The T20 World Cup 2024 has kicked off with some incredible matches. Be it with the bat or the ball, several players have showcased their class and won games for their sides. Among these brilliant performance, Afghanistan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi probably was the best as delivered one of the best bowling efforts in tournament history as dismantled Uganda and bundle them out for 58.
Farooqi picked up five wickets while giving away nine runs while bowling 18 dot ball to help Afghanistan register a massive 125-run victory at Providence. Let us look at where does Fazalhaq Farooqi’s performance rank in T20 World Cup history.
5 Best bowling figures in men’s T20 World Cup history
Sam Curran
England’s allrounder Sam Curran registered figures of 5-10 against Afghanistan in Perth during the T20 World Cup 2022. After electing to bowl first, Ben Stokes and Mark Wood picked up the first two wickets before Sam Curran took over. The Surrey superstar opened his account by dismissing Ibrahim Zadran and then scalped four wickets to complete in quick succession. In his 3.4 overs, Curran delivered 16 dot balls and conceded just one boundary while giving away 10 runs.
Fazalhaq Farooqi
The lastest entrant on this list is Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi, who ran through the Uganda batting lineup on their T20 World Cup debut. Batting first, Afghanistan posted a massive total of 183 runs and then Farooqi took over in the second innings. The 23-year-old picked up his first wicket on the second ball and then took out three out of the Ugandan top four. Coming back for his second spell, Fazalhaq Farooqi picked up two more wickets to complete his five-fer.
Umar Gul
Pakistani fast bowler Umar Gul single-handedly destroyed New Zealand at the Oval with a magical spell of 5-6 in three overs. After electing to bat first, the Kiwis had to tackle a stunning new-ball bowling performance by Abdul Razzaq and Mohammad Amir before the Umar Gul show began. The Peshawari speedster dismissed Scott Styris before showing off reverse swing which helped him dismantle the Blackcaps’ tail. Gul, then, picked four wickets in his remaining overs to seal the win.
Rangana Herath
The next incredible bowling effort comes from Sri Lankan great Rangana Herath, who demolished New Zealand with a brilliant left-arm spin. Playing in Chattogram in the 2014 World Cup, Hearth picked up 5-3 in 3.3 over to help the Lankans defend 118. The veteran spinner bowled 18 dot balls with two maidens as the Kiwis could score only 60 runs in 15.3 overs.
Ajanta Mendis
The best bowling performance in T20 World Cups is courtesy Sri Lankan mystery spinner Ajanta Mendis. Sri Lanka posted 182 runs against Zimbabwe in the 2012 World Cup and them Mendis came up to bundle out the Chevrons at 100. The right-armer came in the fifth over and picked up two quick wickets and cleaned the top four. Then in the 17th over, Mendis scalped two more wickets and register figures of 6-8 in four overs, which included two maidens and 20 dot balls.