Bowling is undoubtedly the tougher and more demanding of the two departments in T20 cricket, and bowling a maiden over in the shortest format of the game is very rare – for the batters are always on the hunt to score not just runs, but take boundaries.
High-quality bowlers, though, find a way to keep the batters in check, by taking wickets or by tying them up with their superb bowling.
Even in the final of a T20 World Cup, with immense pressure, bowlers have managed to bowl a maiden over.
Here are the 5 instances of a bowler bowling a maiden over in a men’s T20 World Cup final:
S Sreesanth, 2007 vs Pakistan
Sreesanth is remembered for taking the catch of Misbah-ul-Haq in the 2007 T20 WC final to win India the title. However, what many don’t recall is that the fast bowler delivered a crucial maiden over in the 4th over of Pakistan’s chase.
Sreesanth was hit for 21 runs in his first over. But he made a strong comeback by bowling a maiden over to Younis Khan. He kept tight lines, on and outside off stump as Younis tried everything to score, but couldn’t and played out 6 dots.
Eventually, though, Sreesanth ended with poor figures of 1/44 in 4 overs, but that catch of Misbah is what he will be remembered most for.
Mohammad Amir, 2009 vs Sri Lanka
Mohammad Amir was on the rise in the 2009 T20 WC and bowled well in the final as well – returning with figures of 1/30 with the big wicket of T Dilshan in the first over of the match, which was a maiden over and set the tone for Pakistan’s victory.
Looking to use the extra seam and pace of the Lord’s surface, Amir bowled 5 straight short and back of long balls to Dilshan who didn’t seem comfortable and eventually gave a catch to a short fine leg with a mistimed pull-cum-scoop shot. Another short ball to Jayasuriya that he tapped to point for a dot completed a sensational first-over maiden from Amir.
Angelo Mathews, 2012 vs West Indies
Sri Lankan medium pacer was right on the money in the first over of the 2012 T20 WC final against West Indies. With little seam and swing movement on offer, Mathews controlled his balls well and maintained a tight channel on and outside off-stump and opener Johnson Charles could only tap and defense as the ball moved sideways.
After 4 dot balls in a row, Charles played an attacking shot to a short delivery but mistimed his slap hit toward the bowler and the ball lobbed to mid-off for an easy catch. Marlon Samuels faced the last ball of the over and left it outside the off stump.
Mathews finished with terrific figures of 1/11 in 4 overs, but Sri Lanka still lost the final.
Samuel Badree, 2016 vs England
Opening the bowling for West Indies in the 2016 T20 WC final against England, Samuel Badree dismissed the dangerous Jason Roy in the first over and gave away only 8 runs in the first over.
He continued with his third over in the powerplay and facing him was England captain Eoin Morgan, who couldn’t properly read Badree’s variations, mainly the googly. Morgan tried the sweep, moved across outside off, missed a cut, and finally was dismissed by the googly. Jos Buttler played two dots to conclude the maiden over.
Badree finished his spell with 4-1-16-2.
Adil Rashid, 2022 vs Pakistan
Adil Rashid was at the heart of England’s brilliant bowling show in the T20 WC 2022 final vs Pakistan as the leg-spinner registered figures of 2/22, which also included the wicket of Babar Azam.
Rashid started his third over, the 12th of the innings, with the big wicket of Babar Azam, who mistimed his slice to a googly and ended up giving a catch back to the bowler.
Rashid was all over new batsman Iftikhar Ahmed after that, mixing up his pace and variations smartly as Iftikhar had little idea of how to tackle Rashid and ended up playing 5 consecutive dots to give Rashid his maiden over of the final.
