T20 World Cup 2022: 5 best bowling performances
The curtains are drawn on another memorable T20 World Cup campaign, with England lifting the prestigious trophy for the second time. Jos Buttler and Co. trumped Pakistan in the final to become only the second side after West Indies to win the title more than once.
With 138 required to win the game and the trophy, Ben Stokes led England's run chase with a half-century (52* off 49), ensuring there were no mishaps. Sam Curran won the Player of the Match award for his figures of 3/12 as England won the game by five wickets.
This year's tournament was one of the best T20 World Cups with there being a fair balance between the bat and ball. In conditions that had plenty on offer for both, the bowlers certainly came to the party more often than not.
On that note, let's take a look at the five best bowling performances at the T20 World Cup 2022.
#1 Sam Curran's 5/10 vs Afghanistan
Not only did Curran win the Player of the Match award in the T20 World Cup final, but he was also adjudged the Player of the Tournament. The England all-rounder was one of the standout performers from the tournament, delivering consistent performances as and when required.
He started the campaign with a bang, bagging five wickets in England's tournament opener against Afghanistan. Curran recorded mind-boggling figures of 5/10.
Even in the final, he delivered a mesmerizing spell of 3/12 to help his side restrict Pakistan to 137/8, taking the key wickets of Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood, and Mohammad Nawaz.
#2 Lungi Ngidi's 4/29 vs India
In the high-octane clash between India and South Africa in Perth, Lungi Ngidi stole the headlines as he broke the backbone of the Indian batting unit. In a match-winning performance, the right-arm pacer accounted for the Indian top three in his spell in the powerplay.
Having dismissed Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, and Virat Kohli in his first spell, he helped the Proteas grab the initiative in that game. If that wasn't enough, he returned after the powerplay to get rid of Hardik Pandya, completely derailing India's innings in the process.
On a spicy Perth wicket, Ngidi put his full arsenal of tricks on display, deceiving the Indian batters with subtle variations. His spell of 4/29 was responsible for restricting India to 133/9.
#3 Trent Boult's 4/13 vs Sri Lanka
New Zealand's usually reliable bowling unit was far from their best as a collective in this year's T20 World Cup. However, they did show glimpses of being at their usual high standards, especially in the game against Sri Lanka.
After Glenn Phillips' scintillating century helped the Kiwis post 167 on the board, Trent Boult took it upon himself to ensure the rest of the job was done. Tim Southee got the ball rolling by dismissing Pathum Nissanka in the very first over and Boult followed suit.
The left-arm seamer got rid of Kusal Mendis and Dhananjaya de Silva in his very first over before accounting for Charith Asalanka's dismissal in the same spell. With the wicket of Dasun Shanaka, Boult notched up impressive figures of 4/13 in a spell that was overshadowed by Phillip's match-winning century.
#4 Sikandar Raza's 3/25 vs Pakistan
Sikandar Raza was a man who could do no wrong at the T20 World Cup this year. The Zimbabwe all-rounder delivered a sensational match-winning spell in a thrilling contest against Pakistan.
Defending a miserly total of 131, the Chevrons fought admirably in a game that seemed like a lost cause. However, their determination paid dividends as Pakistan found themselves reeling at 36-3.
Shan Masood and Shadab Khan steadied the ship with a 50-run stand before Raza delivered a double whammy in his second spell in the 14th over of the match.
The all-rounder dismissed Shadab and Haider Ali on consecutive deliveries before eventually accounting for Masood in his next over to turn the tide in his side's favor.
His spell of 3/25 helped Zimbabwe seal a memorable one-run win over the Asian giants at the T20 World Cup 2022.
#5 Brandon Glover's 3/9 vs South Africa
In what turned out to be a massive moment and one of the biggest upsets in the T20 World Cup 2022, the Netherlands knocked South Africa out of the tournament in their final Super 12 contest.
Having set the Proteas a modest target of 159, the Dutch bowlers were sensational in their efforts to pull off a memorable win. Fred Klassen and Paul van Meekeren got the ball rolling to cause an early stutter for South Africa.
In came Brandon Glover to make the most of that with a spell of his lifetime. In the couple of overs he bowled with the game precariously hanging in the balance, Glover delivered three crucial blows.
He accounted for the wickets of Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, and Wayne Parnell in his 12 deliveries, completely turning the game on its head.
South Africa lost their way and couldn't hold their nerve, eventually costing them a spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2022: 5 best batting performances in the tournament