T20 World Cup: T20 is a batsman’s game, and for the bowlers, the margin of error is very small. Bowling a four-over spell changes the complexion of the whole match. And there are many instances when a bowler gives plenty of runs and his team loses because of that. That is totally a crime in this cruel game.
And if it is a World Cup match, then the pressure on the bowlers is enormous because one poor performance can put their team out of contention. And on a bad day, it can even get worse. In some matches, bowlers even conceded runs at an economy of more than 15. So, in this article we will check the most expensive spells ever bowled in the history of the T20 World Cup.
3. Lemeck Onyango (61 runs) against Sri Lanka in the 2007 ICC Event
This was one of the most historic matches ever played in the T20 World Cup. It registered one of the highest team scores ever in the first innings. This was the 8th match of the 2007 World Cup between Sri Lanka and Kenya. After winning the toss, Kenya chose to bat first, but it was the complete opposite of what they would have liked. The Sri Lankan batters came hard on their bowlers. In particular, Sanath Jayasuriya played a blinder of an innings of 88 runs off 44 balls.
Skipper Jayawardene also scored 65 off 27, and a late cameo of 46 off 13 balls by Jehan Mubarak helped Sri Lanka post a massive score of 260/6. Every bowler from Kenya had a nightmare of a day on the field that day. That match registered the third worst bowling figure of 61 runs in four overs by Lemeck Onyango without taking any wickets. Chasing this mammoth target, Kenya fell like the cards and got all out for 88 runs. Sri Lanka registered the biggest victory in terms of runs in that match as they won by 172 runs.
2. Mashrafe Mortaza (63 runs) against Pakistan in 2014 ICC Event
This was the second instance in the list and it was Pakistani batters once again who attacked the bowler. This was the 27th match of the 2014 event between Bangladesh and Pakistan. Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Ahmed Shehzad carried his bat through and scored a fantastic unbeaten century. He scored 111* off 62 balls and helped his team score a total of 190/5.
Apart from one or two, Pakistan smashed every Bangladeshi bowler. They smashed their top pacer, Mashrafe Mortaza, to all parts of the ground in particular. As a result, he registered the second most expensive spell in T20 world cup history. He gave away 63 runs in his four overs without taking any wickets. Chasing the target, Bangladesh could only manage 140/7 and lost the match by 50 runs.
1. Sanath Jayasuriya (64 runs) against Pakistan in the 2007 World Cup
Sanath Jayasuriya, who was known for his explosive batting and hitting the ball very hard, has this unwanted record. This was the 16th match of the inaugural edition in 2007 between Sri Lanka and Pakistan. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka chose to bowl first. Pakistan lost their first three wickets early for just 33 runs. But then two experienced pros, Shoaib Malik and Younis Khan, added 101 runs for the fourth wicket and reached their respective half-centuries.
Malik scored 57 off 31 and Younis scored 52 off 35 and smashed the bowlers to all parts of the ground. In particular, Jayasuriya, who is more than a handy bowler, had a bad day in that match. He gave away 64 runs in his four overs without taking any wickets. Pakistan scored 189 runs. Chasing the target, Sri Lanka could only manage 156/9 and lost the match by 33 runs. And with this, Jayasuriya became registered this record of giving the most runs in an innings.
Top ten Worst bowling figures in T20 World Cup
| Bowler | Runs | Overs | Econ | Against | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) | 64 | 4 | 16 | Pakistan | 2007 |
| Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh) | 63 | 4 | 15.75 | Pakistan | 2014 |
| Lemeck Onyango (Kenya) | 61 | 4 | 15.25 | Sri Lanka | 2007 |
| Stuart Broad (England) | 60 | 4 | 15 | India | 2007 |
| Mitchell Starc (Australia) | 60 | 4 | 15 | New Zealand | 2021 |
| Naveen-ul-haq (Afghanistan) | 59 | 4 | 14.75 | India | 2021 |
| NN Odhiambo (Kenya) | 57 | 4 | 14.25 | Sri Lanka | 2007 |
| Joginder Sharma (India) | 57 | 4 | 14.25 | England | 2007 |
| Brett Lee (Australia) | 56 | 4 | 14 | West Indies | 2009 |
| Izatullah Dawlatzai (Afghanistan) | 56 | 4 | 18.66 | England | 2013 |