It’s generally agreed that Twenty20 is a batsman’s port. However, there have been a few bowlers who have bucked the trend and proved that they can also be game-changers in this format. Shreedutta Chidananda picks his five best bowling performances in the World T20 Championship.
After a glorious start to his international career, when he could not put a foot wrong, Ajantha Mendis began to fade away. Teams no longer feared him and his bowling simply seemed to lack the magic of old. Sri Lanka dropped him from the Test and ODI sides and his career, it was presumed, was over. It was thus under enormous pressure that he returned to international cricket, after an absence of eight months, at the World T20.
Playing in the tournament opener before a loud home crowd at Hambantota, Mendis must have felt the weight of expectation. Chasing 182, Zimbabwe had managed to get away to a reasonably good start when Mendis was brought on, in the sixth over. He struck with his third ball, bowling Vusi Sibanda with one that turned away. Mendis soon unleashed his full repertoire of deliveries — the carrom ball, the googly, the straighter one — to destroy Zimbabwe. He finished with 6 for 8, the best figures in a T20 international, bettering his own 6 for 16 from the previous year.
This story is from the March 12, 2016 edition of Sportstar.
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This story is from the March 12, 2016 edition of Sportstar.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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