Most Economical Five-Wicket Hauls in T20Is

A bowler picking up five wickets in a T20I cricket match is considered to be a memorable achievement. However, if a bowler picks up a five-wicket haul and concedes very few runs, the feat is nothing but extraordinary.

It might be the batsmen who score runs and set up big totals, but it is the bowlers who have to pick up wickets and ensure that their sides emerge victoriously. Since the start of limited-overs cricket, the rules have favored the batting side which made it increasingly difficult for bowlers to pick wickets.

The bowlers who feature in this list have managed to pick up wickets while being able to curtail the run flow which made it doubly difficult for the opposition batsmen.

Let us have a look at the bowlers who have achieved this feat in the decreasing order of their economy rates.

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#4 Umar Gul (twice) at 2.57 and 2 runs per over

Umar Gul was one of the chief contributors for Pakistan's dominance in T20 cricket between 2007 and 2009. His best bowling figures came during this period, when he picked up 5 wickets for 6 runs off his 3 overs in a World Cup game against New Zealand at The Oval in 2009.

Not only did he repeat this feat, he also became the second bowler to pick up two five-wicket hauls in T20Is when he finished with figures of 5-6 off his 2.2 overs against SA at Centurion in 2013.

With several young fast bowlers coming through the ranks, Gul has found it difficult to establish his place in recent times.

#3 Ajantha Mendis - 4-2-8-6 at 2 runs per over

Ajantha Mendis burst into the international arena as a bowler who had a variety of tricks up his sleeve. He was not a very big turner of the ball but his deceptive variations enabled him to emerge as a successful bowler in the shortest version of the game.

Mendis is also the only bowler to pick up two six-wicket hauls in T20Is. His best bowling figures of 6/8 helped Sri Lanka thrash Zimbabwe in the opening game of the T20 World Cup at Hambantota in 2012.

Of late, Mendis has not been able to replicate his performances with the ball and has struggled to retain a place in the Sri Lankan squad.

#2 Rashid Khan- 2-1-3-5 at 1.5 runs per over

One of the best young talents going around in world cricket at the moment, the leg-spinner from Afghanistan has bagged lucrative contracts in various T20 leagues across the globe.

In his short career, he has had the better of several top batsmen across the world. His best bowling figures in the shortest format of the game came against Zimbabwe when he finished with exceptional figures of 5/3 off his 2 overs at Greater Noida in 2017.

His deceptive variations have made him a difficult bowler to play and he is always the go-to man for his captains in crunch situations. With age on his side, he is expected to get even better.

#1 Rangana Herath - 3.3-2-3-5 at 0.85 runs per over

Rangana Herath was a terrific player for Sri Lanka. His staggering numbers are a testimony to his hard work and dedication for the game, and he has picked up more than 500 wickets across various formats.

His accurate bowling earned him his only five-wicket haul against New Zealand at Chittagong during Sri Lanka's triumphant T20 World Cup campaign in 2014.

Recently, Herath became the oldest ever captain for the Sri Lankan cricket team after taking over the reins from Angelo Matthews.