5 fastest bowlers to 100 wickets in men's T20Is ft. Mark Adair
Despite ending up on the losing side, Mark Adair completed a significant milestone in the first T20I between Ireland and Zimbabwe in Harare on Thursday, December 7.
The first of the three T20Is saw Zimbabwe register a one-wicket win. The match went right down to the wire as the hosts chased down 148 runs on the very last ball of the game.
After being put to bat first, Ireland posted 147/8 on the board. In reply, Sikandar Raza continued his red-hot form and struck a match-winning 65 off 42 balls. However, he was dismissed by Mark Adair, who brought Ireland back into the game by striking twice in the penultimate over.
The Zimbabwean tailenders sneaked past Ireland by smashing nine runs in the last over.
Adair, who took two wickets for 36 runs in his quota of four overs, completed 100 T20I wickets. In doing so, he became only the second-fastest to achieve the feat.
On that very note, let's take a look at the list of the top five fastest bowlers to take 100 wickets in men's T20Is.
#5 Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh) - 81 matches
Ever since making his debut in 2015, Mustafizur Rahman has been a constant name in both the Bangladeshi white-ball teams. With his cutters and accurate yorkers, the left-arm pacer is one of the most skillful bowlers in his country.
He completed his 100 T20I wickets earlier this year in May. In the third T20I against England in Dhaka, Mustafizur bowled an extremely frugal spell of 1/14 and took his 100th wicket when he got rid of Dawid Malan.
It was his 81st T20I for Bangladesh and he is the fifth-fastest to achieve the feat on the list. Across 85 T20Is, Mustafizur has bagged 103 wickets at an average of 22.27 and an economy rate of 7.58.
#4 Ish Sodhi (New Zealand) - 78 matches
New Zealand's most successful T20I spinner, Ish Sodhi, is fourth on the list. The leggie took 78 matches to get to his 100th T20I wicket.
He completed his milestone during the third game between New Zealand and Bangladesh in Christchurch in 2022. He returned with figures of 2/31 in the game as New Zealand won the contest by eight wickets.
Sodhi is one of the better white-ball leg-spinners going around in world cricket currently and has a knack for claiming wickets regularly.
Sodhi is a master at adjusting his line and length according to the opposition batters, which makes him a valuable asset for New Zealand in the T20 format.
#3 Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) - 76 matches
One of the all-time greats of the game, Lasith Malinga also unsurprisingly features on the list. Malinga made his international debut at the tender age of 21 in 2004.
Since then, his sling-like action, pin-point yorkers, and lethal pace terrorized batters worldwide and had an immense impact on Sri Lankan cricket for a decade and a half.
Malinga featured across 84 T20Is and bagged 107 wickets at an average of 20.79 and an economy rate of 7.42. The Lankan legend got to his 100th T20I wicket during his iconic spell of 5/6 against New Zealand in Pallekele in 2019.
Malinga claimed four wickets in four consecutive balls during the match and helped his side defend a low score of 125/8 quite convincingly.
#2 Mark Adair (Ireland) - 72 matches
![Mark Adair during England v Ireland - 3rd Metro Bank ODI [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/12/1081b-17020565293004-1920.jpg)
The latest entrant on the list, Mark Adair became the second-quickest bowler and the fastest pacer to reach to 100 wickets in men's T20Is.
As mentioned earlier, he completed the feat against Zimbabwe. It was his 72nd T20I appearance and he now has 100 wickets at an immaculate average of 19.58 and an economy of 7.71.
Ever since making his international debut in 2019, Adair has spearheaded the Irish pace unit remarkably. Apart from his ability to seam the new ball at ease, he is a handy batter lower down the order as well.
With 24 wickets at an average of 15.33 across 14 T20Is, Adair is the second-highest T20I wicket-taker so far this year (among Test-playing nations). He has gone wicketless just once this year.
#1 Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) - 53 matches
![Rashid Khan is on top of the list [Getty Images]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2023/12/230f7-17020571107456-1920.jpg)
Afghanistan's Rashid Khan holds the record for bagging 100 T20I wickets in the least number of matches. He achieved the milestone in only his 53rd match, which was against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup 2021.
With his quick ascent to fame, Rashid has been a vital cog for Afghanistan in the shortest format. For many top-order batters, he is a terror owing to his ability to deceive them with fast leg-breaks and variations.
Rashid is one of the most sought-after T20 bowlers in franchise cricket worldwide, thanks to his capability to limit hitters in the death overs and disciplined bowling in the middle overs.
The all-time third-highest wicket-taker in the format, Rashid has taken 130 wickets at an astonishing average of 14.81. His economy of 6.16 is also one of the best across T20I history.