Top 5 fastest Indian bowlers to 50 wickets in men's T20Is ft. Ravi Bishnoi
Leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi starred with figures of 3-30 as India hammered Bangladesh by 133 runs in the third and final T20I of the series at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday, October 12. With the win, the Men in Blue clinched the three-match series 3-0.
Batting first after winning the toss, the hosts put up a mammoth 297-6 on the board, the second-highest T20I total ever. Sanju Samson smashed 111 off 47 balls, with the help of 11 fours and eight sixes, while skipper Suryakumar Yadav contributed 75 off 35 balls. Hardik Pandya (47 off 18) and Riyan Parag (34 off 13) also chipped in with handy knocks.
In the chase, Bangladesh were restricted to 164-7 in their 20 overs. Bishnoi, coming into the playing XI in place of Arshdeep Singh, claimed three wickets. He dismissed Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto (14), Litton Das (42) and Rishad Hossain (0).
With his impressive effort against Bangladesh on Saturday, he also became the joint second-fastest Indian bowler to pick up 50 T20I wickets. On that note, let's look at five Indian bowlers who have taken 50 T20I scalps in the quickest time.
#4 Jasprit Bumrah (41 matches)
Right-arm pacer Jasprit Bumrah is fourth on the list of Indian bowlers who have reached the 50-wicket mark in T20Is in the fastest time. He got there in 41 matches, during a game against Australia in Visakhapatnam in February 2019.
The fast bowler registered excellent figures of 3-16 in the clash against the Aussies, dismissing Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb and Nathan Coulter-Nile. Australia, however, won the match by three wickets, chasing down a target of 127 off the last ball of the match.
Overall, Bumrah has featured in 70 T20I games, claiming 89 wickets at an average of 17.74 and an economy rate of 6.27, with a best of 3-7.
#3 Yuzvendra Chahal (34 matches)
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is at number three on the list of Indian bowlers who have been fastest to 50 T20I wickets. Chahal needed 34 games to reach the landmark. The 34-year-old got there during a match against Bangladesh in Nagpur in November 2019.
Chahal picked up one wicket in the game against Bangladesh, giving away 43 runs, but it was enough for him to complete 50 T20I scalps. The leg-spinner dismissed Mahmudullah, cleaning him up for 8. This was the same match in which Deepak Chahar registered record T20I figures of 6-7 as India got the better of Bangladesh by 30 runs.
Chahal has played 80 T20I matches and has picked up 96 wickets at an average of 25.09 and an economy rate of 8.19, with a best of 6-25.
#2 Arshdeep Singh & Ravi Bishnoi (33 matches)
With his three-fer on Saturday against Bangladesh, Bishnoi joined Arshdeep as the second-fastest Indian bowler to reach 50 T20I scalps. Both have needed 33 matches to reach the landmark.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep completed 50 wickets in T20Is in a match against Ireland in Dublin in August 2023. The 25-year-old picked up 1-29 in his four overs, getting the wicket of Andy Balbirnie (72) as the Men in Blue beat Ireland by 33 runs. Arshdeep has so far featured in 56 T20I matches and has claimed 87 scalps, averaging 18.35 at an economy rate of 8.28.
The match against Bangladesh in Hyderabad on Saturday was Bishnoi's 33rd in the T20I format. Looking at his stats after 33 matches, he has claimed 51 wickets at an average of 18.43 and an economy rate of 7.30, with a best of 4-13.
#1 Kuldeep Yadav (30 matches)
Team India's left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav holds the record for being the fastest from the country to reach 50 T20I scalps. The Uttar Pradesh cricketer needed only 30 matches to reach the landmark. He got there in a game against West Indies in Providence in August 2023.
Kuldeep excelled with figures of 3-28 in the match against the Windies. He dismissed Johnson Charles (12), Nicholas Pooran (20) and Brandon King (42) to bring up 50 T20I scalps in just 30 games.
The 29-year-old left-arm wrist-spinner has so far featured in 40 T20I matches and has picked up 69 wickets at an average of 14.07 and an economy rate of 6.77, with a best of 5-17.