T20 World Cup 2022: Top 3 Indian wicket-takers in the tournament's history
Team India will be keen to end a 15-year wait and add a second ICC Men's T20 World Cup title over the next few weeks in Australia. The Men in Blue tasted glory in the inaugural edition in South Africa in 2007, when it was called the ICC World T20.
Rohit Sharma and Co. began their final round of preparations with a thrilling six-run victory over Australia in a warm-up encounter on Monday, October 17. After another warm-up fixture against New Zealand in Brisbane on Wednesday, October 19, they will face Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday, October 23. in their first Super 12 clash.
It is no secret that bowlers win championships and a good bowling unit is instrumental to a team's success. More so, in a format as mercurial as T20 where things can change within a trice.
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Over the years, a fair number of bowlers have made their mark in the tournament. Let's take a look at India's top three wicket-takers at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup till date.
#3 Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh
Key contributors towards India's triumph in 2007, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh, sit joint third among Indians with the most wickets at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The former, though, pips the ace off-spinner on both bowling average and strike rate.
Pathan picked up 16 wickets in his 15 appearances in the tournament, the last of which came in 2012. His best returns of 3/16 came in a Player of the Match-winning effort against Pakistan in the final in 2007.
Harbhajan took 19 matches for 16 wickets at an economy rate of 6.78, with his best figures of 4/12 coming against England in 2012. Incidentally, it was his comeback game having found himself out of the national setup for a year.
#2 Ravindra Jadeja
Ravindra Jadeja has been adjudged the man of the match for his brilliant spell 🙌
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Ravindra Jadeja has featured in most of India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup campaigns, bar the 2007 and 2012 editions. The left-arm spinner has silently chipped away and formed a pivotal component of the Men in Blue's plans over the years.
In 22 matches in the competition, Jadeja has scalped 21 wickets at an economy rate of 7.14. His best returns of 3/15 came against Scotland in Dubai last year and he swiftly followed it up with a spell of 3/16 against Namibia.
A knee surgery has forced the Saurashtra all-rounder to miss the ongoing edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin
Happy Birthday R Ashwin... A cerebral bowler and an arrestingly articulate man..This is the best ball of his international career, IMO. Tell me what you do think of it. @ashwinravi99 https://t.co/GKV5V66glQ
With 26 wickets from 18 games, Ravichandran Ashwin's stellar record places him atop the list of Indians with the most wickets at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The Tamil Nadu off-spinner has been a regular feature in the tournament since 2012 and has picked up his wickets at a miserly economy rate of 6.01.
The 2014 edition saw Ashwin finish joint third with 11 scalps at an economy rate of 5.35. His spell of 4/11 spun a web around the Australians in the Super 10 before he also bowled what is regarded by many as the 'T20 ball of the century' to bamboozle Hashim Amla in the semi-finals.
Having been named in India's squad, Ashwin has an opportunity to add to his tally at this year's event down under.
Which bowler do you think will pick up the most wickets for India at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup this year? Do let us know in the comments section!
Also read: T20 World Cup 2022, IND vs AUS: 5 takeaways from India's win over Australia in warm-up match