Maiden Masters: Five bowlers with the most maiden overs in T20I cricket
A dot ball is compared with gold dust in T20 cricket and so one can easily understand just how tough it is for the bowlers to bowl six dots in an over, that is a maiden over. The modern batsmen are highly skilled and rarely miss any opportunity to score runs. The new rules and the bigger bats have only made things worse for the bowlers. But despite all the issues, some bowlers have proved their class over the years. So through this article, we are taking a look at five bowlers who have bowled the most number of maidens in T20Is.
5. Ajantha Mendis – 5 maidens:
Former Sri Lanka spinner Ajantha Mendis is at the fifth spot in this list. Mendis, who arrived in international cricket as a mystery spinner, bowled a total of 5 maiden overs in T20Is. Overall, he played 39 T20Is and picked up an impressive 66 wickets at a stunning average of 14.42. While Mendis did not really live up to the early promise in international cricket, he made a big impression in T20Is. He was the third-highest wicket-taker at the 2009 T20 World Cup. Mendis twice set the record for best figures in a T20Is for figures of 6 for 16 and then 6 for 8.
4. Trent Johnston – 5 maidens:
Former Ireland skipper Trent Johnston is fourth on this list for bowling five maidens. Johnson, who represented Ireland in T20Is from 2008 to 2013, played a total of 30 T20Is. Johnston, who was a part of Ireland’s first-ever T20I in 2009, picked up 32 wickets at a remarkable average of 19.87 in the shortest format of the game. He also has an impressive economy-rate of 6.42 in T20Is.
3. Harbhajan Singh – 5 maidens:
At number three in this list is veteran Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh. The legendary spinner, who last played a T20I for India way back in 2016, has bowled a total of 5 maidens in T20Is so far. Harbhajan has played 28 T20Is so far and picked up 25 wickets at an average of 25.32. The off-spinner was a part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007. Harbhajan is one of the most experienced T20 players of all time and has played 265 T20s so far.
*. Apart from Mendis, Johnston and Harbhajan, four other bowlers – Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Naveed and Sultan Ahmed – have also 5 maidens in T20Is.
2. Nuwan Kulasekara – 6 maidens:
At number 2 in this list is former Sri Lanka fast-bowler Nuwan Kulasekara. At his prime, he was one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world as he troubled the batsmen with his swing. Kulasekara played 58 T20Is and bowled a total of 6 maidens. He picked up 66 wickets at an average of 23.18 and conceded runs at an economy rate of 7.45 in the shortest format of the game. He was a part of the Sri Lankan team that had won the 2014 T20 World Cup.
1. Jasprit Bumrah – 7 maidens:
At number one in this spot is none other than India’s pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The right-arm pacer is arguably the best T20I bowler in the world at present. His unorthodox bowling style, pace and deadly yorkers make him a force to reckon with in the shortest format of the game. Bumrah has bowled seven maidens in his career so far which is an incredible achievement considering the fact that he usually bowls at a stage when the batsmen look to score as many runs as possible. He has played 50 T20Is and picked up 59 wickets at an average of 20.25.
