Top 5 leg-spinners in the world from current crop

Leg-spin is an art not many can master. It is arguably the toughest form of spin bowling and requires the bowler to exercise a lot of control over the ball that is in his hand. The modern era has seen some of the most talented spinners who have made life tough for the batters. Here’s a look at the top 5 leg spinners in world cricket today.

5. Yuzvendra Chahal

Yuzvendra Chahal can extract turn on any surface he bowls, and can also get the ball to drift in the air. Chahal is the highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket for the Indian side and has scalped 68 wickets in 54 matches. He is also an experienced customer in IPL cricket and has taken 150+ wickets in the Indian T20 League as well.

4. Yasir Shah

Pakistan’s Yasir Shah is a bowler who can get the ball to drift and turn on any pitch. Shah has taken over 235 wickets in Test cricket and has also scalped 16 five-wicket hauls in the whites. He is also the fastest bowler to reach to 200 Test wickets. He has taken 24 wickets in ODI cricket as well.

3. Wanindu Hasaranga

Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga boasts of excellent numbers in T20I cricket. The 24-year-old has taken 57 wickets in the T20I format of the game and has taken them at a stellar strike rate of 12.91. Hasaranga has a plethora of variations up his sleeve and can easily flummox the batters.

2. Tabraiz Shamsi

He is the only left-arm spinner to feature in this list. Tabraiz Shamsi is the third-highest wicket-taker for South Africa in T20I cricket and has taken 57 wickets in his career at an average of 20.71. Shamsi can vary his pace, and can also get the ball to turn. Shamsi can also bowl a tight line and does not allow the batters to score freely.

1. Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan will arguably rank as the best leg-spinner of the modern era. He is a bowler who can scalp wickets, can frustrate batters by bowling tight lines, and his record in limited-overs cricket is incredible. He is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket and has scalped 105 wickets in 58 matches at an average of 12.92. Even in ODI cricket, the Afghanistan spinner has prized out 151 batters and is the leading wicket-taker for his country. He has also featured in the IPL and has taken 93 wickets in his IPL career.