Bahrain pacer Ali Dawood has etched his name into the record books by picking 7-19, the second-best figures in men’s T20I history, against Bhutan on Friday.
The 33-year-old seamer became only the second bowler after Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus to take seven wickets in a T20I.
Bhutan vs Bahrain – 3rd T20I: Full Scorecard
His efforts dismantled Bhutan’s chase in Gelephu, sealing a 35-run win for Bahrain in the third match of their five-game series. Introduced in the third over, Dawood struck twice to leave the hosts tottering at 11/3 before returning late to rip through the lower order.
Dawood, born in Sialkot, Pakistan, claimed three wickets in the 16th over and two more in the next to finish with 7-19. Despite a 67-run fourth-wicket stand, Bhutan were
bowled out for 125, handing Bahrain, who made 160/4, a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Dawood now sits behind seamer Idrus, who picked an incredible 7-8 against China during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia B Qualifier match at Bayuemas Oval in 2023. Incidentally, all of Idrus’s seven wickets were bowled dismissals.
Singapore’s Harsha Bharadwaj (6-3 against Mongolia in 2024), Nigeria’s Peter Aho (6-5 against Sierra Leone in 2021), and India’s Deepak Chahar (6-7 against Bangladesh in 2019) complete the top five performances in men’s T20I format.
| Rank | Bowler | Country | Figures | Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Syazrul Idrus | Malaysia | 7-8 | China | 2023 |
| 2 | Ali Dawood | Bahrain | 7-19 | Bhutan | 2025 |
| 3 | Harsha Bharadwaj | Singapore | 6-3 | Mongolia | 2024 |
| 4 | Peter Aho | Nigeria | 6-5 | Sierra Leone | 2021 |
| 5 | Deepak Chahar | India | 6-7 | Bangladesh | 2019 |
What About Just Full Members?
Among full members of the ICC, seam-bowling all-rounder Chahar holds the record for the best bowling figures in a men’s T20I, achieved at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur.
With this spell, Dawood now has 96 wickets from 64 T20Is at an average of 14.10. His economy rate is a measly 5.96. The match against Bhutan was his maiden fifer in T20Is, in addition to the three four-wicket hauls he has achieved.
(With inputs from Agencies)
