Tim Southee breaks Lasith Malinga's record: Decoding his T20I stats
In the first T20I between India and New Zealand, veteran pacer Tim Southee went on to surpass Lasith Malinga's wickets tally. Southee has been bowling well of late and had a good performance in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. Meanwhile, India beat New Zealand by five wickets in Jaipur, taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. We decode Southee's T20I stats.
Why does this story matter?
Southee has been in the circuit for a long time and he is one of the leading performers across formats. However, his contribution in T20Is speaks volumes. Breaking a long-lasting record of Malinga is no mean feat. Southee played a prolific role for NZ in the recently concluded ICC T20 World Cup 2021. He also enjoys a sound partnership alongside Trent Boult.
A look at Southee's T20I career
Having played 91 matches, Southee has claimed 108 T20I scalps at an average of 25.12. He has claimed one five wicket-haul, besides one four-wicket effort. His best bowling performance is 5/18. However, Southee has been on the costliest side with an economy rate of 8.25. In 16 T20I matches in 2021, Southee has racked up 21 scalps at 21.66 (third-highest for NZ).
One of the four bowlers with 100-plus T20I wickets
Southee is now the second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is. He steered clear of Malinga in the first T20I against Team India. Malinga finished his career with 107 T20I scalps and saw both Shakib Al Hasan and Southee overtake him in 2021. Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib is the leading wicket-taker in T20Is (117). Meanwhile, Afghanistan's Rashid Khan is the fourth bowler with 100-plus scalps (103).
How did Southee perform in T20 WC 2021?
In seven matches in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021, Southee claimed eight scalps at 22.62. He had an economy rate of 6.50. Southee's performance in the event read as 1/25 versus Pakistan, 1/26 versus India, 1/24 versus Scotland, 2/15 versus Namibia, 2/24 versus Afghanistan, 1/24 versus England, and 0/43 versus Australia.
Second-highest wicket-taker for NZ in T20 World Cup history
Southee is the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in ICC T20 World Cup history. He has claimed 22 scalps at 22.50 and is only behind Nathan McCullum (23). He is one of the three NZ bowlers with 20-plus T20I wickets.
Southee's performance versus India
In 14 T20Is against India, Southee has grabbed 12 scalps so far. He has an astronomical average of 40.50 and a poor economy rate of 9.08. In the first T20I on Wednesday, Southee ended with figures worth 1/40.
