South Africa's Shabnim Ismail becomes 1st woman to claim 50 T20 WC wickets
London, July 3
South Africa speedster Shabnim Ismail etched her name into the record books by becoming the first bowler to claim 50 wickets in Women's T20 World Cup history during the semifinal against England at The Oval on Thursday.
The milestone came in Ismail's 38th Women's T20 World Cup appearance when she struck with the very first delivery of her opening spell, dismissing England opener Amy Jones, handing the veteran fast bowler her landmark 50th wicket in the tournament.
The 37-year-old from Cape Town entered the semifinal needing just one wicket to reach the historic milestone and wasted no time in achieving the feat.
Ismail further strengthened her position at the top of the all-time Women's T20 World Cup wicket-takers' list by adding another wicket later in the innings, taking her tally to 51. She now sits comfortably ahead of Australia's Megan Schutt, who is second on the list with 48 wickets.
Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry sits third on the all-time Women's T20 World Cup wicket-takers' list with 44 scalps, followed by England's Anya Shrubsole with 41 and South Africa's Marizanne Kapp in fifth place with 39 wickets.
Coming to the match, England booked their place in the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 with a commanding 40-run victory over South Africa in the second semi-final at The Oval here on Thursday.
Led by an inspired all-round performance from captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, the hosts overcame an early batting collapse before producing another clinical display with the ball to set up a blockbuster title clash against Australia at Lord's on Sunday.
England remain unbeaten in the tournament and are now just one victory away from extending their remarkable record of never losing a Women's World Cup, T20 or ODI, when hosting the competition.
— ANI
Reader Comments
What a legend! At 37 years old, she's still bowling with that fire. Makes me wonder why our Indian women's team doesn't produce more genuine pacers like her. Jhulan Goswami was great, but we need more. Shabnim Ismail is truly an inspiration for aspiring female cricketers everywhere. ✨
Congratulations to Shabnim! Now, can we talk about how England's women keep turning up in big matches? Nat Sciver-Brunt is a class act. But honestly, the gap between top teams and others is still huge. BCCI needs to invest more in grassroots women's cricket to bridge this gap. Just my two paise.
Amazing record! But it's bittersweet that South Africa couldn't make it to the final. Shabnim deserved a bigger stage for this moment. Still, 51 wickets in T20 World Cups is insane – especially when you think about how many matches India has played. Our bowlers should note: consistency > flash. 🙏
Kaafi impressive! 50 wickets in 38 matches is world-class. And people say women's cricket isn't exciting? Juts look at the competition – Schutt, Perry, Shrubsole all fighting for records. This is golden era for women's cricket. England vs Australia final at Lord's? Count me in! 🏴🇦🇺
Respect for Shabnim Ismail! She's been around forever and still bowling
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.