IND vs NZ: Arshdeep Singh breaks Indian record for most T20I wickets in a year

India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, Arshdeep Singh, scripted history during the second T20I against New Zealand on Saturday (Oct 24), claiming two wickets to become the Indian bowler with the most T20I wickets in a calendar year. The left-arm pacer dismissed opener Tim Seifert in the first over before removing Glenn Phillips off the final ball of the 18th over. With these two scalps, Arshdeep took his tally to 38 wickets in 2026, surpassing Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s previous record of 37 wickets.

Bhuvneshwar achieved the feat in 2022, when he picked up 37 wickets in 32 T20I matches for India.

The overall record for the most wickets in T20Is in a calendar year belongs to Bahrain’s Ali Dawood, who claimed 63 wickets in 37 matches in 2025. Among players from Test-playing nations, Ireland’s Josh Little holds the record, having taken 39 wickets in 26 T20I matches in 2022.

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Arshdeep is now just two wickets away from matching Little’s record. With more matches remaining in the calendar year, the Indian pacer also has a chance to become the first Indian to reach 150 wickets in T20Is.

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Indian bowlers with most T20I wickets in a calendar year

• Arshdeep Singh - 38 wickets (2026)
• Bhuvneshwar Kumar - 37 wickets (2022)
• Arshdeep Singh - 36 wickets (2024)
• Varun Chakaravarthy - 36 wickets (2025)
• Arshdeep Singh - 33 wickets (2022)

Bowlers with most T20I wickets in a calendar year