Nepali leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane became the second-fastest bowler to reach 100 wickets in T20I cricket. He achieved the milestone in his 54th match during the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 group stage fixture against Bangladesh on June 17 at the Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown, St. Vincent. Lamichhane’s impressive feat places him just behind Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan, who previously reached the 100-wicket landmark in 53 matches.
Lamichhane made history for Nepal by becoming the first from his nation to reach the 100-wicket milestone. The youngster was denied a visa twice, preventing him from playing in the USA, but he returned to excel in the West Indies. While Lamichhane did not take any wicket against South Africa, he kept their batters in check with a strong performance.
Fastest to reach 100 wickets in T20 Internationals
- Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) – 53 matches
- Sandeep Lamichhane (Nepal) – 54 matches
- Haris Rauf (Pakistan) – 71 matches
- Mark Adair (Ireland) – 72 matches
- Bilal Khan (Oman) – 72 matches
- Lasith Malinga (SL) – 76 matches
Lamichhane delivered a splendid bowling performance against Bangladesh, finishing with impressive figures of 4-1-17-2. He started by dismissing Tanzim Hasan Sakib to open his account, and then scalped Jaker Ali Anik, etching his name in the history books. The Bangladeshi batters clearly struggled to pick the Nepalese leg-spinner. Riding on Lamichhane’s spell, Nepal bowled out their rivals for 106 in just 19.3 overs.
In addition to Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, Dipendra Singh Airee, and Rohit Paudel claimed 2 wickets each. While 7 Bangladeshi batters reached double figures, they were unable to fire.Shakib Al Hasan top-scored for Bangladesh with 17 runs from 22 deliveries.
