Lungi Ngidi, Shardul Thakur & Others with Most Wickets in T20Is in 2020

2020 has been a strange year thanks in no small part to the coronavirus pandemic. The virus has entirely disrupted normal life and as such, the term "new normal" has become synonymous with this year. Sport in general has not been exempt from that; playing matches behind closed doors while also having to live in bio-secure bubbles to ensure there is no additional Covid-19 cases has been the new normal for cricketers whenever they have had to play matches, whether internationally or in domestic leagues. As such, the fact that any matches could be played at all is in itself an understatement.

Here we look at the top 10 wicket takers in T20I cricket for the year 2020:

Lungi Ngidi (Matches - 9, Wickets - 17)

The young South African pacer had an impressive 2020, taking 17 wickets at an average of 20.52. He did go for runs on occasion, as is evident by his economy rate of 10.47 in T20Is over this year. However, his ability to regularly be among the wickets makes him an asset for the side and so it proved.

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Aftab Hussain (Matches - 9, Wickets 15)

The Malaysian left-arm orthodox bowler only began his international career earlier this year but ended the year as the second highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket. It's worth noting that the opposition he has come up against so far in his career include no major Test sides but the fact that he can consistently take wickets earned him a place on this list.

Shardul Thakur (Matches - 10, Wickets 15)

The Indian seamer has a reputation of being a canny operator in the shortest format of the game. Mixing consistent lines and lengths with a few slower balls, he is hard to get away and gets more than a fair share of wickets. He was in fine form during the T20I series in Australia, which India won 2-1.

Syazrul Idrus (Matches - 8, Wickets 14)

The Malaysian medium pacer is another one who only started his career recently - he played his first T20I towards the end of 2019. However, his excellent form in matches towards the early parts of 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hadn't yet disrupted sport sees him remain in the top 5.

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Haris Rauf (Matches - 10, Wickets 14)

The Pakistan speedster has long been seen as a decent pace bowling prospect in his home country but has so far not become a mainstay in the ODI or Test side. His T20I record, though, makes for some reading - having debuted this year, he has already taken 14 wickets - including an excellent 3-29 against New Zealand in Auckland.

Ashton Agar (Matches - 6, Wickets 13)

Another player who's found most success in the shortest format of the game, Australian left-arm orthodox bowler Agar is a clever operator who can regularly break partnerships. What's more impressive is the fact that he only played 6 T20Is this year and is still on this list.

Khizar Hyat (Matches - 9, Wickets 13)

The 31-year old off-spinner was another bowler in the Malaysian cricket team who was a consistent threat with the ball. His economy of 7.39 in T20Is is good by any standards and he is consistently getting wickets against opposition similar in quality. The fact that he can bat a bit makes him a useful player for his national side.

Mohammed Aslam (Matches - 5, Wickets 12)

Aslam is a veteran of the sport, having made his List A and First Class debut in Sri Lanka in the year 2011. The slow left arm bowler has been one of Kuwait's better performers in recent times and as such it is no surprise to see him land a spot in the top 10. His figures make for mixed reading at times but his effectiveness means he is always a threat to batsmen.

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Awais Malik (Matches - 7, Wickets 12)

The veteran Qatar medium pacer only started playing internationally in 2019 but has become a one of the team's key players. Over the current calendar year, he has an economy rate of 7.82 and his tally of 12 wickets is decent given his side only played 7 matches during the year.

Iqbal Hussain (Matches - 7, Wickets 12)

Another bowler from Qatar who also managed to get 12 wickets this year, the medium pacer's numbers read similar to that of his teammate Malik. His economy rate over the course of his career is slightly better at 7.64 and the last T20I he played in the year saw him snare a four-wicket haul against UAE.

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