Top 5 bowling figures in T20 World Cup finals

The T20 World Cup was first introduced back in 2007 as the World Twenty20. Over the course of the past 10 editions, there have been some excellent bowling performances that have found a place in the tournament’s folklore. 

In a format where the limelight is always on the hard-hitting batters, it is becoming increasingly difficult for bowlers to stand out and become heroes. However, there have been some excellent bowling displays in the tournament’s finals that have transferred the momentum completely by either taking a bunch of wickets or conceding very few runs. 

These bowlers proved that the age-old saying of ‘batters win you games, bowlers win you tournaments’ still holds true. 

Here are the 5 best bowling figures in finals of T20 World Cup

5. Irfan Pathan (2007), Josh Hazlewood (2021) – 3 for 16

In the very first T20 World Cup final back in 2007, Irfan Pathan produced one of the best seam-bowling spells in the tournament’s history. The left-arm seamer picked up three wickets and conceded just 16 runs to help India become the first T20 champions by beating arch-rivals Pakistan in the finals in Johannesburg. 

The 2021 T20 World Cup final saw Australia win their maiden title in the shortest format of the game and they have fast bowler Josh Hazlewood to thank. The right-arm seamer produced an excellent death over spell to take three wickets by conceding a mere 16 runs despite opponents New Zealand scoring 172 from 20 overs.

4. Sam Curran - 3 for 12, 2022

Sam Curran had a dream 2022 T20 World Cup, guiding England to their second title. The left-armer was England’s best player in the tournament right until the final against Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

Curran conceded just 12 runs from his quota of four overs whilst picking up the crucial wickets of Mohammad Rizwan, Shan Masood and Mohammad Nawaz. Out of a total of 24 deliveries bowled, the Surrey all-rounder bowled 15 dot balls, which is more than two overs!

Not only was Curran declared Player of the Match, but the seamer also picked up the Player of the Tournament accolade.

3. Sunil Narine - 3 for 9, 2012

Sunil Narine is widely regarded as one of the great T20 bowlers of his generation and he showed that on the world stage by taking three wickets and conceding just nine runs against hosts Sri Lanka in the 2012 T20 World Cup final.

Bowling 3.4 overs, Narine went on to take the wickets of Mahela Jayawardene, Nuwan Kulasekara and Lasith Malinga helping West Indies dismiss Sri Lanka for just 101 and win their maiden T20 World Cup title. Bowling at an economy rate of just 2.45, the spin bowler bowled a total of 14 dot balls on his way to this magical spell.

2. Jasprit Bumrah - 4 for 15, 2026

The most inevitable person in the list. Jasprit Bumrah's outstanding control and variations saw him pick four wickets for just 15 runs during the 2026 T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

The 32-year-old was brought in the third over and went on to take the all-important wicket of Rachin Ravindra in the very first ball of the final to set the stage for things to follow. He would then go on to take the scalps of captain Mitchell Santner, Jimmy Neesham and Matt Henry. For his excellence with the ball, Bumrah was awarded the Player of the Match in India's third title triumph.

1. Ajantha Mendis - 4 for 12, 2012

The best bowling figures on this list also happens to be the only one to take four wickets and yet end up on the losing side. That is exactly what happened with Ajantha Mendis when he took 4 four 12 against the West Indies in the same 2012 T20 World Cup final.

The four wickets Mendis took on that occasion all included some of the greatest T20 players of all time. These included the scalps of Chris Gayle, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard. Ultimately, these superb bowling figures were not enough to help Sri Lanka win the T20 world title on home soil. They would, however, just have to wait for two years before winning the trophy in 2014 by beating India in the final in Mirpur.