The most difficult of tasks in cricket is perhaps bowling in T20 cricket, where the batter is more often than not looking to go after the bowling attack to score quick runs. In that case, a bowler who bowls tightly and keeps the batter in check is an asset in the shortest format even if they are not a wicket-taker.
India have had some of the best bowlers in the world when it comes to containing runs, either in the powerplay or in the death overs.
Today, in this article, we look at the 5 most economical spells by Indian bowlers in T20Is (minimum 2 overs):
Ravichandran Ashwin 4-1-8-4 vs Sri Lanka, 2016
In the Visakhapatnam T20I in 2016 vs Sri Lanka, skipper MS Dhoni tossed the ball to his ace off-spinner, R Ashwin, in order to get the better of left-handed opener Niroshan Dickwella. Not only Ashwin dismissed Dickwella, but he proceeded to have three more wickets to his name to finish with 4/8 with a maiden in his 4 overs.
On the third ball of the first over, Ashwin flighted the ball and lured Dickwella into a drive which he missed and Dhoni was quick to whip the bails off. Two balls later, the other SL opener, T Dilshan, was sent back lbw being beaten on the inside edge with the turn.
Ashwin continued and got rid of SL skipper Dinesh Chandimal on the first ball of his second over, mistiming his big shot after the spinner dragged back his length. Dhoni persisted with Ashwin and the latter delivered another wicket – Gunaratne, caught at leg-slip. A wicket maiden. He returned for his last over in the 14th and conceded only 3 runs.
Harshal Patel 2-0-3-1 vs South Africa, 2022
Harshal Patel had made his name as a death-overs specialist in the IPL and got in the Indian team. In the 2022 series in June vs SA, Patel bowled brilliantly. In the Rajkot T20I, the RCB seamer knocked over the dangerous David Miller in the 11th over of South Africa’s chase of 170.
It was a length delivery that went across Miller who played across the line and missed the ball which hit the off-stump. Harshal bowled just 2 overs in the game and conceded only 3 runs.
Deepak Chahar 3-1-4-3 vs West Indies, 2019
Making early and big strides in international cricket at the time, Deepak Chahar delivered three back-to-back blows to the West Indies team in a 2019 T20I in Guyana, toppling over their top three inside the powerplay to give India an upper hand.
While Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled the first over, it was Chahar who, from the other end, made early inroads. He first had Sunil Narine, mishitting his slog toward mid-on; in his second over, the 4th of the innings, Chahar struck twice – Evin Lewis and Hetmyer both trapped lbw after the ball seamed in. It was a double wicket maiden to Chahar’s name. He bowled a third in a row and gave away only a single in that finishing with 3-1-4-3.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-1-4-5 vs Afghanistan, 2022
While most bowlers have struggled in the second innings in games in Dubai, Bhuvneshwar provided a surreal exhibition of swing and seam bowling as he rattled Afghanistan in the Asia Cup 2022 game. On the pitch where India posted 212 – with the help of Kohli’s century – Bhuvneshwar returned with a five-wicket haul!
In the first over, he struck twice – Zazai lbw and Gurbaz bowled through the gate; in the second over, he had two more – Janat outside edging to first slip and Zadran lbw with a sharp inswinger.
He could have had his fifth wicket in this third over, but the umpire’s call saved Nabi. However, the fifth wasn’t to be denied for long as, bowling a fourth over on a trot, Bhuvneshwar dismissed Azmatullah, chipping to cover, and finished with stunning figures of 4-1-4-5.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3-0-3-0 vs WI, 2014
It is almost expectedly that Bhuvneshwar makes this list twice and has the most economical figures by an Indian bowler in T20Is (min 2 overs). He made his India debut in 2012 and emerged as a new ball specialist, giving early breakthroughs, not allowing opposition batters to get off to a rapid start.
Against West Indies, at the 2014 T20 World Cup game in Mirpur, Bhuvneshwar was superb in tying down WI openers Gayle and Dwayne Smith- he gave just a single in the first to Smith; in the third over he bowled one wide while Smith played 6 dots; in the fifth over he just gave a single to Gayle. After 5 overs, WI were 18/0 and Bhuvneshwar had given only 3 runs in his 3 overs on a trot.
He wasn’t needed to bowl his fourth over after that as the Indian spinners made hay in spin-friendly conditions. His 3 runs are the least number of runs conceded by an Indian in a T20I having bowled at least 2 overs in the game.
