Bhutan’s spin sensation Sonam Yeshley sets new T20I bowling world record

Bhutan’s young left-arm spinner Sonam Yeshley etched his name into cricket history with a sensational performance that redefined T20I bowling records. The 22-year-old became the first player ever to claim eight wickets in a T20 international, producing the best bowling figures the format has seen so far.

Yeshley dismantled Myanmar’s batting lineup with a remarkable spell of 8 wickets for just 7 runs in his four overs. His devastating effort saw Myanmar bowled out for a mere 45, as Bhutan cruised to a dominant 81-run victory.

Celebrating the milestone, Bhutan Cricket hailed the achievement on social media, calling it a historic, world-record spell by their left-arm orthodox bowler.

Bhutan completely outplayed Myanmar throughout the series, sealing a clean 5-0 sweep. Yeshley played a pivotal role in the dominance, finishing the series with 13 wickets to his name.

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Notably, only six bowlers in the history of T20 internationals have managed to take seven wickets in an innings—twice in men’s cricket and four times in women’s cricket. In women’s T20Is, Indonesia’s Rohmalia holds the best figures of 7 for 0, achieved against Mongolia in 2024. Prior to Yeshley’s feat, the best figures in men’s T20Is belonged to Malaysia’s Syazrul Idrus, who picked up 7 for 8 against China.

Yeshley first made an impact in international cricket in 2022, claiming three wickets on his T20I debut against Malaysia. Since then, he has steadily built an impressive record, collecting 38 wickets in 35 matches.

Those wickets have come at an average of 17.10, with a strike rate of 18.4 and an economy rate of 5.5, underlining his consistency and control. With the bat, Yeshley has scored 37 T20I runs, with a highest score of 11 not out, which came against Myanmar in 2023.