Well, over the past few decades, New Zealand has undoubtedly dominated the arena of the T20I cricket format with their star-studded lineup of batsmen including Kane Williamson, Martin Crowe, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Glenn Turner and many others who have revolutionised the game and uplifted the stature of New Zealand in the T20 internationals with their ground-breaking batting exploits on the field.
However, a few legendary bowlers have fought against all the odds and dominated even the greatest batsmen of the New Zealand side with their spine-chilling and downright lethal bowling attack. Have you ever wondered about the top four bowlers who have picked up the highest number of wickets against New Zealand in the T20 internationals format of international cricket? Well, let’s find out.
In this article we will take a look at the top four bowlers who continue to hold the record for picking up the highest number of wickets against New Zealand in the T20I format of international cricket as of January 2026.
Top 4 Bowlers With Most Wickets Against NZ in T20I
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Haris Rauf, Pakistan
The 32-year-old Pakistani international cricketer, Haris Rauf who is widely regarded as one of the most popular and influential bowlers to ever represent Pakistan across all formats of international cricket, is at the first spot in our list of the top four bowlers who have picked up the highest wickets against New Zealand in the T20I format. Haris Rauf played his first T20 international match against New Zealand on 14 April 2023 and left the fans stunned with his dominant bowling exploits, picking up a total of four wickets for eighteen runs.
Owing to his successful bowling stint, Haris Rauf was honoured with the ‘Player of the Match’ award, highlighting his dominance against New Zealand. As of January 2026, Haris Rauf has played multiple T20I matches against New Zealand and has picked up a total of 32 wickets, which continues to be the highest aggregate as of January 2026.
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Shaheen Shah Afridi, Pakistan
At the second spot in our list of the top four bowlers who continue to hold the record for picking up the highest number of wickets against New Zealand in the T20I format, we have another Pakistani international cricketer, Shaheen Shah Afridi, who is often regarded as one of the most deadly fast bowlers in the history of international cricket to ever represent Pakistan on an international stage.
Shaheen Shah Afridi has played numerous T20 internationals against New Zealand and has garnered enormous fame and recognition from millions of cricket aficionados from all over the world. The sensational bowler from Pakistan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, has picked up a record total of 30 wickets in the T20 internationals against New Zealand, which continues to be the second-highest total as of January 2026, ranking him at the second spot in our list.
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Jasprit Bumrah, India
Next, at the third spot in our list of the top four bowlers who have picked up the highest wickets against New Zealand in the T20I format, we have the trailblazing Indian bowling wizard Jasprit Bumrah. Often hailed as one of the most destructive and influential fast bowlers in the history of international cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has successfully established himself as the first ever Indian bowler to pick up a total of 100 wickets across all formats of international cricket.
Jasprit Bumrah has played a total of eleven T20 internationals as of January 2026 and has picked up a record total of twelve wickets with an economy of 7.05 which continues to be the third-highest aggregate of wickets ever picked up by an international bowler against New Zealand in the T20 internationals as of January 2026.
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Yuzvendra Chahal, India
Finally, at the fourth spot in our list of the top four bowlers who continue to hold the record for picking up the highest number of wickets against New Zealand in the T20I format, we have the legendary Indian international cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal, who is often hailed as one of the most reliable bowlers to ever represent India in white ball cricket.
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The Indian bowling sensation, Yuzvendra Chahal, has played approximately fourteen T20 internationals against New Zealand and has picked up a total of eleven wickets, which continues to be the third-highest total of wickets ever picked up by an international bowler against New Zealand in the T20 internationals as of January 2026 ranking him at the fourth spot in our list. In his overall career, the Indian bowling wizard Yuzvendra Chahal has played a total of 80 T20 internationals and has picked up a record total of 96 wickets, speaking volumes about his dominance in the format.
