Taking wickets is the hardest thing to do in T20 cricket, where bowlers have just four overs to make an impact. The format often celebrates its batters and their big scores, yet it is shaped just as much by the bowlers who choke an innings and strike at the key moments. Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan sits clear at the top of the wicket charts, the first bowler past 190 T20I wickets, ahead of a mix of spin wizards, seam leaders and fast-emerging names from Hong Kong, Bahrain and Nepal. Here are the top 12 wicket-takers in men’s T20 international history.
List of Top 12 Players of Most Wickets in T20Is
These are the 12 leading wicket-takers in men’s T20 internationals, ranked by total wickets, with figures current to the 2026 season. The same era has produced the fastest century in T20I and some huge batting totals, which makes this group’s wicket-taking consistency all the more striking.
| Player | Country | Mat | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 118 | 197 | 5/3 | 14.02 | 6.14 |
| 2. Adil Rashid | England | 153 | 171 | 4/2 | 23.42 | 7.56 |
| 3. Ish Sodhi | New Zealand | 142 | 165 | 4/12 | 23.01 | 8.16 |
| 4. Tim Southee | New Zealand | 126 | 164 | 5/18 | 22.38 | 8.00 |
| 5. Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 101 | 163 | 4/9 | 16.23 | 7.09 |
| 6. Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | 130 | 163 | 6/10 | 21.14 | 7.38 |
| 7. Ehsan Khan | Hong Kong | 118 | 160 | 4/5 | 15.70 | 6.11 |
| 8. Adam Zampa | Australia | 118 | 153 | 5/19 | 20.34 | 7.35 |
| 9. Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 129 | 149 | 5/20 | 20.91 | 6.81 |
| 10. Rizwan Butt | Bahrain | 97 | 148 | 6/9 | 15.86 | 6.75 |
| 11. Arshdeep Singh | India | 97 | 144 | 5/51 | 20.08 | 8.57 |
| 12. Sandeep Lamichhane | Nepal | 80 | 142 | 5/9 | 12.88 | 6.12 |
BBI is best bowling in an innings, Avg is bowling average, Econ is economy rate. Figures per ESPNcricinfo, current to the 2026 season.
1. Rashid Khan (Afghanistan)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-2026 | 118 | 197 | 5/3 | 14.02 | 6.14 |
Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan is the undisputed king of T20I bowling. The leg-spinner became the first man to 150, then powered past 190, and now stands clear at the top with 197 wickets from 118 matches. His blend of control and wicket-taking is unmatched, with an average of 14.02 and an economy of 6.14 that are elite for such a volume of overs. With a best of 5 for 3 and nine four-wicket hauls, Rashid has been his country’s matchwinner for a decade and remains the first name on the T20I honours board.
2. Adil Rashid (England)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-2026 | 153 | 171 | 4/2 | 23.42 | 7.56 |
England’s Adil Rashid is the second-highest wicket-taker in T20I history and a white-ball mainstay since 2009. The leg-spinner was central to England’s 2022 T20 World Cup triumph and has kept his place through several rebuilds. His 171 wickets have come across 153 matches, more games than anyone else in the top five, a mark of rare durability. A best of 4 for 2 shows his matchwinning ceiling, while his control through the middle overs has made him England’s go-to spinner for more than 15 years and a model of white-ball longevity.
3. Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-2026 | 142 | 165 | 4/12 | 23.01 | 8.16 |
Ish Sodhi has been New Zealand’s leading T20I wicket-taker and a specialist white-ball leg-spinner for over a decade. With 165 wickets in 142 matches, he ranks third on the all-time list. Sodhi’s attacking style, built on googlies and sharp leg-breaks, has brought regular breakthroughs, though it comes at a slightly higher economy of 8.16. A best of 4 for 12 highlights his wicket-taking threat. Often trusted in the powerplay and middle overs, Sodhi has been a quietly consistent performer across World Cups and bilateral cricket since his 2014 debut.
4. Tim Southee (New Zealand)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-2024 | 126 | 164 | 5/18 | 22.38 | 8.00 |
Tim Southee was the benchmark for T20I wicket-taking before Rashid Khan surged ahead, and the retired New Zealand seamer still sits fourth with 164 wickets. Across a long career from 2008 to 2024, the swing bowler led New Zealand’s attack in all three formats and featured in multiple T20 World Cups. His best of 5 for 18 remains one of the finest returns by a pacer in the format. Southee’s new-ball skill and death-bowling experience made him a durable, highly respected operator and the first seamer to the top of this list.
5. Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2026 | 101 | 163 | 4/9 | 16.23 | 7.09 |
Wanindu Hasaranga has been the most destructive spinner of his generation, reaching 163 wickets in just 101 matches, the fewest games of anyone near the top. The Sri Lankan leg-spinning all-rounder boasts a superb average of 16.23 and a strike rate of 13.73, among the best on this list. He was the leading wicket-taker at the 2021 and 2022 T20 World Cups and has a hat-trick to his name. With a best of 4 for 9, Hasaranga pairs big turn with relentless control, making him a genuine matchwinner for Sri Lanka.
6. Mustafizur Rahman (Bangladesh)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-2026 | 130 | 163 | 6/10 | 21.14 | 7.38 |
Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman is one of the most inventive death bowlers in world cricket, and his cutters and slower balls have brought him 163 T20I wickets. Level on wickets with Hasaranga, the left-arm seamer owns the best figures of anyone in the top 12, a stunning 6 for 10. Since bursting onto the scene in 2015, the man known as The Fizz has been Bangladesh’s premier limited-overs bowler. His variations at the back end, paired with a solid economy of 7.38, make him a constant threat and a central figure in his side’s T20 attack.
7. Ehsan Khan (Hong Kong)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2026 | 118 | 160 | 4/5 | 15.70 | 6.11 |
Hong Kong’s Ehsan Khan is the highest-placed associate bowler on the list and one of its best-kept secrets. The off-spinner has taken 160 wickets in 118 matches at a miserly economy of 6.11 and a fine average of 15.70, numbers that rival the biggest names. A regular wicket-taker in the powerplay and middle overs, Ehsan has been the heartbeat of Hong Kong’s attack for a decade. His best of 4 for 5 and eight four-wicket hauls show how often he has run through sides, and underline how far associate cricket has risen in the T20I era.
8. Adam Zampa (Australia)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2026 | 118 | 153 | 5/19 | 20.34 | 7.35 |
Adam Zampa is Australia’s leading T20I wicket-taker and a central figure in their middle-overs bowling. The leg-spinner has 153 wickets in 118 matches at an average of 20.34, with a best of 5 for 19. Since 2016 he has been Australia’s first-choice white-ball spinner and played a major role in their 2021 T20 World Cup win. Zampa’s ability to take wickets through the middle, rather than simply contain, has made him one of the format’s most reliable strike bowlers and a key weapon as Australia stay near the top of world T20 cricket.
9. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-2024 | 129 | 149 | 5/20 | 20.91 | 6.81 |
Shakib Al Hasan, one of the greatest all-rounders the game has seen, sits ninth with 149 T20I wickets. The Bangladesh left-arm spinner played from 2006, making him one of the format’s true pioneers, and for years held the record for most wickets in T20Is. His economy of 6.81 is among the best in the top 12, a sign of his control across a long career. With a best of 5 for 20 and the runs to match with the bat, Shakib’s all-round value to Bangladesh in the T20I era is hard to overstate.
10. Rizwan Butt (Bahrain)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2026 | 97 | 148 | 6/9 | 15.86 | 6.75 |
Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt is the fastest riser on this list, taking 148 wickets in just 97 matches since 2022. The associate star has been remarkably prolific, with four four-wicket hauls and four five-wicket hauls, including a best of 6 for 9. His average of 15.86 and economy of 6.75 are outstanding, underlining how dominant he has been in associate T20Is. Butt’s rapid climb into the all-time top 12 in only a few years shows both his skill and how much international T20 cricket the emerging nations now play.
11. Arshdeep Singh (India)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2026 | 97 | 144 | 5/51 | 20.08 | 8.57 |
Arshdeep Singh is India’s leading T20I wicket-taker and the top-ranked Indian on this list, with 144 wickets in just 97 matches since 2022. The left-arm seamer has become India’s go-to bowler at both the start and the death, where his yorkers are a key weapon, and he was a standout in India’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. A strike rate of 14.04 shows how often he strikes, and a best of 5 for 51 reflects his wicket-taking role even in the high-scoring games that can produce the highest individual score in T20. Still young, he is on course to climb much higher.
12. Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal)
| Span | Matches | Wickets | Best | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-2026 | 80 | 142 | 5/9 | 12.88 | 6.12 |
Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane rounds out the top 12 and boasts some of the finest numbers of all. The leg-spinner has 142 wickets in just 80 matches, the fewest of anyone on the list, at a stunning average of 12.88, the best in the top 12, and a strike rate of 12.61. A genuine wrist-spin talent who has featured in franchise leagues worldwide, Lamichhane has been Nepal’s matchwinner since 2018. With a best of 5 for 9, he shows how associate cricket now produces bowlers whose strike rates match, and often beat, the established powers.
Verdict: Rashid Khan is Leading The Most Wickets in T20Is Records
Rashid Khan is the clear leader in the most wickets in T20Is records, with 197 scalps at an average of 14.02, well ahead of Adil Rashid on 171. What sets Rashid apart is not just volume but quality, taking wickets at barely 14 runs each over a decade of international cricket. The list also shows how far associate nations have come, with Ehsan Khan, Rizwan Butt and Sandeep Lamichhane all inside the top 12, proof that T20I wicket-taking is no longer the preserve of the traditional powers.
