Top 5 list of oldest bowlers to claim a five-wicket haul in T20s ft. Imran Tahir

Veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir starred with excellent figures of 5-21 as Guyana Amazon Warriors thumped Antigua and Barbuda Falcons by 83 runs in match number nine of CPL 2025 at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound in Antigua. With two wins in two matches, Guyana Amazon Warriors are second in the CPL 2025 points table.

Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss and decided to bat first in the match against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons. The Warriors came up with an impressive batting effort to post 211-3 in their 20 overs. Shai Hope hammered 82 in 54 balls, while Shimron Hetmyer was unbeaten on 65 off 26 deliveries. Romario Shepherd also played a blazing cameo, scoring 25* off eight balls.

Set to chase a target of 212, Antigua and Barbuda Falcons were bundled out for 128 in 15.2 overs, with Tahir picking up five wickets in his four overs, which included a maiden. The South African spinner was named Player of the Match as Guyana Amazon Warriors registered a comprehensive win.

Following his stellar performance with the ball, Tahir became the second-oldest player to claim a five-wicket haul in all recorded T20 cricket. On that note, let's look at the top five list of oldest bowlers to claim a five-wicket haul in T20s.

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#5 Imran Tahir (42 years, 135 days)

Tahir features more than once on the list, a tribute to his fitness and longevity. The leg-spinner was 42 years and 135 days old when he claimed 5-25 in 19 balls, while representing Birmingham Phoenix against Welsh Fire in The Hundred in a match played in Birmingham in 2021.

Batting first, Birmingham Phoenix scored 184-5 in 100 balls. In the chase, Welsh Fire were knocked over for 91 in 74 balls. Tahir claimed the wickets of Glenn Phillips (8) and Leus du Plooy (1). He then completed a hat-trick by dismissing Qais Ahmad (1), Matt Milnes (0), and David Payne (0).

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#4 Prakash Mishra (44 years and 165 days)

Bulgaria right-arm pacer Prakash Mishra was 44 years and 165 days old when he claimed 5-16 in 3.4 overs against Croatia in the National Sports Academy in Sofia. Mishra achieved the feat in the second match of the Quadrangular Twenty20 Series in June 2023.

After Bulgaria elected to field first, Mishra ran though Croatia's batting line-up in a sensational spell of bowling. His victims were Wasal Bitis (27), Akshay Daxini (5), Vedran Zanko (0), Sohail Ahmad (16) and Dominik Faletar (0). Chasing a target of 76, Bulgaria romped home by nine wickets in 6.3 overs.

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#3 Imran Tahir (44 years and 323 days)

Tahir occupies the No. 3 spot as well on the list of oldest bowlers to claim a five-wicket haul in T20 cricket. The veteran Proteas star was 44 years and 323 days old when he claimed a five-fer while representing Rangpur Riders and Khulna Tigers in Chattogram in the 2023-2024 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).

Rangpur Riders batted first in match number 30 and put up 219-5 in 20 overs. In the chase, Khulna Tigers were knocked over for 141 in 18.2 overs as Tahir starred with 5-26 from his four overs. The seasoned T20 star dismissed Anamul Haque for five and added the scalps of Afif Hossain (11), Alex Hales (60), Akbar Ali (0) and Habibur Rahman Sohan (13).

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#2 Imran Tahir (46 years and 148 days)

With his latest T20 five-fer, Tahir has claimed the No. 2 position on the list. He was 46 years and 148 days old when he picked up 5-21 for Guyana Amazon Warriors against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons in CPL 2025 on Friday, August 22.

Bowler	Age	Match Figures	Team	Opposition	Venue	Year
Tomakanute Ritawa	46y 299d	5-19	Cook Islands	Fiji	Port Vila	2022
Imran Tahir	46y 148d	5-21	Guyana Amazon Warriors	Antigua and Barbuda Falcons	Antigua	2025
Imran Tahir	44y 323d	5-26	Rangpur Riders	Khulna Tigers	Chattogram	2024
Prakash Mishra	44y 165d	5-16	Bulgaria	Croatia	Sofia	2023
Imran Tahir	42y 135d	5-25	Birmingham Phoenix	Welsh Fire	Birmingham	2021

(Top 5 list of oldest bowlers with five-wicket haul in T20s)

Defending a total of 211, the Warriors bowled out the Falcons for 128 as Tahir ran through the batting line-up. The 46-year-old had Shakib Al Hasan stumped for eight. He also got the scalps of Imad Wasim (0), Shamar Springer (3), Usama Mir (1) and Obed McCoy (0) to engineer a batting collapse.

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#1 Tomakanute Ritawa (46 years and 299 days)

Cook Islands off-spinner Tomakanute Ritawa holds the record of being the oldest bowler to claim a five-fer in T20 cricket. He was 46 years and 299 days old when he registered figures of 5-19 against Fiji in Port Vila in match number 10 of ICC Men's T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier A in September 2022.

Cook Islands fielded first in the contest and Ritawa's 5-19 from four overs held Fiji to 147. The offie claimed the scalps of Seru Tupou (10), Delaimatuku Maraiwai (23), Metuisela Beitaki (18), Tevita Waqavakatoga (0) and Jone Wesele (1). Chasing 148, Cook Islands got home in 18.3 overs, with eight wickets in hand.