Top 5 Bowlers with most wickets in T20 Franchise Cricket.
The format which exists due to the dominance of the batters over the bowlers, the franchise cricket has taken the popularity of cricket to a whole new level. With impressive money which comes their way in T20 cricket, the popularity of cricketers among the fans is synonymous. The game which spans just 40 overs, 90 minutes a side on an average, sometimes leaves the viewers in awe of the performance displayed by the cricketers.
Often with short boundaries, batters tend to take bowlers over cleaners which basically defines the format of the game. With short boundaries and sharp blades, batsmen usually take the limelight with their sublime hittings.
However, bowlers do have their part to play in the shortest format of cricket. Even though the conditions are more bent towards the batters, bowlers are seen surprising viewers with accurate line and lengths.
Over the period of time, bowlers have taken over the control and are as much responsible as batsmen to take the game to different heights. With new technologies coming in to assist the bowlers with the weakness of the batsmen, they seem to have a better idea of what needs to be done and how to scalp the wickets.
In this very article, we will take you through the top 5 bowlers who have picked up most wickets in the T20 franchise cricket.
Top 5 Bowlers with most wickets in T20 Franchise Cricket:
5. Sohail Tanvir – 368 Wickets:
The Pakistani cricketer, Sohail Tanvir got to the limelight in the early days of his career due to his unorthodox bowling style. His unusual bowling variations gave him all the success in the shortest format, especially in franchise cricket.
Tanvir was so decisive with his bowling that he earned the first purple cap in the inaugural IPL season, back in 2008, playing for Rajasthan Royals (RR). He has played with over 20 franchises in T20 cricket after making his debut in 2005.
He still chooses to play the shortest format and is very much effective with his style of bowling.
In this franchise career, which spans over 16 years now, Sohail Tanvir has successfully picked up 368 wickets in 355 games at an average of 25.06 and with an impressive economy of 7.39.
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4. Imran Tahir – 386 Wickets:
Pakistani origin South African spinner, Imran Tahir is next on the list of bowlers with most franchise cricket-wickets. Tahir plays for South Africa in all three formats but prefers a limited-overs format over others.
The 42-years old cricketer predominantly bowls wrong-un and beats the batsman with his accurate and adjusted line-lengths.
After being unable to get full-fledged contracts from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) even though performing well in the domestic matches, Tahir opted to sport the South African jersey. In 2009 after completing all the requirements, Imran Tahir represented South Africa in 2011.
With 386 wickets under his already decorated hat, Imran Tahir is one of the deadliest T20 bowlers of all time. He remained economical (6.95) and averaged just 19.83 in his shortest format career in 308 matches.
Top 5 Bowlers with most wickets in T20 Franchise Cricket.
3. Lasith Malinga – 390 Wickets:
This name needs no introduction. Often referred to as “Slinga Malinga”, Lasith Malinga has earned his name with all his dedication despite having a strange round-arm action.
Malinga is also termed as one of the finest death bowlers of the 21st century. He is the only bowler on the planet to pick four wickets in four consecutive deliveries.
His sling action is his ability to generate raw pace and produce pinpoint accurate yorkers. He has been in action for years now in the death overs and has delivered most of the times for his team.
His heroics in the IPL 2019 final against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) remains at the top when it comes to franchise cricket. Malinga defended 9 runs off six balls against the likes of Shane Watson who was well set at 76 and Ravindra Jadeja.
He is also the highest wicket-taker in the IPL, with 170 wickets in 122 games. Talking about his whole T20 franchise career which spans nearly 16 years, he has clipped off 390 wickets in just 295 games.
The Sri Lankan bowler averages just 19.68 in those five short of 300 games and bowled with an splendid economy of 7.07.
2. Sunil Narine – 393 Wickets:
The Trinidadian spinner who plays for West Indies in international fixtures is the second on the list. Narine has a fantastic T20 career which is still going on. He inked his name due to his off-spin, however, later he was also recognised as an aggressive left-hand batter who can easily accelerate the innings.
Despite not being effective in his early stages of cricketing career, Narine kept hitting the lengths and deceived the batters with his off spin.
Narine has played in nearly all the major T20 leagues after making his international debut back in 2012. Notably, he was one of the three bowlers to pick up ten or more wickets in the Champions League T20 in 2011.
The 33-years old cricketer is also one of the highest all-time wicket-takers in the IPL. With 130 wickets in 124 games, Narine comes eighth in the elite list of bowlers.
Focusing on his T20 career which started way back in 2011 and still going strong, Narine in 355 T20 matches has struck 393 wickets at an average of 20.92 and with the sublime economy of 6.07.
Dwayne Bravo – 518 Wickets:
The cricketer who wins the race of most T20 wickets with a huge margin in excess of 100 wickets, Dwayne Bravo comes first in it.
Bravo is also a Trinidadian all-rounder who also led the West Indies in international fixtures. He is a genuine all-rounder who bowls at a medium pace. He is also an aggressive batsman who can take the game away from the opponent at any moment.
He has been very successful in providing his valuable services with the ball especially at the death overs.
After making his T20 debut in 2006, Dwayne Bravo has till now featured in 478 franchise games. He has bowled over 1,550 overs in the shortest format and scalped a mammoth 518 wickets. He averages 24.66 in the format and his economy goes to 8.22.
*The Data has been taken from ESPN Cricinfo.
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