Bowlers With Most Wickets India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi hold the record for the most wickets in the first over of T20 cricket.
Bhuvneshwar, known for his brilliant opening swing bowling, has taken 46 wickets in the very first over of T20 matches.
Similarly, Pakistan’s T20 captain Shaheen Afridi, a dangerous left-arm pacer, has also claimed 46 wickets in the first over of T20 games.
Other notable bowlers with impressive first-over performances include Mohammad Amir, Sohail Tanvir, and David Willey. Check out the top five bowlers with the most first-over wickets in T20 cricket!
5. David Willey – 37 wickets
England’s David Willey secures a spot in the top five. The skilled left-arm pacer is known for taking crucial wickets in T20 cricket. Since his debut in 2009, Willey has claimed 37 wickets in the first over of T20 matches, including 15 for England. A T20 specialist, he has played for teams like Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Bangla Tigers, Chennai, Durban’s Super Giants, Multan Sultans, Perth Scorchers, Bangalore, and Welsh Fire in various T20 leagues.
4. Sohail Tanvir – 39 wickets
Like Shaheen Afridi and Mohammed Amir, former Pakistan left-arm pacer Sohail Tanvir also stands out on this list. Known for his unique left-arm bowling style, Tanvir claimed 39 wickets in the first over of T20 cricket. He had a successful T20I career with Pakistan and was a key bowler for many franchises, including Guyana Amazon Warriors, Kandy Tuskers, Karachi Kings, Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators, Team Rajasthan, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and St Lucia Zouks. His standout performance helped Rajasthan win the first-ever Indian T20 League title in 2008.
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3. Mohammad Amir – 41 wickets
Mohammad Amir, another talented left-arm fast bowler from Pakistan, ranks third on the list. Since his T20 debut in 2008, he has taken 41 wickets in the first over of T20 matches. Amir is one of Pakistan’s top wicket-takers in T20Is and has played for various teams worldwide, including Bangla Tigers, Barbados Royals, Chittagong Vikings, Desert Vipers, Fortune Barishal, Galle Gladiators, Jamaica Tallawahs, Karachi Kings, Khulna Tigers, and Quetta Gladiators.
2. Shaheen Afridi – 46 wickets
Shaheen Afridi holds the record for the most wickets in the first over of T20 cricket, with 46 dismissals so far. Known for his deadly pace, he has played for teams like Lahore Qalandars, Comilla Victorians, Welsh Fire, and Desert Vipers. After his T20 success, Afridi became Pakistan’s new T20I captain, replacing Babar Azam. In T20Is, he has taken 13 wickets in the opening overs for Pakistan.
1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar – 46 wickets
Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been a standout bowler for delivering early breakthroughs in the first over of T20 cricket. Since his debut in 2009, the Uttar Pradesh-born pacer has taken 46 wickets in the first over across all T20 matches. In T20Is, he leads among bowlers from ICC full-member nations with 18 wickets in the first over. Besides playing for India and Uttar Pradesh, Bhuvneshwar has represented Bangalore, Pune, and Hyderabad in the Indian T20 League.
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