Top 5 best bowling figures in a losing cause for a full member nation in Men's T20Is ft. Varun Chakravarthy
T20I cricket, known for its fast-paced nature, has always been challenging for bowlers. Bowlers have to be on their toes throughout and are under tremendous pressure to contain batters and pick wickets.
Yet, there are times when a bowler’s individual brilliance stands out, even if their team ultimately ends up on the losing side. Such was the case for India's Varun Chakravarthy in the second T20I of the ongoing series against South Africa where he claimed a superb five-wicket haul.
Despite his exceptional efforts, India failed to defend a modest target of 125 as South Africa chased it down with three wickets in hand, leveling the four-match series.
There have been several such instances where bowlers have put in their best efforts but their teams have not succeeded in winning those games. Here are the top 5 best bowling figures in a losing cause for a full-member nation in Men's T20Is.
Top 5 best bowling figures in a losing cause for a full member nation in Men's T20Is
#5 Lungi Ngidi - 5/39
England posted a total of 234/6 during the first T20I against South Africa at Bristol in 2022. They had lost two wickets inside five overs as Lungi Ngidi dismissed Jason Roy and Jos Buttler.
However, half-centuries from Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali propelled England to a massive total. Ngidi ended up with figures of 5/39 as he also claimed the wickets of both Bairstow and Moeen along with Liam Livingstone.
South Africa put up a brave effort in the chase but eventually fell short as they were held at 193/8, losing the game by 41 runs.
#4 Darren Sammy - 5/26
West Indies and Zimbabwe locked horns in the only T20I at Port of Spain in 2010 during Zimbabwe's tour of the West Indies. Bowling first, the hosts put up a brilliant show to skittle Zimbabwe out for just 105.
Darren Sammy led the charge with a five-wicket haul. Among his five wickets were some big names in the opposition such as Hamilton Masakadza, Elton Chigumbura, and Greg Lamb. Sammy picked up five wickets for 26 runs.
However, what followed was an absolute shocker as the hosts had a nightmare during the chase. They were restricted to 79/7 from their 20 overs, falling short as Zimbabwe went on to win the game by 26 runs.
#3 Matthew Short - 5/22
In the second T20I during Australia's tour of England at Cardiff in 2024, the visitors put up a huge total of 193/6 on the board batting first. In response, England were in a spot of bother at 79/3 at one point.
However, they managed to chase down the target in just 19 overs with three wickets to spare in the end. Australia's Matthew Short, primarily known for his batting, put up an exceptional display with the ball despite their defeat.
Short picked up some massive wickets, including those of Phil Salt (39), Liam Livingstone (87), Jacob Bethell (44), and Sam Curran (1). Short bowled three overs and ended with figures of 5/22 at an economy rate of 7.33.
#2 Mustafizur Rahman - 5/22
Bangladesh and New Zealand faced off in a Super 10 clash at the Eden Gardens during the 2016 World T20. Batting first, New Zealand managed to put up a decent total of 145/8 on the board.
Mustafizur Rahman played a vital role in helping Bangladesh restrict the Kiwis. He picked up the key wickets of Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson, and Grant Elliot in his spell of 5/22.
However, Bangladesh failed miserably in the run-chase as they were bundled out for just 70 runs, losing the game by a huge margin of 75 runs.
#1 Varun Chakravarthy - 5/17
In the second T20I of the ongoing series against South Africa at Gqeberha, India were restricted to a low total of 124/6 after batting first. Defending such a low total was always going to be a difficult task.
However, the Indian bowlers were up for the fight and gave their all to defend the total. At one stage in the chase, South Africa were 86/7. Unfortunately for India, Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee took the hosts to victory.
Varun Chakravarthy led India's charge with figures of 5/17. He picked up the big wickets of Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, and David Miller. However, the hosts got home with an over and three wickets to spare.