T20I Cricket: T20 is a cruel game for the bowlers because one small error can change the complexity of the game. Batsmen are free to play their shots from the go and score freely. It is the bowler that needs to restrict them from scoring runs. That is why the role of a bowler becomes more vital, because they need to take wickets and restrict the batters as well.
But on a bad day, they can just go for plenty. With short boundaries and field restrictions, it is very hard for the bowlers to stop the run flow. And we have seen many times that a bowler gave away more than 15-16 runs per over. In this article, we will cover the list of the most expensive spells ever bowled in T20I cricket for test-playing nations.
3. Kyle Abbott (1/66) against West Indies at Johannesburg
The third bowler on the list is from South Africa, who bowled the most expansive spell for his country. It was the 2nd T20I of the three-match series at Johannesburg. West Indies won the toss and bowled first, and this game was a run feast. South Africa made a massive total of 231/7 in their 20 overs. Skipper Faf du Plessis made an excellent century, 119 off 56 balls, with 11 fours and five maximums.
It looked like a difficult task to chase, but West Indies came in a different mood. With a 152-run partnership between Chris Gayle and Marlon Sameuls, West Indies chased down the target in the very last over. They made 236/6 in 19.2 overs. Gayle made 90 off 41 balls with 9 fours and 7 sixes, and Sameuls scored 60 off 39 balls with 7 fours and two sixes. All the bowlers from both teams had a horrible day, but Kyle Abbott had the worst. He gave away 68 runs in four overs at 17, with only one wicket.
2. Chris Sole (1/72) against New Zealand at Edinburgh
The second most expensive spell came from Chris Sole against New Zealand in Edinburgh. It was the first match between Scotland and New Zealand in the two-match series. Scotland won the toss and chose to bowl first. New Zealand had a great start and had two good partnerships. Finn Allen made a century and scored 101 runs. As a result, New Zealand scored 225/5 in their 20 overs. They just took apart every Scottish bowler to cleaners.
Every bowler conceded runs at a high economy. But Chris Sole registered this unwanted record to bowl the second most expensive spell in T20I matches. He gave away 72 runs in four overs and took only one wicket. In reply, Scotland scored 157/8 in their 20 overs and lost the match by 68 runs.
1. Kasun Rajitha (0/75) against Australia (Most expensive spell in T20I)
Kasun Rajitha is at the top of his unwanted list of bowlers. It was the first match of the three-match T20I at Adelaide. Sri Lanka won the toss and asked Australia to bat first. Australia started brilliantly and had two 100-run partnerships for the first and second wicket. Skipper Aaron Finch made 64 runs off 36 balls with eight fours and three sixes. Glenn Maxwell was unbeaten on 62 off 28, with seven boundaries and three sixes.
David Warner scored an unbeaten century and made 100* off 56 balls, including 10 fours and four sixes. Australia made 233/2 and all the Sri Lankan bowlers bowled very poorly. But the most expensive was Kasun Rajitha. He gave away 75 runs in his four overs at an economy of 18.75 without taking any wickets. In response, Sri Lanka only managed 99/9 in their 20 overs and Australia registered a big win of 134 runs.
List of Most Runs conceded in an Innings at T20I
| Player | Overs | Runs | Wkt | Econ | Team | Against | Ground | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kasun Rajitha | 4 | 75 | 0 | 18.75 | Sri Lanka | Australia | Adelaide | 27 Oct 2019 |
| Chris Sole | 4 | 72 | 1 | 18.00 | Scotland | New Zealand | Edinburgh | 27 Jul 2022 |
| Kyle Abbott | 4 | 68 | 1 | 17.00 | South Africa | West Indies | Johannesburg | 11 Jan 2015 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 4 | 68 | 2 | 17 | India | AUS | Guwahati | 28 Nov 2023 |
| Obed McCoy | 4 | 66 | 2 | 16.50 | West Indies | India | Lauderhill | 6 Aug 2022 |
| James Anderson | 4 | 64 | 1 | 16.00 | England | Australia | Sydney | 9 Jan 2007 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 4 | 64 | 0 | 16.00 | Sri Lanka | Pakistan | Johannesburg | 17 Sep 2007 |
| Andrew Tye | 4 | 64 | 2 | 16.00 | Australia | New Zealand | Auckland | 16 Feb 2018 |
| Ben Wheeler | 3.1 | 64 | 0 | 20.21 | New Zealand | Australia | Auckland | 16 Feb 2018 |
| Yuzi Chahal | 4 | 64 | 0 | 16.00 | India | South Africa | Centurion | 21 Feb 2018 |
| Kemo Paul | 4 | 64 | 0 | 16.00 | West Indies | New Zealand | Mount Maunganui | 29 Nov 2020 |
| Aaron Hardie | 4 | 64 | 1 | 16 | Australia | IND | Guwahati | 28 Nov 2023 |