In a T20I match, a batter doesn’t have many deliveries to get set on the crease. He has to play aggressively right from the first over. But this aggressiveness makes the batter more vulnerable to wickets. Being a bowler in T20I cricket is not just about skills but also intelligence. A bowler needs to outwit a batter to earn a wicket. But stopping runs is even more difficult for the big shots a batter always looks to play. Here are the Top 10 T20I Bowlers with Best Career Economies (as of 25 January 2022)-
1. Dinesh Nakrani (Uganda)
This might be surprising but the most economical bowler in the history of T20I cricket is Dinesh Nakrani from Uganda. He made his T20I debut in 2019 against Botswana, in which he registered bowling figures of 1/1 in 1 over. He has bowled 86 overs in his career and has conceded 467 runs at an astounding economy rate of 5.43 runs per over (RPO).
2. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
The slow left-arm orthodox bowler from New Zealand has conceded runs in his career at the rate of 5.7 runs per over. He is the most economical spinner ever in T20I cricket. In a T20 World Cup match against India in 2007, he registered his best figures of 4 wickets for 20 runs. He played 34 T20Is and bowled 131.1 overs before announcing his retirement after the 2015 ICC World Cup.
3. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia)
Namibia’s Bernard Scholtz made his T20I debut against Ghana in 2019 at Kampala. Since then, he has bowled 86.4 overs in 27 T20I innings to take 31 wickets at an economy of 5.91. His best figures of 4/12 (4 overs) came against Kenya in 2019 at Dubai. He is a regular part of the Namibian white-ball setup and played in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
4. Sunil Narine (West Indies)
Trinidad-born Sunil Narine is often counted as one of the best spinners in T20I history. Although his new action hasn’t fetched him as many wickets as his previous actions, it is still effective enough to keep him in the race for the most economical bowler. In 183.4 overs he has bowled, he has potential for choking the batters with his economy of 6.01. He has taken 12 wickets stumped, the 3rd-most in T20I cricket.
5. Mujeeb Ur Rahman (Afghanistan)
This man is just 20-years-old and has already shaken the T20I world by taking 32 wickets in 22 innings. He has an economy of 6.04 and a strike rate of 15.7. He made his debut against Zimbabwe in 2018 at Sharjah, where he produced a wicketless but economical spell of 0/25 in 4 overs. Since then he has registered a 4-wicket haul (against Bangladesh) and a 5-wicket haul (against Scotland).
6. Samuel Badree (West Indies)
Samuel Badree is the first leg-spinner on this list. He is vastly experienced and has bowled 191 overs in 52 matches at an economy of 6.17 runs per over. He has 56 wickets (including a 4-wicket haul) to his credit.
7. Harbhajan Singh (India)
India’s “Turbanator” Harbhajan Singh finds himself next on this list with an economy of just 6.2 in 28 matches. His best figures (4/12 in 4 overs) came against England at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo in 2012. He also bowled 2 maiden overs in that match.
8. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
Well, this was always going to come on this list. This wizard from Afghanistan has tonnes of records on his name. He has delivered 211.2 overs in T20I cricket, fetching him 103 wickets at an economy of 6.2. He has four 4-wicket hauls and two 5-wicket hauls to his name.
9. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
Wanindu Hasaranga has been in red-hot form in T20I cricket since his debut in 2019. In just 33 matches, he has grabbed 52 wickets with an economy rate of 6.21. In 2021, he grabbed 36 wickets to be the joint-most wicket-taker in a calendar year. He has taken 20 wickets leg-before wicket (2nd-most after Rashid Khan).
10. Jan Frylinck (Namibia)
Jan Frylinck is only the second fast bowler to be on this list after Dinesh Nakrani. He bowls at an economy rate of 6.3 and has a strike rate of 11.4 (best in T20I cricket). He has taken 44 wickets since his debut in 2019 and was part of the Namibian squad in the 2021 T20 World Cup.
