It is quite rare to see a team losing all its 10 wickets to the same type of bowler in a T20I match. The reason behind it is that a bowler can bowl a maximum of four overs in a T20I match, and the teams prefer to have variety in their pace attack. All teams play with 12 vs. 8 variation in pace vs. spin attack, if not 10 vs. 10.
There are some teams with more options in the pace attack, who sometimes bowl 16 overs of pace in a T20I match. Still, losing 10 wickets to the pacers is something that is uncommon in T20I matches, more so in Indian cricket because spinners have always been considered more reliable when it comes to taking wickets for the Indian cricket team.
However, times have changed, and there are many pace bowlers of top talent in India right now. Such has been the growth in the talent of fast bowling in India that there have been a couple of instances in the last few months, where the pacers bagged all 10 wickets of the opposition team in a T20I match. Here’s a list of those two instances:
(Stats Credit: Shebas)
1. Indian pacers took all 10 wickets in a T20I match against New Zealand, 2023
New Zealand visited India for a three-match ODI series and a three-match T20I series in the year 2023. The Blackcaps lost both the series. While the ODI series resulted in a 3-0 win for the home side, the visitors won the first T20I of the series and aimed to defeat the Men in Blue.
However, playing under the captaincy of Hardik Pandya, India made a fantastic comeback and won the series by 2-1. The last T20I happened in Ahmedabad, where Indian pacers bowled the Kiwis out for just 66 runs. Hardik Pandya led from the front with a four-wicket haul.
2. India vs. Pakistan, 2022
In the group stage match of Asia Cup 2022, Indian pacers wiped out the Pakistani batting lineup. Playing in Dubai, India took all 10 wickets and avenged the defeat they suffered in T20 World Cup 2021.
