The 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup will be co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka. Subcontinental tracks are expected to be the tactical bowlers' dream. Even though India is still expanding beyond batting, the masters of the white ball will eventually choose who wins the 2026 trophy.

These 5 bowlers have the skills they need to do well in a T20I era when scores often go above 200 runs.

1. Varun Chakaravarthy (India)

The "Mystery Spinner" made the most spectacular return in modern cricket history. Varun Chakaravarthy, India's best tactical weapon, will be the ICC's best T20I bowler at the 2026 World Cup. He had a great year in 2025, when he beat South Africa and England. Now, his ability to deliver leg-breaks and googlies from almost the same seam positions makes him almost impossible to read.

Varun Chakaravarthy is known for his great control during the powerplay overs, when he has consistently stopped the other team's openers with his variations. His economy rate of less than 7 runs per over in high-scoring games shows that he can keep most aggressive batting lineups from scoring big scores. His partnership with his duo spinner Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs is now India's strongest weapon, constructing a spin web that won't be easy for any team out there to tackle.

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Top 3 Lowest Team Scores in the ICC T20 World Cup History

2. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) 

No "watch out" list would be complete without the Afghan wizard. Rashid Khan enters 2026 as probably the most successful T20I bowler, having recently become the first to hit the 180-wicket milestone. His lightning-fast arm motion maintains the gold standard in T20I bowling.  

Rashid's years of working with tropical climates render him almost unplayable on the spinning track. The leg-spinner's variations, particularly a faster delivery and an unusual googly, keep hitters guessing throughout his spell. His leadership and calm approach under pressure contributed to Afghanistan's bowling power, making them a serious contender for the title.

3. Jacob Duffy (New Zealand) 

Jacob Duffy, possibly the most surprising name to some, has been the highest wicket-taker in 2025 for the Kiwis. He recently broke Sir Richard Hadlee's 40-year record for the most international wickets by a New Zealander in a single year, collecting 81 last year. His ability to manage the new ball alongside subtle pace alterations in the death overs has catapulted him into the top five in the world rankings, positioning him as the spearhead of the Kiwi attack. 

Duffy's success relies on his versatility and cricket intellect. Unlike typical fast bowlers who concentrate purely on pace, Duffy has perfected the knack of reading circumstances and modifying his angles accordingly. His yorkers in the death overs have proven lethal, with hitters striving to get beneath them for important boundary hits. His fitness and consistency in bowling four overs make him a key addition to New Zealand's campaign.

3. Abrar Ahmed (Pakistan)

Abrar Ahmed, who is now ranked No. 2 in the ICC, is Pakistan's solution to the spin-heavy conditions in the subcontinent. Abrar, who is famed for his "finger-spun" mystery bowling, has been quite decent in the middle overs. He came into the competition with a career-best ICC rating of 748.

The emerging star from Pakistan is known for breaking up important partnerships, often taking crucial wickets when batsmen seem to be in charge. His record against left-handed batters is especially excellent since his different types of pitches make it hard for left-handed batters to take control of the middle overs.

5. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) 

With half of the competition taking place in Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga is probably the most deadly player on home turf. He is a consistent match-winner who rates among the top five in the world and thrives under the stress of captaincy. His control of the googly and excellent wicket-taking record against the best batting units in Colombo gives him an extra advantage over the tournament's leading wicket-taker. 

Wanindu Hasaranga's all-around abilities increase his value, as his fearless hitting in the lower order often leads to important runs. The Sri Lankan skipper has an incredible ability to scoop up wickets in a row, frequently dismantling middle orders on his own. His achievements in previous matches on home soil were nothing short of outstanding, and his comfort with the conditions offers him a psychological advantage over visiting teams.

New Zealand posted their second highest T20I score against India of 215 runs for the lose of seven wickets in their allotted 20 overs of the innings during the fourth T20I of the five-match series at the ACA VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. On the very first delivery of the chase, Abhishek Sharma lost his wicket against Matt Henry as Devon Conway grabbed a fine catch. 

On the last delivery of the second over, India’s captain, Surya Kumar Yadav, also went back to the pavilion for 8 runs at run-a-ball as the lanky pacer Jacob Duffy grabbed a fantastic catch, which was possible only because of his fine reflection while delivering the delivery. On the previous delivery, Sky shuffled across and used a bowler's angle to flick him through square leg for a good boundary.

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But they put the next delivery on the good land, the right handed batter state lick side to drive it on the rise as the bowler got really low on his follow through to grab the cat superbly just inches above the turf.

Jacob Duffy grabs great catch to dismiss Suryakumar Yadav

It was a well-timed shot from the uniform battle but the bowler showed some great reflexes to send both inform batters back to the pavilion making the chase more stiff for the home side who was already a better shot in their lineup with Ishaan Kishan resting due to his niggle as the team management went with the left arm pacer, Arshdeep Singh, in the 11.

Watch the video here: 

#jacobduffy for RCB fans... pic.twitter.com/A4zpdBGMpw

— Cricket Everywhere✍🏻 (@Subhamk79241601) January 28, 2026

Earlier in the game, New Zealand got a strong 100-run opening partnership thanks to Devon Conway’s 44 runs in 23 deliveries, while Tim Seifert smashed a fine knock of 62 runs in just 36 balls with the help of seven boundaries and three sixes that set the platform for the Blackcaps.

New Zealand struggled in their middle order, losing six wickets for just 63 runs in around eight overs, before Terry Mitchell’s undefeated knock of 39 runs in just 18 deliveries carried them to the 215-run mark in their allotted 20 overs.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 215/7 (Tim Seifert 62, Devon Conway 44, Arshdeep Singh 2/33) vs India 53/2 (Sanju Samson 23*, Matt Henry 1/13). 

The Australia vs England Ashes Test in Melbourne was the last international match of 2025 among ICC full-member nations. England pulled off a stunning four-wicket win in a match that ended on Day 2. Despite the loss, Australia finished 2025 with nine Test wins from 11 matches. WTC champions South Africa were the other top-performing team in red-ball cricket, winning seven of their eight Tests.

In ODIs, India won 11 of their 14 matches, including a victory in the Champions Trophy final. New Zealand won 17 out of 20 matches, while Sri Lanka won seven of their 13 games.

In T20Is, Team India won 15 of their 21 matches, while Australia claimed 10 wins from 16 games.

There were many impressive bowling performances in international cricket in 2025. In this feature, we take a look at the top five bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket among ICC full-member teams in 2025.

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5. Mitchell Starc (58 wickets)

Experienced Australian left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc finished fifth on the list of bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket among ICC full-member teams in 2025. He played 14 matches (25 innings) and took 58 wickets at an average of 18.41. He recorded three five-wicket hauls and one ten-wicket match haul.

Out of his 58 wickets, 55 came in 11 Test matches at an average of 17.32. Starc took 6/9 against the West Indies in Kingston. He also claimed 7/58 and 3/55 against England in the opening Ashes Test in Perth, and 6/75 and 2/64 in Brisbane. In the Brisbane Test, he also contributed 77 runs with the bat.

The 35-year-old played three ODIs and took three wickets at an average of 38.33, with an economy rate of 5.47.

4. Kuldeep Yadav (60 wickets)

India’s left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav moved in and out of the playing XI across formats in 2025. However, he made the most of his chances. In 25 matches (28 innings), Kuldeep took 60 wickets at an average of 20.48. He registered one five-wicket haul and five four-wicket hauls.

Kuldeep played four Tests and took 20 wickets at an average of 23.15. His best figures of 5/82 came against the West Indies in Delhi. In ODIs, he took 19 wickets in 11 matches at an average of 29. His best performance was 4/41 against South Africa in Visakhapatnam.

In the T20Is, Kuldeep took 21 wickets in 10 matches at an economy rate of 7.04. He starred with figures of 4/30 against Pakistan in the Asia Cup final in Dubai.

3. Blessing Muzarabani (65 wickets)

Zimbabwe fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani finished third on the list. In 31 matches (34 innings) in 2025, he took 65 wickets at an average of 27.58. He picked up three five-wicket hauls and one four-wicket haul.

Muzarabani played 10 Tests and claimed 42 wickets at an average of 26.80. His best performances included 7/58 against Ireland in Bulawayo, 6/72 against Bangladesh in Sylhet, and 6/95 against Afghanistan in Bulawayo.

In five ODIs, he took seven wickets, with a best of 4/51 against Ireland in Harare. He also claimed 16 wickets in 16 T20Is at an economy rate of 7.79.

Read more -Top 5 T20I performances by Indian bowlers in 2025 ft. Kuldeep Yadav

2. Matt Henry (65 wickets)

New Zealand pacer Matt Henry enjoyed an excellent year with the ball in 2025. He played 27 matches (29 innings) and took 65 wickets at an average of 16.87. His record included three five-wicket hauls and three four-wicket hauls.

Henry played three Tests and took 20 wickets at an average of 10.90. He claimed 6/39 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo and also took 5/40 in the same series.

In the ODIs, Henry took 31 wickets in 13 matches. His best figures of 5/42 came against India in Dubai during the Champions Trophy. He also took 4/19 and 4/55 against Sri Lanka in Wellington and Auckland, and 4/43 against the West Indies in Hamilton.

In the T20Is, Henry took 14 wickets in 11 matches at an economy rate of 8.82.

1. Jacob Duffy (81 wickets)

New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy topped the list of bowlers with the most wickets in international cricket among ICC full-member teams in 2025. He played 36 matches (39 innings) and took 81 wickets at an average of 17.11. He recorded three five-wicket hauls and four four-wicket hauls.

Duffy played four Tests and took 25 wickets at an average of 16.28. All three of his five-wicket hauls came against the West Indies. He took 5/34 in Christchurch, 5/38 in Wellington, and 5/42 in Mount Maunganui.

In ODIs, Duffy took 21 wickets in 11 matches, with a best of 3/35. In T20Is, he claimed 35 wickets in 21 matches at an economy rate of 7.47. He took 4/14 and 4/20 against Pakistan in Christchurch and Mount Maunganui.

Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin praised defending IPL champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru for signing New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy at his base price during the IPL mini auction. Ashwin called the move a smart and valuable buy considering Duffy’s recent performances.

The 31-year-old right-arm pacer has been in excellent form and is currently ranked number two among bowlers in T20 internationals. His strong performances across all major formats have established him as one of the top bowling performers this year.

Duffy recently impressed in the third and final Test against the West Indies, where he took nine wickets. His effort helped New Zealand register a big 323-run victory in the match.

Ashwin Calls 2025 Jacob Duffy’s “Coming of Age” Year

With his nine-wicket haul, Duffy also broke a long-standing New Zealand record. He went past the 40-year-old record of Richard Hadlee by becoming the Kiwi bowler with the most wickets in a single calendar year. Duffy has taken 81 wickets in 2025, beating Hadlee’s 79 wickets from 1985.  In the three-match Test series against the West Indies, Duffy picked up a five-wicket haul in each game and finished with 23 wickets. Ashwin took note of these performances and said that 2025 has been Duffy’s “coming of age” year as a cricketer.

What a cricketer Jacob Duffy is turning out to be. 2025 has been his coming of age year.

23 wickets at 15.43, 40.3 Strike rate and MOS in the tests against Windies.

He’s also the current #2 ranked T20I bowler, with a sensational 2025 in T20s with 57 wickets at 18.9, 7.89… pic.twitter.com/Oda9LxdqxX

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) December 22, 2025

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Ashwin wrote on X that Duffy is operating at peak efficiency, highlighting his strong Test numbers and impressive T20 record. He also said that RCB picking him up at a base price of INR 2 crore was an “absolute steal” and a sensational move.

RCB signed Duffy for INR 2 crore at the mini auction in Abu Dhabi. This will be his first season in the Indian Premier League, where he could act as a like-for-like replacement for Josh Hazlewood if needed.

New Zealand completed a dominant Test match with a strong all-round performance, outplaying West Indies in every department to secure a big win. The hosts stayed in control throughout the match, from long batting efforts to sharp bowling on a tiring pitch.

Fast bowler Jacob Duffy led the attack with an excellent 5/42. He finished the series as the standout player and showed New Zealand’s depth despite a weakened pace attack.

Duffy’s five-wicket haul helped him break Sir Richard Hadlee’s New Zealand record of 80 wickets in a calendar year. It was a major achievement in a season where he carried a heavy workload.

The right-arm seamer ended the series with 23 wickets at an average of 15.4. He took three five-wicket hauls and bowled more than 154 overs across the three Tests as New Zealand’s main fast bowler.

“I saw that list at lunchtime, and there were some great names on it. To be on any list with those names was special,” said Duffy, who was later named Player of the Series.

New Zealand's bowlers finish the job in Mount Maunganui to claim 12 #WTC27 points and a 2-0 series win 👏#NZvWI 📲 https://t.co/RsAVYUUerk pic.twitter.com/pA62cthcMW

— ICC (@ICC) December 22, 2025

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West Indies Collapses in the Chase

Chasing survival on the final day, the West Indies started well. The openers looked confident and moved to 87 without losing a wicket. For a short time, it seemed they could fight back.

However, the dismissal of Brandon King changed the match. West Indies quickly fell from 87/0 to 98/5 and lost control. Jacob Duffy struck again by dismissing Roston Chase, and New Zealand tightened the pressure.

After lunch, Shai Hope tried to resist. He played patiently on a difficult pitch and stayed at the crease for a long time. But his effort ended when Ajaz Patel trapped him lbw. Joshua Imlach showed some fight, but once the lower-order batters came in, the end came quickly. Duffy finished the innings by dismissing Jayden Seales to complete a deserved five-wicket haul and seal the win.

New Zealand’s Complete Dominance

New Zealand had taken control of the match earlier with a huge first-innings total of 575. Devon Conway led the way with a brilliant double century, while Tom Latham supported him with a fine hundred. West Indies replied with a strong century from Kavem Hodge but still fell 155 runs behind.

In the second innings, New Zealand batted freely and with confidence. Latham and Conway once again gave a strong start and scored quick centuries. With enough runs and time, New Zealand declared again and set West Indies a tough target of 462.

By Day 5, the pitch had become difficult, with uneven bounce and movement. West Indies struggled to handle the conditions, while New Zealand’s bowlers used them well. Declaring twice in the match showed how strong New Zealand were with both bat and ball.

Jacob Duffy was named Player of the Series after a memorable campaign. He called it a special year and one of the best periods of his career. Devon Conway, named Player of the Match, said the achievement had not fully sunk in yet. He thanked the good batting conditions and said his simple and positive approach helped him succeed.

In the end, New Zealand played with discipline and confidence throughout the series. West Indies fought at times but were hurt by key mistakes and a final-day collapse that decided the match.

Short Scores

New Zealand: 575/8 d. and 306/2 d.
West Indies: 138 in 80.3 overs (King 67, Campbell 16; Duffy 5/42, Patel 3/23).

Result: New Zealand won by 323 runs.
Series: New Zealand won the 3-match series 2–0.
Player of the Match: Devon Conway
Player of the Series: Jacob Duffy

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) recently hired the services of the New Zealand right-arm pacer, Jacob Duffy, during the 2026 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction in Abu Dhabi. The Kiwi star will come into the franchise as the perfect replacement for Josh Hazlewood, who, despite being the premier pacer of the side, has been struggling with constant injuries.

Jacob Duffy entered his name in the history books by breaking the former legendary pacer, Richard Hadlee’s record by taking the most wickets for the Blackcaps in a calendar year. The 31-year-old fast bowler dismissed a total of 81 batters for the Kiwi side in the ongoing year 2025 in 36 matches played across the three formats.

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Hadlee, on the other hand, finished with 79 wickets in 23 matches for the New Zealand side in 1985. Duffy, who made his debut for the Blackcaps on August 07, against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, finished with 25 wickets in four red-ball games in 2025. He picked up a five-wicket haul in each of the three Tests played against the West Indies in December and bagged the player of the series award.

New RCB star Jacob Duffy celebrates massive record

In addition to the 25 Test wickets, Duffy has also bagged 21 batters in 11 ODIs and 35 batters in 21 T20Is played this year. No other bowler around the circle has picked up more wickets than him in 2025, and it’s nearly certain that he will end the year as the highest wicket-taker.

Zimbabwe’s Blessing Muzarabani is the second leading international wicket-taker in 2025 with 65 wickets in 31 clashes, while New Zealand’s Matt Henry is in third place in the table with 65 wickets in 27 clashes. Mitchell Starc will play another Test, but he won’t be able to overtake Duffy, having 54 wickets in 13 games at the moment.

The world record for the most wickets in a calendar year is in the name of former Sri Lanka spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, who dismissed 136 opposition batters for them in 2001. He also holds the second position on the record with 128 wickets in 40 encounters.

During the mini-auction of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, once the name of New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy came up, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) hardly had any question in lifting the paddle for the 31-year-old. Starting from an opening bid at INR 2 crore, the defending champions closed the deal at the same price. 

Jacob Duffy has been a fabulous bowler for his national side. He is also the number 2-ranked bowler in the ICC rankings for the T20Is. It will also be his very first season in the Indian Premier League. The Kiwi pacer’s availability will be vital for the franchise, given there is no guarantee on Josh Hazlewood, who has been picking up regular injuries.

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Duffy is tall and can swing the ball both ways, but it took a while for him to harness all those natural attributes. His action wasn’t smooth at the start of his career, but it later got better as he moved up through the ranks.

Who is Jacob Duffy whom RCB bought for INR 2 crore?

Duffy has been a young member of the New Zealand side and will share the dressing room with some of the greats of the game, including the best of the generation, Virat Kohli. Here are some of Duffy’s records in T20s.

• Duffy has picked up 53 wickets in 36 innings of the shortest format for the Kiwis at an average of around 17 and a strike rate of 13.80 with the help of five four-wicket hauls at the best figure of 4/14 in an innings.
• Overall in T20s, he has bagged 178 wickets in 150 innings at an average of 24.33 and a strike rate of 17.4 with an economy rate of 8.35, thanks to seven four-wicket and two five-wicket hauls at the best figures of 5/18 in an innings.
• Recently, Duffy featured in the Men’s Hundred, where he picked up eight wickets in seven innings at an average of 22.50 and an economy rate of nine.

Jacob Duffy’s five-wicket haul gave New Zealand a 64-run first-innings lead over the West Indies, who were bowled out for 167 in the first Test on Wednesday. At the end of day two in Christchurch, New Zealand were 32/0 in their second innings, holding a 96-run lead. Devon Conway was unbeaten on 15, while Tom Latham was on 14.

After a rain break in the final session, Duffy took the last four West Indies wickets for just two runs in 16 balls.

Earlier in the day, Duffy also removed the West Indies’ top scorer, Shai Hope, who made 56. He finished with career-best figures of 5/34.

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Hope & Chanderpaul Build WI Resistance

Half-centuries from Shai Hope and Tagenarine Chanderpaul formed the backbone of the West Indies innings, adding 90 runs for the third wicket.

Hope, wearing sunglasses due to an eye infection, walked in with the West Indies struggling at 10/2. Even with conjunctivitis and regular eye-drop breaks, he played a controlled knock to reach his sixth Test fifty. But on 56, he gloved a short ball from Jacob Duffy to wicketkeeper Tom Latham.

Matt Henry then produced a double-wicket maiden, removing Roston Chase and Justin Greaves—both caught behind—taking the West Indies from 100/2 to 106/5.

Jacob Duffy ran through the West Indies batting with his maiden five-wicket haul 🙌#WTC27 | #NZvWI 📝: https://t.co/1W0563ctBn pic.twitter.com/gosaqfx7ct

— ICC (@ICC) December 3, 2025

NZ Strike Back Strongly After Tea

Chanderpaul fought hard for his 52 off 169 balls before Zak Foulkes dismissed him after the tea break under gloomy skies with floodlights on.

Chanderpaul had been dropped twice by Devon Conway at leg slip on 5 and 24, but Conway made up for it later with a sharp catch at mid-wicket.

After a 30-minute rain break, Duffy cleaned up the tail, removing Tevin Imlach (14), Johann Layne (0), Jayden Seales (2), and Ojay Shields (0).

Earlier in the day, the West Indies took just three balls to end New Zealand’s first innings, with the hosts adding no runs to their overnight score of 231.

In an odd moment during the third T20I between Pakistan and New Zealand, play stopped as the floodlights suddenly failed, just as New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy was ready for the key ball to Pakistan batter Tayyab Tahir. In Pakistan's innings, the incident was seen during the 39th over. Pakistan had a score of 218/8 when they were chasing a steep target, requiring 47 runs from 21 balls. Tayyab was batting quite confidently on 33 from 30 balls, along with tailender Akif Javed at the exact other end. Duffy, having figures of 1 for 39, began all during his run-up on just the seventh ball from his spell when, quite literally, everything went dark.

The blackout, quite sudden, stunned all of the people—players, fans, and commentators alike. Duffy attained quite his delivery stride. Then the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium floodlights cut out, plunging the field in darkness. Both of the batters, along with the bowler, instinctively stopped themselves, with complete confusion coupled with laughter spreading across the entire ground.

This game keeps on giving 😭 pic.twitter.com/5Th8U37sRm

— psyf (@PsyfeR888) April 5, 2025

Also Read: Players who got retired out in IPL history

Due to one unforeseen issue, a pause occurred while stagehands were fixing all of the lights. During that short break, players all gathered together and chatted, while social media then exploded with various reactions to that surreal scene. The fans joked of how the pressure of tense final overs was a lot to handle. Even those lights could not quite handle those tense final overs. Fortunately, this issue was absolutely resolved promptly, and then play resumed without more hiccups. Even though it did not quite change up the final outcome, the moment has now earned its place in cricketing folklore.

Also Read: IPL 2025: SRH vs GT - A Head to Head breakdown

Khushdil Shah confronts fans taunting Pakistan team after their dismal performance

Pakistan’s tour of New Zealand ended not only in a disappointing series loss but also amid controversy, as all-rounder Khushdil Shah became involved in a heated exchange with fans after the third ODI in Mount Maunganui. Clearly frustrated, Khushdil had to be restrained by teammates and security personnel after reacting to taunts from the crowd.

The altercation occurred shortly after Pakistan’s 43-run defeat, which sealed a 3-0 whitewash in the ODI series, following a 4-1 loss in the preceding T20Is. Eyewitnesses reported that some fans directed personal and provocative remarks at the players as they exited the field. In response, an angered Khushdil turned back to confront the crowd, continuing the verbal exchange despite attempts by others to calm the situation.