Ruling the ratings: Top five all-time highest-rated bowlers in T20Is

T20 cricket has revolutionized the game forever. While traditionally cricket usually witnessed an equal contest between bat and ball, T20 cricket heavily tilted the balance in the favour of batsmen. However, there are a few blowers who have been able to hold their own even during this domination of batsmen. Here is a list of top 5 all-time bowlers in T20I cricket according to ICC ratings.

5. Rashid Khan – 816 points

The current no 1 bowler, Rashid Khan has been a phenomenon in T20 cricket. Since his debut in 2015, Rashid has been an unstoppable force in T20 cricket. He doesn’t give away any easy runs and picks up loads of wickets as well. It has been 5 years, and batsmen are yet to decode the mystery of the spin king. He has already picked 89 wickets in 48 games at 6.14, and with age on his side, Rashid’s reign is going to continue for a long time.

4. Sunil Narine – 817 points

Sunil Narine was just as effective when he burst onto the scene like Rashid is today. He could easily bamboozle all batsmen with his unorthodox, mystery spin. He never ended up playing enough T20I games thanks to the conflict between the board and players of West Indies, but made an impact in the games he did play. He picked 52 wickets in 51 games at an economy of just 6.01, and had he played more at the peak of his career, he would have surely achieved a lot more milestones.

3. Daniel Vettori – 850 points

This is perhaps a surprising name in this list, but at his peak, the Kiwi was as good as anyone else. He had the guile and consistency to be the best in the world. His left arm spin would look playable from the outset, but the batsmen facing Vettori realised how smart a cricketer he was. He picked 38 wickets in 34 games, and the fact that he had an economy of just 5.7, shows how tough he was to face.

2. Samuel Badree – 855 points

The leg spinner was an important cog in the wheel of the 2012 T20 World Cup-winning team. He wasn’t a traditional spinner and was extremely tough to get away. He bowled the majority of the overs in the powerplay and remarkably has a career economy of just 6.18. Despite being a late bloomer, Badree picked up 56 wickets and achieved great accolades.

1. Umar Gul – 857 points

Five Pakistan bowlers are part of the #ICC’s all-time #Twenty20 rankings showcasing their dominance, in the shortest format of the game, over the years. Pacer #UmarGul tops the list with 857 rating points. #ShahidAfridi is at 6 #SaeedAjmal 8, #ImadWasim 9 & #ShadabKhan 10. pic.twitter.com/UPSSbq8ij8

— FM 106.2 (@FM1062) September 14, 2020

Umar Gul was the most feared death bowler from 2009-2015. Gul had mastered the art of death bowling, having the ability to bowl pinpoint yorkers ball after ball. He was Pakistan’s most important player in the 2007 and 2009 T20 World Cups. In a career that almost spanned a decade in T20 cricket, Gul picked up 85 wickets in 60 games at an economy of just 7.19. The fact that he is the only pacer in this list speaks volumes of his talent. He may not be remembered as fondly in the age of IPL, but his contribution to T20 cricket will always be unforgettable.