Most Runs Conceded by Bowlers in T20Is Without a Wicket

Twenty 20 international (T20I) cricket is the shortest format of cricket at the international level where a team is allowed to bowl a maximum of 20 overs. Each bowler is allowed to bowl a maximum of 4 overs in a complete game.

This format is often considered as the one which favors the batters and this has been proved in most of the occasions unless the pitch condition is extremely bowler friendly. Here in this article, we are looking at the five worst bowling performances in T20I cricket without picking up even a single wicket.

5. Mashrafe Mortaza (Ban) vs Pakistan : 4-0-63-0

Mashrafe Mortaza leaked too many runs in the pressure game against Pakistan at the World T20 in 2014, played in Bangladesh. These are also the most runs conceded by a Bangladeshi bowler in T20Is.

Conceding 63 runs in 4 overs by a bowler can be considered massive if he leaked just 5 runs in his first over! In his remaining 3 overs he went for 18, 16 and 24 runs respectively. The then captain Bangladesh, Mushfiqur Rahim also quoted at the post match presentation that “When you are giving 20-odd runs in one over it’s very difficult to come back.”

Bangladesh lost this match to Pakistan by a margin of 50 runs. This is the same game in which Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad scored his only century in T20Is. Bangladesh lost all the 4 matches played at the group stage in this tournament and did not make it to the next round.

4. Yuzvendra Chahal (Ind) vs South Africa : 4-0-64-0

India’s wrist spinner who had tasted too much of success lately in the shorter format conceded 64 runs in the second T20I against South Africa. This is the most conceded by an Indian bowler in this format of the game!

Chahal conceded SEVEN sixes in his four overs which is also the joint most for any bowler in a single T20I game. The other bowlers to concede as many sixes in a T20I game are Stuart Broad (Eng), Xavier Doherty (Aus), Barry McCarthy (Ire) and Andrew Tye (Aus).

South African wicket keeper Heinrich Klassen scored 41 runs off just 12 balls against Chahal which includes five sixes and a four. This is the most a batsman has scored against a single bowler in a T20I game. South Africa beat India comfortably by 6 wickets with 8 balls to spare to level the 3 match T20I series 1-1.

3. Ben Wheeler (NZ) vs Australia : 3.1-0-64-0

Wonder how many more runs would Wheeler have conceded if he had bowled those remaining five deliveries! Without any hesitation, one can expect Wheeler to have topped this list!

64 is also the most runs conceded by a New Zealand bowler in this format going past the Southee’s 53 against Pakistan in 2010. This is the same match in which one got to witness the highest successful chase in the T20I history. New Zealand have scored 243/6 in their 20 overs which was chased down comfortably by Australia (245/5 in 18.5 overs) with 7 balls remaining.

Ashton Agar of Australia, having conceded 24 runs in his 3 overs, is the bowler with the least economy rate in this high scoring game. Andrew Tye of Australia too conceded 64 runs in his 4 overs in the same match. However, he doesn’t feature in this list as he picked up 2 wickets.

2. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) vs Pakistan : 4-0-64-0

This is probably the worst bowling performance by Sanath Jayasuriya which came in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in South Africa. He not only went for too many runs but also ended up not picking up a single wicket. 64 runs are also the most conceded by a Sri Lankan bower in a single T20I. Not only Sanath failed with the ball but also failed with the bat having scored just 5 runs facing 5 deliveries.

Pakistan eventually won the match by 33 runs. The highlight of this match is the Test match specialist Younis Khan smashing Jayasuriya for 16 runs in 3 deliveries.

1. Barry McCarthy (Ire) vs Afghanistan : 4-0-69-0

Ireland having won the toss, elected to bowl first against Afghanistan played in Greater Noida in 2017. However, the decision proved wrong with their lead bowler McCarthy conceding 69 runs in his 4 Overs, the most conceded by a bowler in a single T20I with or without picking up a wicket!

Afghanistan went on to post 233/8 in their 20 overs. Ireland (205 in 19.2 overs) in reply managed to get past 200 mark but eventually fell short of the target by 28 runs.