From 2007’s inaugural edition in South Africa to the current 2026 spectacle co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka, T20 World Cup stats paint a clear picture: Indian batsmen dominate, bowlers lag. Virat Kohli tops the run charts, Rohit Sharma follows, but the top 10 wicket-takers list? Zero Indians. It’s a humbling stat amid the tournament’s high-stakes drama.
Shakib Al Hasan’s 50 wickets in 43 matches make him the undisputed No. 1, his left-arm spin a T20 WC staple since 2007. Wanindu Hasaranga’s rapid rise to second with 40 in 20 games signals leg-spin’s golden era. Shahid Afridi’s 39 in 34 keeps Pakistan’s boom-boom legacy alive at third.
Rashid Khan’s 38 wickets in 24 outings cement Afghanistan’s spin revolution at fourth. Lasith Malinga’s identical haul in 31 matches earns him fifth, his yorkers etching eternal fame. Adam Zampa (36 in 21), Saeed Ajmal (36 in 23), Tim Southee (36 in 25), Anrich Nortje (35 in 19), and Ajantha Mendis (35 in 21) complete the elite club.
Asian bowlers monopolize the top five, excluding Indians entirely. India’s best, R Ashwin, musters 32 wickets in 24 matches for 13th spot. Arshdeep Singh, with 29 in 15, ranks 19th but his trajectory screams potential—top 10 entry now, top five soon if he sustains form.
Zampa and Nortje, too, could surge ahead in 2026. This bowling void challenges India’s T20 blueprint. Historically bat-heavy, the team now banks on young talents like Arshdeep to forge a new legacy. As matches intensify, watch for breakthroughs that could shatter this top-10 drought.