The list is dominated by subcontinent bowlers.
Who holds the best bowling figures in T20 World Cup? Every edition has seen outstanding bowling performances where a single spell has completely changed a match. The list includes both pacers and spinners, with most of the bowlers coming from the subcontinent.
The first way to decide who holds the record is by looking at how many wickets a bowler took in the spell. If two bowlers have the same number of wickets, then the runs conceded are compared to determine the better figures.
With the T20 World Cup 2026 around the corner, let’s take a look at the best bowling figures in T20 World Cup.
During the T20 World Cup 2012, Sri Lanka played Zimbabwe in the opening match at Hambantota. In the second innings, Ajantha Mendis took six wickets while conceding only eight runs in his four overs. He bowled at an economy rate of just two runs per over, which remains the best bowling figures in T20 World Cup history.
Sri Lanka batted first and scored 182/4. In reply, Zimbabwe were restricted to 100 runs, with Mendis being the standout bowler for the hosts. He finished the tournament as the leading wicket-taker, picking up 15 wickets in six innings.
| Bowlers | Team | Against | Figures | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Edition |
| Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | 6/8 | 15 | 9.80 | 9.60 | 2012 |
| Rangana Herath | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | 5/3 | 6 | 8.83 | 11.50 | 2014 |
| Umar Gul | Pakistan | New Zealand | 5/6 | 13 | 12.50 | 11.30 | 2009 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Afghanistan | Uganda | 5/9 | 17 | 9.41 | 8.94 | 2024 |
| Sam Curran | England | Afghanistan | 5/10 | 13 | 11.38 | 10.46 | 2022 |
| Akeal Hosein | West Indies | Uganda | 5/11 | 9 | 15.66 | 16.66 | 2024 |
| Ahsan Malik | Netherlands | South Africa | 5/19 | 12 | 13.83 | 12.41 | 2014 |
| Adam Zampa | Australia | Bangladesh | 5/19 | 13 | 12.07 | 12.46 | 2021 |
| Mujeeb ur Rahman | Afghanistan | Scotland | 5/20 | 7 | 9.28 | 10.28 | 2021 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Afghanistan | New Zealand | 5/22 | 16 | 12.18 | 11.93 | 2016 |
The list of the best bowling figures in T20 World Cup, edition-wise, is dominated by pacers, as out of nine, six are fast bowlers, and three are spinners.
| Bowlers | Team | Against | Figures | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Edition |
| Mark Gillespie | New Zealand | Kenya | 4/7 | 6 | 26 | 19.83 | 2007 |
| Umar Gul | Pakistan | New Zealand | 5/6 | 13 | 12.50 | 11.30 | 2009 |
| Dirk Nannes | Australia | Bangladesh | 4/18 | 14 | 13.07 | 11.14 | 2010 |
| Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | 6/8 | 15 | 9.80 | 9.60 | 2012 |
| Rangana Herath | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | 5/3 | 6 | 8.83 | 11.50 | 2014 |
| Mustafizur Rahman | Bangladesh | New Zealand | 5/22 | 16 | 12.18 | 11.93 | 2016 |
| Adam Zampa | Australia | Bangladesh | 5/19 | 13 | 12.07 | 12.46 | 2021 |
| Sam Curran | England | Afghanistan | 5/10 | 13 | 11.38 | 10.46 | 2022 |
| Fazalhaq Farooqi | Afghanistan | Uganda | 5/9 | 17 | 9.41 | 8.94 | 2024 |
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| Bowlers | Against | Figures | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | Edition |
| RP Singh | South Africa | 4/13 | 12 | 12.66 | 12 | 2007 |
| Zaheer Khan | Ireland | 4/19 | 7 | 17.57 | 12.57 | 2009 |
| Ashish Nehra | Afghanistan | 3/19 | 10 | 15.60 | 12 | 2010 |
| Harbhajan Singh | England | 4/12 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 2012 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Australia | 4/11 | 11 | 11.27 | 12.63 | 2014 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Bangladesh | 2/20 | 4 | 28.75 | 22.50 | 2016 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | Scotland | 3/15 | 7 | 14.42 | 14.57 | 2021 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | Zimbabwe | 3/22 | 6 | 25.83 | 19 | 2022 |
| Arshdeep Singh | USA | 4/9 | 17 | 12.64 | 10.58 | 2024 |
RP Singh played a huge role for India in the T20 World Cup 2007. He took 12 wickets in the tournament, with his best figures of 4/13 against South Africa. He also bowled well in the final, where he took 3/26 against Pakistan and helped India win the title. RP Singh was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament.
Sam Curran won the Player of the Tournament award at the T20 World Cup 2022. He took 13 wickets and was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. His best figures came against Afghanistan, where he took 5/10. He also bowled brilliantly in the final, taking 3/12 against Pakistan and winning the Player of the Match award.
Arshdeep Singh was the joint highest wicket-taker in the T20 World Cup 2024. He took 17 wickets in the tournament. His best figures came against the USA, where he took 4/9. In the final against South Africa, he bowled really well, conceding only 20 runs and taking two wickets.
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