T20 World Cup: Top 5 likely wicket takers

The T20 World Cup 2022 has started and all the teams are ready to give their best and grab the trophy in Australia.

It is going to be an exciting month of cricket and we may witness a lot of entertaining games.

A legend once said: Batsmen win you games but the bowlers win you tournaments. So, the bowlers will play a key role in these Australian pitches.

All the teams have good quality bowlers and they are ready to showcase their talent on the biggest stage.

In this article, we will take a look at the top 5 possible wicket-takers of World Cup 2022.

5 – Josh Hazlewood

Hazlewood is one of the key pacers of the Australian side.

He is known for his perfect line and lengths. He is currently ranked Number 1 in the ICC T20I rankings.

Hazelwood gets some extra bounce due to his height and he also can swing the ball on both sides.

He has picked up 52 wickets in just 36 T20 International matches for Australia.

In the final of the T20 World Cup 2021, Hazelwood bowled an excellent and economical spell of 4-0-16-3 that helped his side to restrict New Zealand to 172 runs.

Josh Hazlewood will be a big threat to the batters in this tournament in Australian conditions and he can become the highest wicket-taker of the season.

4 – Shaheen Shah Afridi

The star Pakistani fast bowler missed the Asia Cup, Pak vs Eng series, and the Tri-series in New Zealand due to a knee injury but he has finally recovered and has joined Pakistan’s World Cup squad.

The left-arm pacer has so far taken 47 wickets in 40 T20Is and is the key bowler for his side.

Shaheen Afridi became very popular after his magical spell against India in last year’s World Cup.

Shaheen is a wicket-taker with the new ball and his pace and inswing will make him a difficult bowler for the batters on the Australian wickets.

Although it will be very difficult for him to gain his rhythm straight after returning from the injury, he still has the ability to become the standout bowler of this tournament.

3 – Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf is another fabulous fast bowler on this list.

In recent times, he is in top form and looking unhittable with the ball in T20Is.

The 28-year-old pacer has shown the world what he can do with the ball in the recent 7-match T20I home series against England.

He has also delivered a lot of match-winning performances in the last 6 months.

The best thing about Haris Rauf is his excellent record in the death overs.

The batters struggle to hit against him in the final overs due to his speedy yorkers and superb variations.

Rauf has also played a lot of cricket on Australian pitches in the big bash league and knows those conditions very well.

Nobody has picked more wickets than Haris in T20Is since his debut.

He is looking in great form and can become the leading wicket-taker of this edition.

2 – Trent Boult

Trent Boult is a world-class pacer and is one of the best bowlers of the power play.

He is a key member of the New Zealand side and his team depends on him to pick some early wickets in the first 6 overs.

The veteran fast bowler has scalped 66 wickets in 50 T20I games for his side.

He also picked 13 wickets in the previous edition of the T20 World Cup in UAE.

His ability to swing the bowl on both sides will make life difficult for the batters.

He will become even more dangerous on the Australian pitches and his skills and experience can make him the leading wicket-taker in the World Cup.

1 – Mitchell Starc

Mitchell Starc always becomes 2 times more dangerous in an ICC tournament and with the extra advantage of home conditions, he can be unstoppable in the mega event.

Starc is capable of deceiving the batters with his speed and yorkers.

He missed the IPL and other T20 leagues to stay fit for the World Cup shows his commitment towards his national side.

The 32-year-old pacer has taken 70 wickets in 54 matches at an economy rate of under 8 runs per over.

He will trouble the batters with his pace, bounce, and deadly yorkers in his home conditions.

The left-arm Australian pacer is most likely to become the highest wicket-taker of the T20I World Cup 2022.