by Ask any Black Caps fan to name New Zealand’s best T20I bowlers, and you’ll get different answers.
Some will say Trent Boult in his swinging pouch years. Others will back Mitchell Santner for his control.
A few will make the case for Lockie Ferguson at full tilt.
But the numbers only tell one story. And right now, the most wickets for New Zealand in T20Is belong to Ish Sodhi.
The leg-spinner passed Tim Southee’s long-standing record during New Zealand’s Bangladesh tour in May 2025.
Most Wickets for New Zealand in T20Is
Source: NewsBytes
He’s now the outright leader. Here’s a look at how the top five stack up.
The Bowlers With the Most Wickets for New Zealand in T20Is
5. Lockie Ferguson — 76 Wickets
Ferguson is the most match-winning bowler on this list on a per-ball basis.
In 54 T20I matches, he has taken 76 wickets at a strike rate of 14.59, the sharpest of any bowler in New Zealand’s top five.
Put simply: he takes a wicket roughly every 14 to 15 deliveries. In a format where dot balls are already victories, that rate is striking.
His economy of 7.33 is also the best among these five, making him both dangerous and controlled.
His 5/21 against the West Indies in Auckland in November 2020 was the standout spell.
Ferguson has since played in the IPL, appearing for Punjab Kings in 2026.
4. Trent Boult — 83 Wickets
Boult made his T20I debut in February 2013 and ended with 83 wickets from just 61 matches.
Per game, that’s one of the better returns on this list.
He averaged 21.43 per wicket and bowled at an economy of 7.68.
His two four-wicket hauls include a 4/13 against Sri Lanka at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Sydney, where he removed their top order inside the powerplay and handed New Zealand control from the first over.
Boult was always a powerplay specialist.
The conditions that suit him most, overhead cloud, swinging ball, nervous openers, come in those first six overs. He knew how to use them.
3. Mitchell Santner — 142 Wickets
Santner’s 7.17 economy across 138 T20I matches is the number that stands out.
Spinners in T20 cricket are often asked to contain, not take wickets. Santner did both.
His 142 wickets came at a strike rate of 19.9, meaning a wicket every 20 balls on average.
Combined with that economy, it makes him one of the more complete slow-bowling options New Zealand has ever had in the format.
His 4/11 against India at Nagpur in the 2016 T20 World Cup is the defining spell.
He removed Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, and Hardik Pandya as New Zealand beat India in what was one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
Santner was ruled out of cricket in 2026 after a shoulder injury during his IPL stint with the Mumbai Indians.
2. Tim Southee — 164 Wickets
For a long time, Southee held this record. His 164 T20I wickets from 126 matches sat at the top of New Zealand’s all-time list until May 2025.
He played across nearly two decades of Black Caps cricket, captained the Test side when Williamson stepped down in 2022, and retired from Test cricket in December 2024. Through all of it, he kept taking T20I wickets.
His economy of 8.00 was on the expensive side, but his strike rate of 16.7 meant he never stopped being dangerous.
His 5/18 against Pakistan in Auckland in December 2010 remains his best T20I performance and is still one of the finest fast-bowling spells produced by a New Zealander in the format.
He finishes his international career one wicket behind the new record holder.
1. Ish Sodhi — 165 Wickets
Sodhi’s record-breaking moment came quietly.
A single wicket, Shamim Hossain caught and dismissed in the third T20I against Bangladesh on 2 May 2025 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka, was enough.
He finished that match with 1/22 from three overs. New Zealand won via DLS, chasing 103.
The record was broken in a game that barely needed him to do anything extraordinary.
That’s almost the point. Sodhi has built his record not through one defining series or a single peak run of form.
He has taken wickets steadily across 141 matches and 465.2 overs, picking up four four-wicket hauls (the most by any New Zealander in T20Is) along the way.
His economy sits at 8.16, and his strike rate at 16.92.
Leg-spin is risky in T20 cricket. Bad deliveries go for six. Good ones take crucial wickets.
Sodhi has made the gamble pay off over a long career, and the record reflects that.
Full Career Stats: New Zealand’s Top 5 T20I Wicket-Takers
| Rank | Player | Matches | Wickets | Economy | Strike Rate | Best |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ish Sodhi | 141 | 165 | 8.16 | 16.92 | — |
| 2 | Tim Southee | 126 | 164 | 8.00 | 16.70 | 5/18 |
| 3 | Mitchell Santner | 138 | 142 | 7.17 | 19.90 | 4/11 |
| 4 | Trent Boult | 61 | 83 | 7.68 | — | 4/13 |
| 5 | Lockie Ferguson | 54 | 76 | 7.33 | 14.59 | 5/21 |
What Separates These Five?
The top two, Sodhi and Southee, are separated by a single wicket. But they got there differently.
Southee took 164 wickets as a seamer playing across all formats, often bowling in tough conditions with the red ball in mind.
He was never a T20 specialist. He just kept turning up and taking wickets.
Sodhi, by contrast, has been a T20 specialist for most of his career. He plays fewer red-ball games at the international level. T20 is his format, and the record shows it.
Santner and Ferguson are still active. Santner sits on 142 and, injuries aside, has time to challenge both Southee and Sodhi.
Ferguson, with 76 from only 54 games, has the best per-game return of the five and could climb quickly if he stays fit and available.
Boult looks unlikely to add to his 83 from this point, but his 61-match haul was achieved at a better average than anyone else on the list.
FAQs
- Who currently holds the record for the most T20I wickets for New Zealand?
Ish Sodhi, with 165 wickets from 141 matches. He broke the record on 2 May 2025 in the third T20I against Bangladesh in Dhaka.
- How close is Tim Southee to Ish Sodhi’s T20I record?
Very close. Southee has 164 wickets, just one behind Sodhi. He retired from Test cricket in December 2024, but the gap stands at a single wicket.
- Is Mitchell Santner still playing T20Is for New Zealand?
Santner has been sidelined since a shoulder injury during IPL 2026 with the Mumbai Indians. His T20I record sits at 142 wickets from 138 matches.
- Who has the best economy rate among New Zealand’s top T20I wicket-takers?
Mitchell Santner has an economy of 7.17 across 138 T20I matches. Lockie Ferguson is second with 7.33 from 54 games.
- How many four-wicket hauls has Ish Sodhi taken in T20Is?
Four, the most by any New Zealand bowler in T20I history.
- What is Trent Boult’s best bowling performance in T20Is?
His best is 4/13 against Sri Lanka at the 2022 T20 World Cup in Sydney, which helped New Zealand to a comfortable win.
Conclusion:
Ish Sodhi now holds the record for the most wickets for New Zealand in T20Is.
That’s the short answer.
The longer one involves 141 matches, 465 overs, and a decade of making leg-spin work in a format that punishes it.
Behind him, Southee, Santner, Boult, and Ferguson each built careers worth noting.
Together, they cover everything: pace, spin, swing, and strike bowling.
New Zealand’s T20I attack has rarely lacked variety.
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