Gelephu [Bhutan], December 12 : Bahrain speedster Ali Dawood etched history as he recorded the second-best figures in men's T20I cricket. The 33-year-old pacer achieved this historic feat after registering a sensational figure of 7/19 against Bhutan during the third T20I at the Gelephu International Cricket Ground in Gelephu on Thursday.
Bahrain set a total of 161 after batting first. Dawood began his spell in the third over of the innings and immediately made an impact, picking up two crucial wickets to leave Bhutan reeling at 11/3. Bhutan held on after this, adding 67 runs for the fourth wicket, but Dawood's brilliant late spell crushed any hopes of a comeback for the hosts.
In the 16th over, he claimed three wickets, then followed it up with two more in his next over to complete a record seven-wicket haul.
Bahrain went on to win the match by 35 runs. Ali Dawood's 7/19 places him second on the list of best bowling figures in a T20I innings, behind only Malaysia's Syazrul Idrus. Idrus claimed an incredible 7/8 in an ICC Men's T20 World Cup Qualifier match against China.
Idurs and Dawood are the only two men's cricketers to pick up a seven-wicket haul in T20I cricket. Meanwhile, in the ongoing five-match T20I series, Bahrain have an unbeaten 3-0 lead against Bhutan. Bahrain won the first T20I by eight wickets and the second by 61 wickets.
India's Deepak Chahar is also in the elite list of players who have the best bowling figures in an innings in men's T20I cricket. The right-arm speedster picked up 6/7 against Bangladesh in 2019.
Chahar's 6/7 helped India to register an emphatic 30-run victory after Bangladesh failed to chase down the target of 175 runs in the third T20I at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. During his sensational spell, Chahar also picked up a hat-trick.