4 overs of glory: Top 5 T20Is spells of 2018

"It pumps me up - the whole idea of the bowler marking his run-up, popping at the crease, the crowd chanting, nerves building up. It's a very good feeling. Right from the first ball, I know I have to be at the top of my game" - Rohit Sharma

The above quote by India's premier batsman Rohit Sharma, reflects the very poetic nature of cricket, especially in the context of a T20 match. Ever since the 1st T20 match was played between English sides Durham and Nottinghamshire in 2003, its exponential rise has brought a new degree of freshness with itself.

The fast-paced nature succeeded in establishing an instant connection with the fans. However, as cricket experts have debated about the pros and cons of the format, one of the major aspects of T20 cricket is that since the advent of this format, many psychological barriers have been broken. Players, be it, batsmen or bowlers, both were exposed to a new set of challenges.

While it seems like a valid inference to make that the 20-overs format is more favourable towards the batsman, it would be wrong to completely accept it that way. Sure, the bowlers are not exactly favoured much, yet it led to some new innovations resulting in some of the finest creative strategies and magical variations to put the batsmen in hot waters.

There are numerous such instances when a bowler has single-handedly changed the course of a match with his/her performances in what is perceived as a "batsman's game".

In general, 2018 has been a good year for bowlers in the shorter format, be it international matches or T20 tournaments like the IPL. Young bowlers like Rashid Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Kuldeep Yadav have brought in clever strategies and innovative variations to bamboozle their oppositions.

In this piece, we'll take a look at the top 5 spells in T20I matches of 2018 so far:

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#5 Kuldeep Yadav (4-1-21-4 vs Ireland)

Yadav did a great job against the Irish batsmen

The 1st T20 encounter between India and Ireland earlier in the month of June saw India decimate the Irish by an impressive 76 runs. Batting first, the Indian team registered a huge score of 208 runs, courtesy of phenomenal knocks of 97 and 74 by the openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan respectively.

In reply, except for the talented opener James Shannon (who played a terrific knock of 60), no other batsman could read India's spinning duo of Kuldeep and Chahal. Kuldeep, in particular, proved to be extremely effective on the flat wicket at Dublin.

The left-armer constantly utilized good-length leg breaks and wrong'uns to keep the Irish batting line-up at bay. He ended up picking 4 wickets including the prized ones of James Shannon and Simi Singh.

#4 Rashid Khan (4-0-12-4 vs Bangladesh)

Rashid Khan has been absolutely lethal in the shortest format

The number one bowler in the latest ICC T20 bowlers ranking made a name for himself with Sunrises Hyderabad in the IPL. The leg-spinner from Afghanistan finished as the second highest wicket-taker with 21 wickets in the 2018 edition of the IPL.

The unique combination of precise wrist spin combined with accurate line and length has catapulted the 19-year old youngster to becoming one of the most feared spinners today.

In the 2nd T20 match between Afghanistan and Bangladesh that was played in front of a packed crowd in Dehradun, India (that's the beauty of cricket, isn't it?), Rashid khan's magnificent spell of 4-0-12-4 helped his nation to restrict the Bangladeshis to a mere 134 runs, which the batsmen comfortably chased down.

Rashid maintained a disciplined length and utilized the crease to a great effect. He bowled some pitch-perfect googlies and never allowed the opposition batsmen any room to strike the ball. Crucial players like Tamim Iqbal and Shakib Al Hassan fell prey to Rashid's intelligent bowling.

#3 Billy Stanlake (4-0-8-4 vs Pakistan)

When Stanlake wreaked havoc

On July 2nd, cricket fans in Harare witnessed a wonderful spell of fast bowling, spearheaded by a 23-year-old Australian Billy Stanlake who ripped through Pakistani top order with some of the most aggressive display of disciplined pace bowling in recent memory.

The top 4 batsmen in Pakistan's batting line-up have proven their talents on numerous occasions but this time, failed to understand the swing and variations in Stanlake's deliveries.

The Australian youngster had clearly analyzed the opposition and bowled accordingly. Not only did he provide wickets in quick successions but also was extremely economical as reflected by his exceptional bowling figures of 4-0-8-4. His efforts restricted Pakistan to 116 which Australia chased down comfortably.

#2 Kuldeep Yadav (4-0-24-5 vs England)

Kuldeep celebrating after taking a wicket

Kuldeep Yadav continued his successful outings with the ball on British shores, this time against England. His unorthodox wrist spin bowling combined with the exceptional abilities to turn the ball, both towards and away from batsmen, helped India gain a massive chance to restrict English batsmen.

Batting first, the English openers Jason Roy and Jos Buttler had given the Englishmen a quick start. The Indian seamers were struggling. In came Kuldeep, who immediately weaved his magic as he trapped Alex Hales with the scoreboard reading 95/2 in 11.3 overs.

Then the leg spinner's real magic started. Soon Kuldeep sent Eoin Morgan packing, followed by trapping Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root in consecutive deliveries to leave the English reeling at 107/5.

The English batsmen had spectacularly failed to read Kuldeep's wrist position at the time of release. In the 18th over, he claimed his maiden 5-wicket haul by dismissing the dangerous Jos Buttler, turning the tide in India's favour. His excellent figures of 4-0-24-5 built the foundations on which India banked on and eventually won the game by successfully chasing down 159 runs.

#1 Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (4-0-24-5 vs South Africa)

When Bhuvi swung the opposition away

Another making the list, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar's abilities as a frontline pacer who can swing the ball both ways are widely appreciated in the cricketing fraternity.

In the 1st T20 match against South Africa in Johannesburg earlier in February, Bhuvi proved to the world why he's such a special talent with the ball as he single-handedly anchored India to a 28-run victory.

Chasing a massive target of 204, South African openers started off aggressively but Bhuvi had other plans as he first, got the better of JJ Smuts and soon JP Duminy followed.

The Sunrisers Hyderabad man used a number of variations like the knuckleballs and slower deliveries to decimate the opposition. In the 18th over, he dismissed set batsman Reeza Hendricks who was batting on 70.

Known as one of the best death bowlers, the man from Meerut quickly cleaned up the tail with the wickets of Klaasen and Chris Morris to seal an impressive Indian victory.