With the ICC T20 World Cup going on in full flow, we have already witnessed some exceptional performances with the bat and bowl. Considering the pitches in UAE and Oman are most probably slow, the bowlers have been on the top of their game and thus, today we will discuss the 5 best bowling performances in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 until today.
1) Curtis Campher (Ireland)
On 18th October 2021, it was the third match of the qualifying stages and it was Ireland who locked horns with the Netherlands in the quest for a spot in the Super A.
The match was played in Abu Dhabi and the Netherlands were batting first after winning the toss. After losing a couple of wickets early in the game, it was Max O'Dowd who was keeping the Dutch scoreboard moving.
However, the ninth oversaw something that was witnessed more than a decade ago. Curtis Campher managed to pick four wickets in four deliveries, dismissing Colin Ackermann, Ryan Ten Doeschate, Scott Edwards, and Roelof van der Merwe on a golden duck except for Ackermann.
Pieter Seelar, the Netherlands skipper tried to help the Netherlands reach a total of 106 but it wasn't enough as the Irish won the match by 7 wickets.
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg |
| 3 | 6 | 7.09 | 13 |
2) Adil Rashid (England)
The first day and the second match of the Super 12 was a 2016 ICC Men's T20 World Cup final replay as England played West Indies in Dubai.
West Indies were batting first as Eoin Morgan won the toss and elected to bowl first. The strategy worked wonders as England nailed the defending champions in the most exasperating fashion, dismissing the entire team on a total of just 55 within 15 overs.
It all started with Moeen Ali who stuck to his line, followed by the other English bowlers as they took down a star-studded West Indies batting. Adil Rashid had a great game as he picked four wickets in the match, starting with the Caribbean skipper, Kieron Pollard and continued to get rid of the tailenders single-handedly.
The England bowling as a whole unit have been phenomenal in the tournament until now, but that night belong to Moeen Ali who provided England with the best possible start, and Adil Rashid who concluded the West Indies batting.
England had to chase 56 and they won it inside nine overs. However, they did lose four wickets, winning the match by six wickets.
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg |
| 4 | 7 | 5.23 | 10.71 |
3) Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
It was a Super Sunday clash as India tussled with their arch-rivals Pakistan in what was the fourth match of the Super 12 stage on October 24, 2021.
The match was played at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium and India were put to bat by Babar Azam and co. after they won the toss.
Straight to the task, Shaheen Afridi did what he was known for doing best as he disrupted the Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul with his pacy-swinging deliveries.
Rohit Sharma was dismissed on a golden duck, while KL Rahul was dismissed for 3 in his next over. Shaheen concluded his spell with 31 runs in four overs, picking three crucial wickets, the third being the Indian skipper Virat Kohli who scored a vital 50 to help India reach 150.
However, the damage was done as India couldn't manage to pick a single Pakistan wicket, losing the match by 10 wickets.
As much as the batting department deserves credit, it was Shaheen Afridi, who was responsible for taking down three of India's best T20 batsmen, who aren't just the best as per Indian standards but also overall when compared to other top batsmen.
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg |
| 4 | 5 | 6.87 | 22 |
4) Haris Rauf (Pakistan)
Three days post thwarting India, Pakistan were back in action as they played New Zealand on October 26 2021. The match was at Sharjah and Pakistan were bowling again after winning the toss.
The Kiwis had a decent start but it all began with Martin Guptill's wicket picked by the man who was hungry for more. After Guptill was dismissed by Rauf, he got rid of the lower middle-order batsmen who were good but not better than Rauf's bowling.
Rauf finished his spell giving away 22 runs and four wickets. A performance to remember for the 27-year-old.
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg |
| 4 | 7 | 6.81 | 15.57 |
5) Ish Sodhi (New Zealand)
Another match where India were on the receiving end as they played New Zealand on October 31 in Dubai itself. Kohli and co. lost the toss again and were put to bat.
After a decent start, India lost their first wicket in the third over and didn't recover from it. Despite some fantastic bowling from Tim Southee and Trent Boult, it was Ish Sodhi who picked only a couple of wickets but the most crucial ones.
He broke the Indian batting backbone, dismissing both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Both were in an attempt to clear the ball from the ground but it was just not their day as they failed to express their full potential.
Sodhi picked two wickets for just 17 runs in four overs. The fact that Kohli had saved India in the Pakistan game by helping them reach a respectable total, Virat Kohli had a responsibility to score big but Sodhi's flight caused both the Indian batsmen to lose the match by eight wickets within 15 overs.
New Zealand had just 111 to chase as India failed to pile any pressure on the Kiwi bowling attack and eventually lost the match inside 15 overs, falling behind, making it very difficult for them to qualify for the semi-finals.
| Matches | Wickets | Economy | Avg |
| 3 | 6 | 7.25 | 14.50 |
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