next two victims as India were dismissed for 169, leaving them well short of their required target of 267. Javed starred with the ball with exemplary figures of 5-19 and was awarded for his heroic deed with a POTM award. 

Arshad Ayub (5-21 vs Pakistan in Asia Cup, 1988)

In an epic low-scoring thriller, Arshad Ayub helped India prevail in what turned out to be a tense contest with Pakistan. The 3rd fixture of the Wills Asia Cup 1988 was impacted by weather, resulting in a shortened 45-over game per side. Ayub bowled a marathon nine overs, picking up five wickets while conceding only 21 runs. He joined hands with Maninder Singh and bowled effectively in tandem to obliterate Pakistan's top order. As a result, the Pakistan innings never got off the ground and were floored for a meager 142. At a time when Pakistan were crusing along nicely at 62-0, Ayub, out of nowhere, produced a magical spell to trigger a catastrophic batting collapse. He was miserly with the ball and did not concede a single extra in his nine-over spell. Although Abdul Qadir kept Pakistan in the game, India eventually went on to get over the line by four wickets. This was Ayub's first and only five-wicket haul in his ODI career. Sadly, a couple of years later, his international career came to a premature end. Ayub's 5-21 will go down as one of the most underrated spells in the history of the Asia Cup. 

Kuldeep Yadav (5-25 vs Pakistan in Asia Cup, 2023)

During the ninth fixture of the Asia Cup 2023, Kuldeep Yadav etched his name in the record books by becoming the fifth Indian bowler to claim an ODI five-wicket haul against Pakistan. By doing so, he joined the elite list featuring legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Venkatesh Prasad, and Arshad Ayub. In this fixture, Pakistan were utterly humiliated by the Men in Blue, first with the ball and later with the bat. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli added to Pakistan's misery by mounting a colossal score of 356-2. Just when it seemed like the worst had passed, another humiliation was already looming for Pakistan in the second innings. Kuldeep ran through the fragile batting lineup like a hot knife through butter. In his eight-over spell, Kuldeep returned figures of 5-25 and never allowed Pakistan to gain any foothold in this match. His five primary scalps included dismissals of Fakhar Zaman, Agha Salman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, and Faheem Ashraf. As a consequence, Pakistan went down without a fight and were bowled out for just 128, thus handing India their biggest ODI victory against the Men in Green. 

Cricket has often resembled the traits of military service and has followed traits of discipline, courage, and commitment. There are various cricketers from all around the world who thrilled on the field and in military uniforms for their country. These individuals, some past and some still living, balanced the enormous demands of their professional work in defending their country as well as standing up and representing their country in the field of international sport. 

Relatively speaking, nothing shines brighter than one of the game's greats, Sir Donald Bradman, who served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II. England's Hedley Verity was one of World War II's casualties; a talented spin bowler and gifted cricketer, he died in combat during that same conflict. India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who carries the honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, provides insight into how well this country enjoys his role in bringing honor to the game and his country. 

For various reasons, the military is often a discreet cultivation ground for cricketers developing social capital, which is plainly displayed in the field. In Pakistan, cricketers like Majid Khan or Imran Khan had military family ties, whereas in Sri Lanka, cricketers such as Ajantha Mendis actively served. While their accounts are like each other as their own ambitions were being pursued, within them, they also represent the character of a timeless story of selfless public service for national pride.

When Duty and Sport are Shown to be Synergistic

The hard work behind trying to balance military responsibilities with the demands of professional cricket is remarkable. These athletes train in extreme conditions and mentally push themselves physically to grow their capacity to handle pressure - an advantage when playing any high-pressure match. They develop a safe and calm demeanor, which must be associated with being taught to think strategically, stay calm, and lead others in the sport and in their chosen military roles.

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For cricketers, the combination of professionalism in sport and selfless acts of valor are tied together. Their lives challenge generations to ask themselves whether their patriotism can be exhibited in more than one way. Whether it is saluting while in uniform or raising a bat after scoring a century, they serve as reminders that the ultimate contribution to a nation sometimes comes wearing both boots and spikes.