History was made on Friday as Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian male cricketer to achieve the incredible feat of 100 T20I wickets. He reached this significant milestone in just his 64th match, securing the wicket of Oman’s Vinayak Shukla during India’s final group stage game of the 2025 Asia Cup. This remarkable achievement places him in an exclusive club of just 25 bowlers worldwide with over 100 T20I scalps.
(Image: Arshdeep Singh celebrates reaching 100 T20I wickets against Oman in the Asia Cup.)
Arshdeep’s path to this century of wickets has been remarkably swift. Since his T20I debut in July 2022 against England, he’s achieved this feat in just three years and 74 days. This impressive pace makes him the second-fastest fast bowler globally to reach the milestone, with only Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt having done it quicker in two years and 240 days.
This places Singh alongside other legendary Indian bowling pioneers like Vinoo Mankad, who was the first Indian to achieve 100 Test wickets, and Kapil Dev, the first to reach 100 ODI wickets.
Interestingly, among major cricketing nations, only South Africa, West Indies, and Zimbabwe are yet to see one of their bowlers enter the exclusive 100-wicket club in T20 Internationals.
India’s First to 100 Wickets by Format:
- Tests: Vinoo Mankad (in his 23rd Test)
- ODIs: Kapil Dev (in his 77th ODI)
- T20Is: Arshdeep Singh (in his 64th T20I)
His bowling average of 18.37 is particularly noteworthy, standing as the best among all seamers from Full Member nations. On the global stage, only Rizwan Butt and Oman’s Bilal Khan boast superior overall averages. Furthermore, when considering the number of balls bowled to claim 100 wickets, Singh holds the impressive fourth position, trailing only spin maestros Rashid Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Singh’s ability to trouble left-handed batsmen stands out. He has dismissed seven different batters three or more times in T20Is, with a notable four of these being top-order left-handers. His dominance over Rilee Rossouw is especially remarkable, having dismissed him three times in just five deliveries, conceding no runs.
The 2024 T20 World Cup marked Singh’s most successful outing yet, where he clinched 17 wickets across eight innings. He maintained an impressive economy rate of 7.16 and an average of 12.64. His prowess in death bowling was particularly outstanding, as he took nine wickets in the crucial final overs, jointly topping the charts for the tournament. Prior to this, in the 2022 T20 World Cup, he was also India’s leading wicket-taker with ten dismissals, showcasing his consistent performance in both World Cup appearances.