Arshdeep Singh has become the first Indian to take 150 wickets in T20 internationals. He reached the mark on Friday, October 30. It happened in the fourth T20I against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland. Arshdeep needed just one wicket before the match. He got it in his fourth over. That took his tally to 150. He is already India’s highest wicket-taker in T20Is.
In 2022, Arshdeep Singh was a promising left-arm seamer making his T20I debut against England. In 2026, he is on the edge of becoming the first Indian bowler to take 150 wickets in men’s T20 Internationals. Few players have packed so much into so little time in the shortest format.
Arshdeep made his T20I debut in July 2022 and impressed early, including a solid run against the West Indies in his first series. What stood out was his composure. Bowling in the powerplay and at the death are two of the hardest jobs in T20 cricket, and he took on both without looking overwhelmed.
By the start of 2025, he had become India’s leading wicket-taker in the format. In September 2025, during the Asia Cup in Abu Dhabi, he became the first Indian to reach 100 T20I wickets. He did it in just 64 matches, making him the third-fastest to the mark among Full Member nations, behind only Rashid Khan and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Reaching 150 makes him the first Indian to do so and only the ninth bowler overall to enter the club. Indian cricket has produced great T20 bowlers, including Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but none has reached this number. He is already well clear of the rest of the field among Indian bowlers.
The Numbers Behind the Milestone
Before the Wellington T20I, he had 148 wickets in 101 matches at an average of 20.41 and an economy rate of 8.65. A wicket in that match took him to 149 in 102 appearances. His tally includes a five-wicket haul and several four-wicket hauls, and it puts him among the top wicket-takers in the format’s history.
The average is the number that matters most. An economy rate near 8.65 might look high, but T20 cricket today is played on flat pitches with small boundaries, and he bowls the toughest overs. Keeping an average around 20 in those conditions shows a bowler who takes wickets regularly.
This year has been his most productive. He has taken 39 wickets in 2026, which equals the record for the most T20I wickets in a calendar year by a player from a Full Member nation, matching Ireland’s Joshua Little from 2022. He has also broken Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s record for the most T20I wickets by an Indian in a single year, which stood at 37.
He reached that Indian record in the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch, finishing with figures of 2 for 33. It was typical of his season: not always dramatic, but steady and effective.
Another milestone is also in play. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner sits on 149 as well, so the two could chase the mark in the same match. That adds a bit of extra drama to the Auckland game.
Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell Power New Zealand to Record 259 Against India in 4th T20I
New Zealand put up a huge total in the fourth T20I at Eden Park. They scored 259 for 7, the highest total ever against India in T20Is. Glenn Phillips was the star with 107 off 49 balls. Michael Bracewell smashed 65 off 25. Mayank Yadav was India’s best bowler with 3 for 48. India won the toss and chose to bowl. They made two changes: Ishan Kishan and Mayank Yadav came in for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. About 40,000 fans filled the ground.
New Zealand lost Tim Seifert early in the first over. Mayank got him out. Daryl Mitchell came in and hit two sixes and two fours in one over off Mayank. But Mayank still got him out lbw in the same over. New Zealand were 34 for 2. Finn Allen and Glenn Phillips then added 59 runs for the third wicket. Allen made 31 off 17 before holing out to Abhishek Sharma. Phillips kept going. He reached his fifty off 31 balls.
Bevon Jacobs made 7 before Mayank got him out with a short ball. Arshdeep Singh took the catch. New Zealand were 112 for 4 in the 11th over. Michael Bracewell then joined Phillips. They went after the bowling. Phillips reached his hundred off 46 balls. Bracewell got his fifty off 19 balls. The two put on a big stand. Bracewell fell for 65 off 25, caught off Prince Yadav. That made it 232 for 5. Phillips finally fell for 107 off 49 in the last over, caught by Abhishek Sharma off Nitish Reddy. New Zealand finished on 259 for 7. India now need 260 to win.
FAQs
Q. Who is the first Indian to take 150 T20I wickets?
A. Arshdeep Singh became the first Indian to reach 150 T20I wickets against New Zealand.
Q. When did Arshdeep Singh make his T20I debut?
A. Arshdeep made his T20I debut against England in July 2022.
Q. How many matches did Arshdeep need to reach 100 T20I wickets?
A. Arshdeep reached 100 wickets in 64 matches during the 2025 Asia Cup.
Q. How many T20I wickets has Arshdeep taken in 2026?
A. Arshdeep has taken 40 T20I wickets in 2026, equalling the record for a Full Member nation player in a calendar year.
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