New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson holds the record for bowling the most maiden overs in the history of T20 World Cups. And believe it or not, he achieved this record in a single match. Yes, you read that right. Ferguson bowled four consecutive maiden overs in a T20 World Cup 2024 match against Papua New Guinea, a world record on its own. India’s Harbhajan Singh has also bowled four maiden overs in T20 World Cups over the years.
For the uninitiated, a maiden over in T20 cricket is one in which no runs are scored. T20 is a format which out and out favours the batting side on any given day regardless of the pitch and conditions. To bowl a maiden over is as rare an occurrence as any because the batsmen are looking to collect runs every single ball. And it is even tougher at such a big event like a T20 World Cup, because there is so much riding on the line and the batsmen are going for it at full throttle.
In this article, we lay out in detail which bowlers have bowled the most maiden overs in the history of T20 World Cup cricket. Let’s quickly jump in and find out.
The list of most maiden overs in T20 World Cup history
| Player | Matches | Maidens | Wickets | Economy |
| Lockie Ferguson | 9 | 4 | 14 | 6.37 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 19 | 4 | 16 | 6.78 |
| Mohammad Amir | 21 | 4 | 24 | 6.62 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 14 | 3 | 19 | 5.59 |
| Dilhara Fernando | 5 | 3 | 6 | 6.11 |
| Rangana Herath | 10 | 3 | 13 | 6.02 |
| Nuwan Kulasekara | 18 | 3 | 18 | 7.3 |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 13 | 3 | 8 | 5.97 |
| Ajantha Mendis | 21 | 3 | 35 | 6.7 |
| Tim Southee | 25 | 3 | 36 | 6.99 |
Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand) – Four maidens
Entering the T20 World Cup 2024, the New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson had not even bowled a single maiden in eight matches he had played previously in the tournament. Then came his spell against Papua New Guinea in the Group C clash of the T20 World Cup 2024, and everything changed. He first came into bowl in the fifth over where he picked the wicket of Assad Vala, the captain, and did not concede a run.
In the next over, he bowled another maiden. Then he came back in the 12th over to send back Charles Amini lbw and then had Chad Soper bowled. There were two legbyes in the final over of his spell but that doesn’t count into the bowler’s tally. Even the on-air commentators were hooked as Ferguson was about to make history. After four overs, the fast bowler did not concede a single run and finished with incredible figures of 4-4-0-3. All his four maidens came in a single game, which has happened just once before in a T20I game.
Harbhajan Singh (India) – Four maidens
The next name is that of Indian offspinner Harbhajan Singh who was leading this list until Lockie Ferguson’s record. Harbhajan played in four editions of the T20 World Cup, between 2007 and 2012 and was a key component in that Indian bowling unit. He also bowled four maidens in T20 World Cups during that time. Harbhajan was a part of the Indian side that won the T20 World Cup in 2007.
Mohammad Amir (Pakistan) – Four maidens
Mohammad Amir was at his lethal best during the T20 World Cup 2010, where he was very tough to get away. He lost his way in between due to the spot-fixing scandal but has come back well. Amir was part of the Pakistan squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 where he gave a good account of himself. Overall, Amir has also bowled four maiden overs in the T20 World Cup history.
Jasprit Bumrah (India) – Three maidens
The next name on the list is Indian superstar Jasprit Bumrah who has seen his stocks rise like anything in the last few years. Be it the powerplay, middle overs or the death overs, you can always count upon Bumrah delivering come what may. He has bowled three maiden overs in his T20 World Cup career and will surely add to his count. In 14 matches, Bumrah already has 19 wickets, but what is astounding is his economy rate of only 5.59.
Bumrah has been in tremendous form of late and will be a key figure in India’s attack for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Dilhara Fernando (Sri Lanka) – Three maidens
The former Sri Lanka fast bowler was one of the first exponents of the back of the hand slower ball and he has flummoxed many batsmen in his prime. Fernando played only the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007 and in that only, he bowled three maiden overs in five matches, which is truly a stunning feat. He picked six wickets in those games.
Rangana Herath (Sri Lanka) – Three maidens
The Sri Lankan left-arm spinner was another excellent bowler during his time. He also bowled three maidens in his T20 World Cup career which spanned from 2012 to 2016. He was a master of guile and pace variations which had many batsmen in trouble a lot of the time. One of his most famous performances was when he picked 5/3 in 3.3 overs against New Zealand in the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Sri Lanka were defending only a modest 119 but Herath came and ripped out the stuffing from the New Zealand batting unit bundling them out for 60. Two of his maidens were bowled in that innings alone. Herath played a crucial role in helping Sri Lanka win the 2014 T20 World Cup.
Nuwan Kulasekara (Sri Lanka) – Three maidens
The Sri Lanka fast bowler was a nippy customer in his heyday. Add to that, the ability to move the ball both in and out, and he was a handful. Kulasekara played in the T20 World Cup between the years 2009 and 2016 and bowled three maidens in his career. He was part of the T20 World Cup side that lifted the championship in 2014 in Bangladesh defeating India in the final.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar (India) – Three maidens
The Indian fast bowler was a menace in the shortest format of the game and is still going strong. He has played 13 matches at the T20 World Cup and bowled three maiden overs. He has also picked eight wickets in those games, going at an economy rate of just 5.97.
Bhuvneshwar’s ability to swing the ball both in and out is what makes him so dangerous in the T20 format of the game and players often like to see out his overs, which is why he is so high on this list.
Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) – Three maidens
The mystery spinner was near unplayable when he started off. His form might have dipped in the latter half of his career, but when he started playing, he would run through opposition without a care in the world. Mendis has also bowled three maidens in his T20 World Cup career.
In all, Mendis played 21 T20 World Cup matches between 2009 and 2014 and picked 35 wickets.
Tim Southee (New Zealand) – Three maidens
The New Zealand fast bowler is the tenth name on this list of the most maidens bowled in the history of T20 World Cup cricket. Southee has been a constant name in the New Zealand XIs for over a decade and he has struck for them almost every single time.
Southee has also bowled three maidens in his T20 World Cup career. He has played in almost every single edition from 2010 and has picked 36 wickets in 25 matches, going at under seven runs an over.
FAQs
Who has the most maiden overs in T20 World Cup history?
The record for bowling the most maiden overs in T20 World Cup history is shared by three bowlers: Lockie Ferguson, Harbhajan Singh and Mohammad Amir. All three bowlers have bowled four maidens in their careers. But Ferguson stands out because he bowled all those four maiden overs in a single game.
Who has become the first Indian cricketer to bowl three maidens in a single T20?
Indian women allrounder Deepti became the first bowler to bowl three maidens in a single T20 game. She achieved the feat in a T20I game against South Africa where she finished with exceptional bowling figures of 4-3-8-3.
Are there any bowlers known for consistently bowling maiden overs?
The one bowler who stands out for bowling consistent maiden overs in T20I cricket will have to be Jasprit Bumrah. With his action and ability to bowl yorkers at any given point in time, it becomes very difficult to pick him. He is one bowler who can bowl maidens at any time.
