Throughout the history of the T20 World Cups, we have seen excellent performances from bowlers helping their teams get over the line on various occasions. 

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi and Sam Curran of England were awarded the Player of the Tournament in the 2007 and 2022 editions, respectively, for their excellent bowling performances.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi holds the record for the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. He bagged 17 wickets in eight matches in 2024. Interestingly, five of the top 10 list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition have come in 2024.

India’s Arshdeep Singh is fourth on the list with 15 wickets from seven matches and just three wickets away from moving to the top. Arshdeep has one last shot at the feat as India meet South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Here is a look at the list of bowlers with most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. 

Most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition

Rank	Player	Edition	Matches	Wickets	Average	Economy	Strike Rate	Best Bowling
1	Fazalhaq Farooqi (AFG)	2024	8	17	9.41	6.31	8.94	5/9
2	Wanindu Hasaranga (SL)	2021	8	16	9.75	5.20	11.25	3/9
3	Ajantha Mendis (SL)	2012	6	15	9.80	6.12	9.60	6/8
4	Arshdeep Singh (IND)	2024	7	15	13.00	7.50	10.40	4/9
5	Wanindu Hasaranga (SL)	2022	8	15	13.26	6.41	12.40	3/8
6	Rashid Khan (AFG)	2024	8	14	12.78	6.17	12.42	4/17
7	Dirk Nannes (AUS)	2010	7	14	13.07	7.03	11.14	4/18
8	Rishad Hossain (BAN)	2024	7	14	13.85	7.76	10.71	3/22
9	Jasprit Bumrah (IND)	2024	7	13	8.15	4.12	11.84	3/7
10	Sam Curran (ENG)	2022	6	13	11.38	6.52	10.46	5/10

Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan) - 17 wickets in 2024

Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the chart for the bowlers with the most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition. The left-arm pacer has taken 17 wickets from eight matches for Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup 2024 jointly hosted by the West Indies and the United States of America. 

Fazal was one of the main architects of Afghanistan’s best showing in an ICC World Cup helping his side storm into the semi-finals of the showpiece event in 2024. He averaged just 9.41 runs per wicket with an unbelievable strike rate of 8.94, which means a wicket every nine balls.

Fazal started the T20 World Cup 2024 with a bang, picking up a five-wicket haul in Afghanistan's first match against Uganda in Guyana. He registered his career-best T20I figures with an impressive 5/9 in four overs as Afghanistan thrashed Uganda by 125 runs. 

The pacer showed no signs of slowing down as he picked up a match-winning 4/17 against New Zealand to power Afghanistan to a historic 84-run win over the Kiwis. He also registered a three-wicket haul against India in Afghanistan’s Super 8 contest.

Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka) - 16 wickets in 2021

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga is second on the list of most wickets in a T20 World Cup edition with 16 wickets from eight matches in the 2021 edition held in Oman and United Arab Emirates. He averaged just 9.75 runs per wicket at a miserly economy of 5.20.

Hasaranga picked up his best figures of 3/9 in three overs as the Lankans skittled out Netherlands for 44 in their first-round match in Sharjah. Sri Lanka pocketed the contest by eight wickets and progressed to the next round. 

Throughout the World Cup Hasaranga proved to be a threat picking up a wicket every two overs for Sri Lanka. The leg-spinner was also the highest wicket-taker in the next edition of the T20 World Cup in 2022 with 15 wickets from eight matches.

Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) - 15 wickets in 2012

Ajantha Mendis was one of the pillars in Sri Lanka’s run till the finals of the T20 World Cup 2012 held in their backyard, which is still the best run by any home team in the T20 World Cup. 

Mendis tallied a total of 15 wickets from just six matches at an average of 9.80 and an excellent strike rate of 9.60. Batters found it hard to pick his mystery spin as he finished the competition with an economy of just 6.12.

Mendis provided a cue to other teams of what was in store by bowling an unbelievable spell against Zimbabwe in the first match of the T20 World Cup at Hambantota. His 6/8 off four overs is still the best bowling figures recorded by any bowler in a T20 World Cup match. Sri Lanka thrashed Zimbabwe by 82 runs to start their campaign in style.

Photo credit: Alamy

England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) managing director Ashley Giles has said that the England cricket team’s centrally contracted players are likely to miss the remainder of the COVID-19-hit Indian T20 League 2021 once the cash-rich tournament is rescheduled later this year.

The 14th edition of the Indian T20 League was postponed indefinitely due to the rising number of coronavirus cases inside the bio-bubble of multiple franchises across Delhi and Ahmedabad.

According to sources, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is looking at two windows for the T20 tournament to be resumed later this year. One option being explored is in the second half of September before the T20 World Cup (October-November) and the other being after mid-November.

However, England are scheduled to visit Bangladesh and Pakistan prior to the T20 World Cup, meaning their international players will be unavailable for their respective franchises. 

“We’re planning on involvement of England players in England matches. We’ve got a full FTP (Future Tours Programme) schedule. So if those tours to Pakistan and Bangladesh are going ahead, I’d expect the players to be there,�?Giles told ESPNcricinfo.

Earlier, Giles had stated that England players who were involved in the latter stages of the Indian T20 League could skip the two-match Test series against New Zealand, which begins on June 2. However, the ECB seems to have changed their stance since.

"The New Zealand scenario was very different. Those matches were formalised at the end of January, by which time contracts were signed for players to have full involvement in the Indian T20 League,�?Giles said.

As many as 11 Englishmen were part of various franchises in the suspended Indian T20 League 2021 with a few players being key to the fortunes of their respective teams. Wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, who scored his maiden Indian T20 League ton before the tournament was suspended, is one such example. 

“None of us knows what a rearranged Indian T20 League looks like at the moment, where it’s going to be or when. But from when we start this summer against New Zealand, our programme is incredibly busy,�?Giles added.

“We’ve got a lot of important, high-profile cricket including the T20 World Cup and the Ashes. And we’re going to have to look after our players.�?/span>

Meanwhile, following the postponement of the Indian T20 League, England internationals Buttler, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali are currently serving their 10-day isolation period in government-approved hotels in the UK.

Featured photo: IPL/BCCI

And, that's a wrap!

10:40 PM IST - From the start to the finish, Chennai were in the driver's seat and ensured they return to winning ways emphatically. Plenty of questions for KL Rahul to answer but the Yellow Brigade win the game by six wickets in MS Dhoni's 200th game.

Final scores - Punjab (106/8, 20 overs) Chennai (107/4, 15.4 overs)

Chennai gifting wickets

10:30 PM IST - Chennai are just five runs away from victory, but with Suresh Raina and Ambati Rayudu dismissed in succession, the three-time winners are probably taking it too easy. Chennai 102/4 after 15 overs.

Moeen departs

10:15 PM IST - A brilliant inning from Moeen Ali comes to an end. The all-rounder slog-sweeps to Shahrukh Khan at deep midwicket to draw curtains to a fine knock of 46 runs off 31 balls. Chennai 90/2 after 12.3 overs.

Punjab need to rethink strategy - 1st Timeout

9:57 PM IST - Punjab's bowlers are applying pressure on Chennai's batsmen, but that won't be enough to squeeze out wickets. A linear chase for MS Dhoni's men? Chennai 53/1 after nine overs.

Moeen Ali, from zero to hero?

#PBKSvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove #CSKvsPBKS

M.Ali In RCB M.Ali In CSK pic.twitter.com/AH6FITzg2f

�?Aithey_enti (@Aitheyenti2) April 16, 2021

When will Chennai speed up?

9:45 PM IST - Playing with a relaxed nature, Chennai end their powerplay with the run rate at 5.33. Faf du Plessis and Moeen Ali are not afraid to concede dots but they must push the accelerator when the road is clear. After six overs, Chennai are 32/1.

Punjab make breakthrough

9:38 PM IST - Ruturaj Gaikwad drags a pull shot off an Arshdeep Singh delivery to find Deepak Hooda at deep midwicket. A slow start and a wicket. Chennai 24/1 after five overs.

Safe start for the Yellow Brigade

9:20 PM IST - Mohammed Shami provides an early scare to the Chennai openers, with a couple of opportunities close enough to be called out as an lbw dismissal. Two runs off the first over. Chennai 2/0 after one over.

Chennai begin their run-chase!

9:18 PM IST - Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf du Plessis take the crease in the yellow shirt as Chennai look to register their first win of the 2021 Indian T20 League season. In their way stands a determined Mohammed Shami though, who will be licking his lips after Chahar's bowling with the new ball.

SRK saves Punjab the blushes

8:56 PM IST - Punjab end their batting at 106/8 after new boy Shahrukh Khan scores some crucial 47 runs for Punjab to fight for! KL Rahul will be be hoping to get some assistance from his spinners after Mohammed Shami works his magic in the powerplay overs.

Haule haule, Shahrukh! #SaddaPunjab #PunjabKings #IPL2021 #PBKSvCSK pic.twitter.com/DgCwxlicQh

�?Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 16, 2021

Ashwin departs!

8:41 PM IST: Veteran batsman Murugan Ashwin has departed for 6 runs. Dwayne Bravo coming to the party now and is graced with a wicket straightaway! Punjab sit at 87/7 after 17 overs.

DJ vaathiii coming!! #PBKSvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove

�?Chennai Super Kings - Mask P du Whistle P du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 16, 2021

Punjab get stability at 2nd timeout

8:35 PM IST - After a forgettable collapse in the first part of the first innings, Team Punjab will now look to try to set a competitive target for Chennai with Shahrukh (34) and Ashwin (5) looking settled. Punjab are 81/6 after 16 overs.

Richardson bowled by Moeen Ali!

8:25 PM IST - The end is near for Punjab now! Hardly any batsmen left after Jhye Richardson's stumps were uprooted by Moeen Ali's short ball. Punjab 61/6 after 13 overs.

4️⃣8️⃣/ 5️⃣

Halfway through the overs and wickets! #PBKSvsCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/ylTsbPT1Rr

�?Chennai Super Kings - Mask P du Whistle P du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 16, 2021

A lot to plan for Punjab during 1st timeout!

8:12 PM IST - After a high-scoring game in their first match, Punjab look well destined for one of the record lowest totals of the tournament today! All the experienced batsmen are back to the pavilion! Punjab 45/5 after nine overs.

Chahar knuckles off Hooda!

8:06 PM IST - Punjab are falling like a house of cards here! Now, Hooda departs in a familiar fashion. This match looks already over! After six overs, Punjab sit at 26/5.

Make way for Deepak Chaaar! 4️⃣#PBKSvsCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove pic.twitter.com/LDZy2q4Ez8

�?Chennai Super Kings - Mask P du Whistle P du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 16, 2021

Gayle & Pooran wrapped up in one over!

7:57 PM IST - This is turning out to be a calamity for Punjab as Deepak Chakar strike for the fourth time this evening. After Chahar's knuckle ball was misread by Gayle and Ravindra Jadeja took a diving catch, Pooran went back for a duck in the same over as his hook was caught at long leg by Shardul Thakur.
Punjab 19/4 after five overs!

Cherry Picking the wickets! Woohoo! #PBKSvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove

�?Chennai Super Kings - Mask P du Whistle P du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 16, 2021

Two wickets in two overs!

7:45 PM IST - It is Jadeja's brilliant fielding that has done the job. A short run when Jaddu is nearby? Very foolish move! Punjab 17/2 after two overs.

Kuriyadi from Jaddu!! #PBKSvCSK #WhistlePodu #Yellove

�?Chennai Super Kings - Mask P du Whistle P du! (@ChennaiIPL) April 16, 2021

Early jitters for Punjab

7:35 PM IST - Deepak sends Mayank Agarwal back to the pavillion with a brilliant delivery, wrecking his stumps completely. Chris Gayle escape an early scare as well! Punjab 2/1 after one over.

Match Start

7:30 PM IST - KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal take the crease for Punjab as Deepak Chahar is ready for a run up for Chennai. MS Dhoni looks focussed from behind the stumps. Let's begin!

Team Punjab playing XI

KL Rahul (captain & wicket-keeper), Mayank Agarwal, Chris Gayle, Deepak Hooda, Nicholas Pooran, M Shahrukh Khan, Jhye Richardson, M Ashwin, Riley Meredith, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh

Team Chennai playing XI

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Moeen Ali, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (captain & wicket-keeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Dwayne Bravo, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar

Toss result

7:00 PM IST - Team Chennai have won the toss and elected to bowl first.

"We will get hit off good boundaries but it is important to assess as a bowler. (Pitch) Looks a bit tacky and a bit more grass. Bit of dew settles down a bit and in the second innings as well, the first few overs will be crucial," says MS Dhoni who is playing his 200th game for the three-time champions.

Toss Update: @ChennaiIPL captain @msdhoni wins the toss and opts to bowl first against @PunjabKingsIPL.http://t.co/P8VzT4XXbb #PBKSvCSK #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/xUzvTEkpRV

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 16, 2021

Pitch report

6:45 PM IST - Ian Bishop reckons that the pitch, which has a fresh green tinge, may not produce seam movement. As dew will start to settle in towards the second half of the game, bowlers must go for the yorkers.

Dangerman

In his last game of the #VIVOIPL: 6�?�?off 2�?�?br />In his last game against #CSK: 6�?�? off 3�?�?/p>

Will Deepak Hooda once again come to the party tonight? #PBKSvCSK @Vivo_India @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/7fJeA53uUJ

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 16, 2021

Fans' early predictions

#IPL2021 MATCH 8 #CSKvsPBKS
Toss prediction - #Csk#PBKS should bat 1st
Score prediction under 173
Top bowler , deepak , Curran , Jaddu.
Top bat , faf , raina , Rayudu.
Match winner - #Csk #WhistlePodu #Yellove #PBKSvCSK

�?Jitzmsdian03 (@jitzvijan03) April 16, 2021

Bring KM Asif and H Reddy in place of D Chahar and S Thakur. We don't need to bat till 11. All the teams are playing with uncapped pacers. We should try some new players as well #IPL2021 #PBKSvCSK #CSK #WhistlePodu http://t.co/WKz5OrNcq6

�?Ashutosh Sinsinwar (@imashusr) April 16, 2021

Know the Chennai vs Punjab head-to-head record

6:10 PM IST - Team Chennai lead the head-to-head record against Punjab with 14 wins and 9 losses in 23 encounters between them.

Hello & good evening from the Wankhede Stadium for Match 8 of the #VIVOIPL @klrahul11's @PunjabKingsIPL will take on the @msdhoni-led @ChennaiIPL. #PBKSvCSK @Vivo_India

Which team will come out on top tonight�?pic.twitter.com/x70KlB6Mj3

�?IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 16, 2021

For more insights, check out our tips and predictions for the game.

Punjab to hit more sixes!

6:00 PM IST - SportsAdda ambassador Brett Lee has predicted that KL Rahul's Punjab will score the maximum sixes in the Punjab vs Chennai game. To know more, click here.

Wondering where to watch Punjab vs Chennai live?

5:40 PM IST - The Punjab vs Chennai Indian T20 League match will be telecast live at 7:30 PM IST on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 1 HD TV channels in India, on Friday, April 16.

Live streaming of Punjab vs Chennai will be available on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website.

Stage set for the MS Dhoni-KL Rahul showdown!

5:30 PM IST - Good evening and a warm welcome to SportsAdda’s live blog for the Indian T20 League 2021!

Chennai eye their first win of Indian T20 League 2021 as they cross swords with Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

MS Dhoni and Co. enter this fixture with confidence from their head-to-head record, but will need to be diligent enough against Punjab, who are in a confident position to end Chennai’s dominance.

Since 2015, KL Rahul’s men have lost six of the last eight Punjab vs Chennai matchups in the Indian T20 League but given how they have started the 2021 edition, onlookers can fancy an entertaining affair in Mumbai.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates here!

Featured photo: Twitter / Indian Premier League

Records tumbled when Sam Curran's gritty unbeaten 95 against India in the final ODI took England right on the cusp of a series win, but that just wasn't meant to be as T. Natarajan, the bowler given the onus to moderate the English onslaught, did his job in the final over as the visitors suffered a clean sweep at hands of India who, after winning the Test as well as the T20I series, clinched the ODI series too.

This was England's eighth tour of India since they last won an ODI series here and their record worsened on Sunday, March 28, as they have now lost six of them while drawing two. Their last ODI series win over India away from home came in December 1984. The three ODIs, played in Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, saw India surpassing their previous tally of five consecutive 300-plus scores in ODI. As things stand, their last night’s 329 was their sixth consecutive 300-plus total in the 50-over format.

Apart from that, the ODI series also saw as many as 70 sixes being hit by the two teams which is now the most number of maximums in any series of fewer than five games. There were several such records, and here we look at a few of them.

Sam Curran, the man of the hour

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. England were in a dire need of someone who can rejuvenate the sinking ship when they were reduced to 95/4 in 15 overs. As for India, it looked like a walk in the park as visitors kept on losing wickets, but Sam Curran went on to change the complexion. The 22-year-old scored an unbeaten 95, which is now the joint-highest score by a number 8 batsman. 

Highest score by a #8 batsman in ODIs
Player	Runs	Strike Rate	Opposition	Venue
Chris Woakes (England)	95*	103.26	Sri Lanka	Nottingham
Sam Curran (England)	95*	114.45	India	Pune
Nathan Coulter-Nile (Australia)	92	153.33	West Indies	Nottingham
Thomas Odoyo (Kenya)	84	86.59	Bangladesh	Nairobi
Lance Klusener (South Africa)	83	107.79	Australia	Johannesburg

Curran scored at a strike rate of 114.45 and this is the 7th highest strike rate in an ODI innings by a number 8 batsman to face a minimum of 60 balls. He hit nine fours and this is the joint-second most fours hit by a number 8 batsman against India. The all-rounder played two 50-plus runs partnerships for the 8th and the 9th wicket and this is the first time that this has happened in ODIs for England, and 7th overall.

Indian bowlers on different spectrum

Indian bowlers outrightly dominated their England counterparts as the top-three wicket-takers from the ODI series were all Indians. Shardul Thakur, from the lot, impressed the most with seven wickets which included one four-wicket haul in the final ODI. All of the top-three wicket-takers from the series were seamers. The three, put together, scalped an impressive 19 wickets, which is a stark contrast to what the spinners delivered.

Fewest wickets taken by Indian spinners in a series (min 39 overs)
Series	Matches	Overs	Runs	Wickets
IND vs ENG 2020/21	3	39	312	1
IND vs ENG 1992/93	6	105	503	5
IND vs SL 2006/07	4	64	323	5
IND vs WI 1983/84	5	44	201	6
IND vs SA 1991/92	3	56	275	6

India had two spinners in their ranks, Kuldeep Yadav and Krunal Pandya, and the two picked a solitary wicket between them. This is the fewest wickets taken by Indian spinners in a series with a minimum of 39 overs. The two spinners gave away a combined total of 312 runs in three games while going for an economy of 8.00 and a bowling strike-rate of 234.00. These are the worst figures for Indian spinners in a bilateral series at home.

As far as England are concerned, the final ODI had as many as seven different wicket-takers from England. Amongst the lot, a certain Mark Wood impressed the most with a figure of 3/34, which is his fifth-best bowling figures in ODIs, and the best against India. The instance of having seven different wicket-takers is only the fifth time that it has happened in an ODI match.

Matches with 7 wicket-taking bowlers in ODIs
Match	Wicket taking bowlers	Balls	Runs	Wickets
India vs England	7	290	328	10
Scotland vs Australia	7	219	133	10
Netherlands vs Bermuda	7	262	104	10
New Zealand vs Sri Lanka	7	199	164	9
New Zealand vs India	7	230	135	8

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

England cricket team all-rounder Sam Curran played a stunning knock in the ODI series-decider against India at the Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on Sunday.

Chasing a mammoth target of 330 for a series win, England lost wickets at regular intervals and it seemed India would wrap up the final ODI early. 

Reeling at 168/6, Curran joined Moeen Ali at the crease in what looked like a difficult run-chase for the visitors. While the Three Lions kept losing wickets at the other end, 22-year-old Curran played a blinder as he brought up his maiden ODI fifty.

With 14 needed in the last over, England could only manage six runs in the 50th over bowled by India pacer T Natarajan as the hosts clinched the three-match ODI series 2-1.

Meanwhile, Twitter hailed Sam Curran for his unbeaten 95 runs knock off just 83 balls.

Very Dhoni'ish innings by Sam Curran.

�?Abijit Ganguly (@AbijitG) March 28, 2021

Love Sam Curran’s mentality ... #INDvENG

�?Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 28, 2021

Sam Curran continues to give nightmares to India since 2018.

�?Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 28, 2021

How good is Sam Curran today. Never give up attitude. Playing under MSD in CSK is certainly helping him. More importantly he knows how to play with the tail enders. #INDvsENG

�?Krupamay (@krupamay_ghosal) March 28, 2021

For days we've been talking of young Indian players who have been killing it.

And Sam Curran has been quietly waiting, watching...

�?Sorabh Pant (@hankypanty) March 28, 2021

This is why Sam Curran has to play for England. Unbelievable

�?Thomas Liversage (@TomLiversage) March 28, 2021

Sam Curran is a terrific cricketer. Brilliant stuff from him. #INDvENG

�?Rahul Puri (@rahulpuri) March 28, 2021

The southpaw was adjudged the player of the match for his scintillating knock in the third and final ODI.

Feature image courtesy: Punit PARANJPE / AFP

India completed a clean sweep over England after winning their 3rd and final ODI by seven runs. The game looked buried when the hosts had reduced Jos Buttler’s men to 4/95 in 15 overs, but little did they know what was to follow.

While England’s openers failed on the judgement day, Sam Curran gave India a scare by scoring an 83-ball 95, which is not only his personal best ODI score but is also the joint-highest score by a number 8 batsman and highest by a number 8 batsman against India. The all-rounder brought England right on the cusp of victory, but a few misses here and there resulted in England’s defeat.

India, who were put in to bat first for the third time in the ODI series, rode on the batting brilliance of Shikhar Dhawan, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya, who all scored half-centuries to take India’s total to 329. England, on their part, started off really well, with Jason Roy scoring back-to-back boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s over, but the seamer gave India a major breakthrough in the first over itself. 

“It was tense, being a bowler you are always under pressure,�?said Bhuvneshwar, who picked three for 42 in 10 overs, after the game.

“There was dew and some tension in the ground. I wasn't worried about the early boundaries. Inswing was the plan for me and that worked. Definitely, looking forward to the Indian T20 League. I'm just happy I went through this entire series.�?/span>

England went on to lose wickets at will and never really looked close to achieving the target. All that, however, changed when Sam Curran got England close to victory. The England all-rounder was adjudged as the Man of the Match, but the Indian cricket team captain, Virat Kohli, believed there were other deserving candidates too; like Bhuvneshwar himself and Shardul Thakur, who earlier scored an important 21-ball 30 and picked four crucial wickets.

"Sam played well, but we kept taking wickets to put enough pressure on them," said Kohli during the post-match presentation. "The mindset shifted in the last couple of overs. Hardik (Pandya) and Nattu (T. Natarajan) were brilliant to finish it off."

"I'm surprised that he (Shardul) wasn't the Man of the Match. Four wickets and scoring 30 runs and Bhuvi another contender for Man of the Series. These guys were the difference in middle overs and powerplay. Prasidh and Krunal were impressive, but the most pleasing thing is the depth of our batting."

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Punit Paranjpe

England walk into the T20I series against India with their T20I specialists back. Led by their captain marvel in limited-overs, Eoin Morgan, the visitors will see a host of changes in the side that lost 3-1 in the recently concluded Test series.

India will welcome some limited-overs specialists as well, with Suryakumar Yadav and Rahul Tewatia in line for their international debuts. All these changes make up for an interesting series, which comprises five T20Is, and I, for one, am looking forward to seeing so many high profile match-ups on the field.

Picking just four names from a plethora of options is indeed a tricky task, but here are my picks for India vs England 1st T20I.

Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal’s credentials in the shortest format have been on a constant rise. He may have struggled for wickets in his last few T20Is, picking five wickets in as many games, but the home conditions are certainly in his favour. Ahmedabad’s Motera Stadium is expected to assist batsmen more than the spinners in white-ball cricket, but Chahal’s ability to pick wickets in the toughest of conditions makes him an important asset to the Indian cricket team.

Hardik Pandya

All-rounder Hardik Pandya was phenomenal against Australia and was rightly adjudged the Man of the Series. His record at home, however, remains a worry. A pinch hitter who is rightly capable of turning the course of a game, Pandya has never scored more than 30 runs in a T20I innings at home. In fact, he carries an underwhelming T20I batting average of 10.38 in India, which makes this series extremely important for him with the Indian T20 League and the T20I World Cup coming up later this year. However, given his recent form, I’m expecting a few match-winning knocks from Hardik, especially if he gets to bat higher up the order.

Eoin Morgan

Captain Eoin Morgan is due a big inning in T20I given that his last half-century in this format dates back to August 2020; a 33-ball 66 against Pakistan. With England fielding a full-fledged squad in the shortest format, Morgan will indeed have less pressure with the bat and it may help him better his record. He has played 11 T20Is in India, where he has tallied 228 runs at an average of 25.33 with just one half-century to show for. I’m expecting the England captain to improve his numbers this time.

Sam Curran

I certainly agree with the fact that Sam Curran has been a better player since his tenure with Chennai in the 2020 Indian T20 League season. Though it could be because of playing under MS Dhoni, one cannot take away the kind of performances he has put in since then. Not only his contribution with the ball, but his big hits down the order are expected to help England immensely. Playing against India on their turf may well and truly be a demanding job, but Curran is someone who will deliver the goods. Watch out for him.

Feature image courtesy: SportsAdda

Check out the top bowlers in the Indian T20 League this season and find out who’s leading in the most wickets taken chart in this year's Purple Cap leaderboard.

The Purple Cap is awarded to the bowler with most dismissals at the end of the tournament. The award is passed on from one bowler to another depending on who has taken most wickets at the time before the final winner is decided at the end of the tournament.

Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir won the Purple Cap in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008 after taking 22 wickets and playing a crucial role in Rajasthan's only victorious campaign to date.

The following two editions saw RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha win the Purple Cap with the now-defunct Deccan team in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

The leading wicket-taker in the tournament's history with 170 scalps, Lasith Malinga won the Purple Cap in the following edition in 2011 and Morne Morkel was the bowler with most wickets in the subsequent edition.

The only two bowlers who have won the Purple Cap on more than one occasion are Chennai’s Dwayne Bravo, who had the most wickets in 2013 as well as 2015 and Hyderabad’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had dismissed more batsmen than any other bowler in 2016 and 2017.

Chennai, in fact, took home the Purple Cap for three successive seasons from 2013 to 2015. As mentioned above, Bravo accounted for two of those, while Mohit Sharma was their main man with the ball in 2014.

The last two editions witnessed Punjab’s Andrew Tye bag the award in 2018 and Chennai’s Imran Tahir went home with the prize in 2019.

Indian T20 League 2020 Purple Cap holder

Delhi pacer Kagiso Rabada managed to pip the Mumbai duo to win the 2020 Indian T20 League Purple Cap after picking 30 wickets in 17 games.

Position	Player	Team	Wickets
1	Kagiso Rabada	Delhi	30
2	Jasprit Bumrah	Mumbai	27
3	Trent Boult	Mumbai	25
4	Anrich Nortje	Delhi	22
5	Yuzvendra Chahal	Bangalore	21

Feature image courtesy: Twitter.com / Mumbai

It has been a nightmarish season for Chennai in the 2020 edition of the Indian T20 League. From having two of their star players in Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh out even before the first match to facing their first-ever failure to make the playoffs, it’s been a rough road for the three-time champions.

However, there’s still a chance to go out with a bang, in their final match of the season on Sunday against a Punjab side that has to win and, thanks to a negative NRR, win big to assure their playoff spot.

Chennai to finally end their misery or go out with a bang?

Chennai is currently placed at the bottom of the table, which is a very rare sight in the Indian T20 League. This season, they have won just five matches and have 10 points from 13 games played. However, while exiting the season with a win will be a positive takeaway, they will have still won only six matches this season, which is the least matches won in an Indian T20 League season by Chennai.

Chennai at different venues in Indian T20 League 2020
Venue	Played	Won	Lost	Win %
Abu Dhabi	3	1	2	33.33
Dubai	7	4	3	57.14
Sharjah	3	0	3	0

Sunday’s match against Punjab will be the last game for Chennai this season and the last time these two teams met. On that occasion, Chennai defeated Punjab by a 10-wicket margin. That was at Dubai, where Chennai have the highest winning percentage, winning four of their seven games played. However, Sunday’s match will be held at Abu Dhabi, where they have a 33 percent win record this season.

Players to watch:

Chennai �?Sam Curran

While this Indian T20 League season was not a good one for Chennai, they sure have one positive takeaway and that is the outstanding performance of Sam Curran, who has been a highly impressive all-rounder for them. He has scored 186 runs off 141 balls faced at a strike rate of 131.91 for this season and batted at various positions as per the requirement of the team.

Apart from his batting, he has contributed with his bowling as well. With 13 wickets scalped this season, he is the leading wicket-taker for Chennai in Indian T20 League. He has bowled most of his overs in Powerplay and been economical but it's not where he shines, having only picked up three wickets in that phase of the innings, while 62 percent of his total wickets have come during the death overs (16-20), where he has been the leading wicket-taker for Chennai, scalping eight wickets and has the second-best bowling SR in death overs after Dwayne Bravo (min 30 balls). Who better to watch out for in their final match of the season than Curran then?

Punjab �?Ravi Bishnoi

Ravi Bishnoi has been a revelation for Punjab this season, picking up 12 wickets - the second-most by a bowler this season. However, he has been a bit under par in the last six matches, going wicketless in three matches. Let us see what has changed as the season has progressed.

Ravi Bishnoi First 7 vs Last 6 matches
First 7 matches	Metrics	Last 6 matches
8	Wkts	4
26.5	Avg.	31.25
7.85	Econ	6.25
20.25	SR	30
3	0w	3
2	3w+	0

He has picked up four wickets at an economy of 6.25 but failed to produce a three-wicket innings in the last six innings. Moreover, his average has increased from 26.5 in the first seven matches to 31.25 in the last six matches.

Bishnoi will therefore be one to keep an eye on in this critical match for Punjab, along with fellow spin twin Murugan Ashwin, both of whom, it has to be said, have been pivotal in Punjab’s success so far.

Stats to watch out for:

2: Times Chris Gayle has been dismissed by Karn Sharma in four balls faced

4: Number of sixes required by Chris Gayle to become the leading six-hitter for Punjab in the Indian T20 League

5: Wickets needed by Mitchell Santner to complete 100 T20 wickets

15: Runs needed by Ruturaj Gaikwad to complete 1000 T20 runs

23: Runs required by Nicholas Pooran to reach 3000 T20 runs

107: Runs required by KL Rahul to 2000 runs for Punjab, will be the first Indian and 2nd overall to reach this milestone

Writer’s pick

While Chennai are no doubt the sentimental favourites, it'd take a brave soul to bet against a stout Punjab side that's chomping at the bit to earn their playoff pass on the night, and so Punjab it is.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Sajjad Hussain