Indian Spinner Shri Charani Becomes Leading Wicket-Taker in a Single Womens T20 World Cup Edition

New Delhi, June 26: Indian spinner Shri Charani has made history by becoming the leading wicket-taker for India in a single edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup. She achieved this milestone during the 23rd match against Bangladesh, where she took 2 wickets.

Shri Charani has claimed a total of 12 wickets in four matches during the 2026 T20 World Cup. The left-arm spinner excelled against Pakistan, taking 3 wickets for just 21 runs, followed by an impressive performance against New Zealand, where she secured 4 wickets for 19 runs. In her match against South Africa, she took 3 wickets for 24 runs, and against Bangladesh, she added 2 more wickets for 21 runs.

Among Indian players, Poonam Yadav ranks second for the most wickets in a single Women’s T20 World Cup edition, with 10 wickets in 2020. Diana David had previously taken 9 wickets in the 2010 World Cup. Poonam Yadav also recorded 8 wickets each in the 2014 and 2018 editions, while Radha Yadav achieved the same in 2018.

Globally, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr holds the record for the most wickets in a single Women’s T20 World Cup edition, with 15 wickets in 2024. England’s Anya Shrubsole and Australia’s Megan Schutt each took 13 wickets in 2014 and 2020, respectively. Both South Africa’s Nonkululeko Mlaba (2024) and India’s Shri Charani (2026) are tied for third place on this list.

Earlier this week, Charani reached the number 1 spot in the ICC Women’s T20 Bowling Rankings for the first time in her career, becoming the highest-ranked bowler in women’s T20 international cricket.

With one league match remaining for India, Charani has a chance to break Amelia Kerr’s all-time tournament record of 15 wickets. Given her current form, this young left-arm bowler is well-positioned not only to enhance her Indian record but also to challenge the overall record for the most wickets in a Women’s T20 World Cup campaign.

In the match played on Thursday in Manchester, Bangladesh batted first, scoring only 136 runs while losing 8 wickets. In response, India claimed victory in just 16.5 overs.