Arshdeep Singh made history on Friday by becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 150 wickets in T20 Internationals. He achieved this milestone during the fourth match against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland, dismissing New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner in the penultimate over.
With 150 wickets in 103 matches and 99 innings, Arshdeep boasts an impressive average of 20.62 and an economy rate of 8.65. His best bowling figures in the format are 5/51. This feat places him ninth on the list of leading T20I wicket-takers and makes him only the third fast bowler to reach 150 wickets, alongside New Zealand's Tim Southee and Bangladesh's Mustafizur Rahman.
The year 2026 has been particularly productive for Arshdeep, who has taken 40 T20I wickets. This surpasses Ireland's Josh Little, who claimed 39 wickets in 2022, setting a new record for the most T20I wickets by a bowler representing a Full Member nation in a calendar year. Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga and India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar complete the top four with 38 and 37 wickets, respectively.
Arshdeep also became the third-fastest bowler to reach 150 T20I wickets in terms of deliveries bowled, taking 2143 balls to achieve the milestone. Only Hasaranga and Rashid Khan have done it quicker. Despite his milestone, Arshdeep finished his four-over spell against New Zealand with figures of 1/38, conceding the fewest runs among the bowlers who completed their full quota of four overs. However, India lost their first game of the ongoing series as New Zealand posted a formidable 260-run target.