Arshdeep Singh Creates History, Becomes First Player From Test-Playing Nation To...

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Arshdeep Singh Creates History, Becomes First Player From Test-Playing Nation To...

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Last Updated: October 30, 2026, 17:22 IST

In 2022, Ireland pacer Josh Little dismissed 39 batters, while Arshdeep now has 40 wickets to his name in 2026.

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Arshdeep Singh breaks record for most T20I wickets in a calendar year by player from Test playing nation. (Picture Credit: AP)

Arshdeep Singh bowled four overs for India in the fourth T20I against New Zealand on Friday and picked up one wicket for 38 runs. He dismissed New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner off the last ball of his spell. The wicket of Santner helped Arshdeep break the record for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year by a player from a Test-playing nation.

The previous record for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year by a player from a Full Member team was held by Ireland pacer Josh Little. Little had dismissed 39 batters in 26 matches for Ireland in 2022, while Arshdeep now has 40 wickets to his name in 31 T20Is for India in the ongoing calendar year 2026.

He is the first player from a Test-playing nation to dismiss 40 batters in T20Is in a calendar year.

In the list of bowlers from Full Member teams with the most T20I wickets in a calendar year, Arshdeep and Little are followed by Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga. Hasaranga dismissed 38 opposition batters for Sri Lanka in 2024.

Most wickets in a calendar year in T20Is (full-member teams)

PLAYER COUNTRY MATCHES WICKETS BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) 5W YEAR Arshdeep Singh India 31 40 5/51 1 2026 Josh Little Ireland 26 39 4/35 0 2022 Wanindu Hasaranga Sri Lanka 20 38 4/15 0 2024 Bhuvneshwar Kumar India 32 37 5/4 1 2022 Wanindu Hasaranga Sri Lanka 20 36 4/9 0 2021 Tabraiz Shamsi South Africa 22 36 4/25 0 2021 Arshdeep Singh India 18 36 4/9 0 2024 Shaheen Shah Afridi Pakistan 23 36 4/30 0 2024 Mohammad Nawaz Pakistan 26 36 5/19 1 2025 Varun Chakaravarthy India 20 36 5/24 1 2025

The overall record for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year is held by Bahrain’s Ali Dawood. He played 37 matches in 2026 and picked up 63 wickets. He is followed by Uganda’s Alpesh Ramjani, who accounted for the dismissal of 55 batters in 2023.

Most wickets in a calendar year in T20Is

PLAYER COUNTRY MATCHES WICKETS BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) 5W YEAR Ali Dawood Bahrain 37 63 7/19 1 2025 Alpesh Ramjani Uganda 30 55 4/9 0 2023 Rizwan Butt Bahrain 34 55 6/9 1 2025 Henry Ssenyondo Uganda 30 49 4/4 0 2023 Umair Tariq Austria 30 48 5/32 1 2025 Ehsan Khan Hong Kong 27 46 4/5 0 2024 Yalinde Nkanya Tanzania 28 45 5/2 1 2022 Aqib Iqbal Austria 36 43 3/28 0 2025 Martin Akayezu Rwanda 38 42 4/17 0 2023 Junaid Siddique UAE 25 40 4/14 0 2024 Arshdeep Singh India 31 40 5/51 1 2026 Josh Little Ireland 26 39 4/35 0 2022

In the ongoing calendar year 2026, Arshdeep has picked up 13 wickets in nine matches against New Zealand and dismissed five batters each from Afghanistan, the West Indies and England.

Arshdeep Singh in T20Is in 2026

AGAINST MATCHES WICKETS BEST FIGURES (INNINGS) ECONOMY 5W Afghanistan 2 5 3/19 6.75 0 England 6 5 3/40 10.13 0 Ireland 2 4 2/28 7.87 0 Japan 1 – – – – Namibia 1 1 1/36 12 0 Netherlands 1 0 – 7.33 0 New Zealand 9 13 5/51 9.69 1 South Africa 1 2 2/28 7 0 USA 1 2 2/18 4.5 0 West Indies 6 5 3/44 10.9 0 Zimbabwe 1 3 3/24 6 0

The wicket of Santner, who scored five runs off six balls, also helped Arshdeep become the first Indian to take 150 wickets in T20Is.

In the list of players with the most T20I wickets for India, Arshdeep is followed by Jasprit Bumrah, while Axar Patel occupies the third position.

Later in the second half of the India-New Zealand T20I, Santner also joined the 150-wicket club in T20Is. He became the third Kiwi and the 10th bowler overall in the world to dismiss 150 or more batters in the format.

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Quick Answers Powered by Ask News18 What record did Arshdeep Singh break during the T20I series against New Zealand in 2026? Arshdeep Singh broke the record for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year by a player from a Test-playing nation, taking his tally to 40 wickets in 31 T20Is in 2026 by dismissing New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner. Who previously held the record for most T20I wickets in a calendar year from a Full Member team? The previous record was held by Ireland pacer Josh Little, who dismissed 39 batters in 26 matches during the 2022 calendar year. Which milestone did Arshdeep Singh and Mitchell Santner reach regarding T20I career wickets? During the same match, Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian bowler to take 150 wickets in T20Is, while Mitchell Santner also joined the 150-wicket club as the third Kiwi and 10th bowler overall in the world. Powered by Ask News18

About the Author Harshit Bisht Senior Sub-editor Harshit Bisht is a sports journalist at CNN-News18, where he has been covering cricket, football, and major sporting events from around the world since July 1, 2024. Driven by a passion for storytelli... Read More

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First Published: October 30, 2026, 14:25 IST

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