Cricket
Who is the Best T20 Spinner of All Time? A Data-Driven Ranking
As T20 cricket continues its evolution, the fine balance between batting and bowling is often struck through the inclusion of talented spinners. Relying on flight and trickery over pace and line, the top spin stars are often given an important role in controlling the opposition batting innings. Especially in the middle overs, the best T20 spinners of all time are those who can consistently take wickets and force batsmen to make errors. The question remains about which spin bowler dominates the 20-over format, from Mitchell Santner and Rashid Khan to Shakib Al Hasan.
Rashid Khan//Getty Images
SportsBoom has looked at the statistics and the expert consensus to determine which spinner is a true wicket-taking weapon with the white ball.
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate the Greatest T20 Spinners
This evaluation of the greatest T20 spin bowlers combines a detailed statistical analysis of their T20I careers with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking, referred to as the SB Market Index.
Industry Insights
This curated analysis from top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measures how prominently each bowler is featured in discussions of the ‘greatest T20 spinners of all time’.
Industry Insights
| Source Name | Rashid Khan | IS Sodhi | Shakib Al Hasan | AU Rashid | PW Hasaranga | A Zampa | Ehsan Khan | MJ Santner | SO Ngoche | H Ssenyondo |
| ESPNcricinfo – T20 XI of the Decade | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wisden – T20 Cricketer of the Decade/Year | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sky Sports Cricket – ‘T20 GOAT Spinner’ debate | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricbuzz – ‘Best T20I Players Ever’ feature | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| The Cricketer – Top 50 T20I Players list | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sportskeeda – ‘Greatest T20I Spinners’ | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reddit r/Cricket – ‘All-Time T20I XI’ Polls | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cricket Monthly – Impact Player Analysis | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| talkSPORT – ‘Top 10 T20I Bowlers’ countdown | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HowSTAT – Career Records Search | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Total Mentions | 10 | 4 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
SB Score
This score is calculated based on three key T20I career bowling metrics: bowling average (40% weightage), economy rate (30% weightage), and strike rate (30% weightage).
| Player | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | SB Score |
| H Ssenyondo | 118 | 13.45 | 5.28 | 15.2 | 1.000 |
| PW Hasaranga | 131 | 15.41 | 6.98 | 13.2 | 0.990 |
| Rashid Khan | 167 | 13.76 | 6.09 | 13.5 | 0.985 |
| Ehsan Khan | 127 | 16.45 | 6.26 | 15.7 | 0.887 |
| SO Ngoche | 120 | 17.01 | 5.89 | 17.3 | 0.871 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | 149 | 20.91 | 6.81 | 18.4 | 0.760 |
| A Zampa | 130 | 21.11 | 7.34 | 17.2 | 0.741 |
| IS Sodhi | 150 | 22.52 | 7.95 | 16.9 | 0.718 |
| MJ Santner | 124 | 22.57 | 7.06 | 19.1 | 0.697 |
| AU Rashid | 135 | 24.45 | 7.41 | 19.7 | 0.648 |
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | Rashid Khan | 0.985 | 10 | 8.197 |
| 2 | Shakib Al Hasan | 0.760 | 10 | 8.152 |
| 3 | PW Hasaranga | 0.990 | 9 | 7.398 |
| 4 | AU Rashid | 0.648 | 9 | 7.330 |
| 5 | A Zampa | 0.741 | 8 | 6.548 |
| 6 | IS Sodhi | 0.718 | 4 | 3.344 |
| 7 | MJ Santner | 0.697 | 3 | 2.539 |
| 8 | H Ssenyondo | 1.000 | 1 | 1.000 |
| 9 | Ehsan Khan | 0.887 | 1 | 0.977 |
| 10 | SO Ngoche | 0.871 | 1 | 0.974 |
The Kings of Spin: Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan
Looking at the top T20 spinners ranked, Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan have topped the list based on dominant Industry Insights scores and sterling SB Scores.
The Afghani leg-spinner, who was voted ICC Player of the Decade in 2020, has transcended international success with domestic outings in the IPL, BBL and PSL.
Internationally, Rashid Khan T20 stats include best bowling figures of 5/3 and he currently holds the record for the most T20I wickets - 167 - overtaking Tim Southee.
His Bangladeshi counterpart in this ranking is widely considered among the greatest all-rounders and was a key part of his country’s rise in global cricket.
Looking at Shakib Al Hasan bowling average, he is in elite company and the expert consensus agrees that the orthodox spinner is among the T20I bowling legends.
The Modern Maestros: Hasaranga and Rashid
Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh//Getty Images
Wanindu Hasaranga and Adil Rashid finished quite closely in third and fourth in this ranking, thanks to top-level expert ratings and their respective statistical performances.
The Sri Lankan leg-break bowler, who is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, holds an enviable stat as the second-fastest to 100 T20I dismissals after Rashid Khan.
Comparatively, the English leggy holds a record as the first from his country to reach 100 wickets in 20-over internationals and remains a key player for the Three Lions.
Both Hasaranga and Rashid finished in the top three of the purely statistical analysis, with media insights confirming their spot among the best T20 bowlers in the world.
The Statistical Phenoms from Associate Nations
Another interesting aspect of this ranking is the statistical performances of Associate nation players like Uganda’s Henry Ssenyondo, Hong Kong’s Ehsan Khan, and Kenya’s Shem Ngoche.
Ssenyondo, an orthodox left-arm spinner, achieved a perfect SB Score thanks to an impressive T20 International resume of 118 wickets at an average of just 13.45, with an economy of only 5.28.
Likewise, Khan has amassed 127 wickets at an average of 16.45 and an economy of 6.26, while Ngoche has claimed 120 dismissals with a 17.01 average and an impressive 5.89 economy.
While these three spinners have tremendous SB Scores thanks to their efficiency in 20-over cricket, this model emphasises strong media profiles, which these Associate nation bowlers lack.
Conclusion on T20's Artful Deceivers
Summarising this comparison, SportsBoom’s model, which favours expert perception heavily, Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan are the top T20 spin bowlers.
When considering T20 cricket spin bowling records, both have achieved tremendous success with their respective countries and in the domestic arena as well.
It is also worth re-iterating the statistical achievements of the Associate nation players, who are hitting above their weight when it comes to 20-over internationals.
The role of spin bowlers remains crucial for international and domestic teams, with these listed superstars leading the charge with their cunning and strategies.
Bruce Douglas has more than 12 years of experience in local news media. He has worked at all levels of print and online publication, from crime and politics to photography, newspaper layout, proofreading, mentoring, sub-editing, and leading a newsroom. He played numerous sports at the school level and enjoys keeping up to date.