A good spell can change a T20I match in just a few overs. And New Zealand have had bowlers who know how to make that happen.
That specifically means their bowlers dominate the wicket-taking charts in the shortest format.
So here’s a look at the bowlers with the most wickets for New Zealand in T20Is.
Top T20I Wicket-Takers for New Zealand
| Player | Inns | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | SR | 4W/5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ish Sodhi | 135 | 165 | 4/12 | 23.01 | 8.16 | 16.92 | 4/0 |
| Tim Southee | 123 | 164 | 5/18 | 22.38 | 8.00 | 16.78 | 2/2 |
| Mitchell Santner | 134 | 144 | 4/11 | 23.79 | 7.19 | 19.83 | 3/0 |
| Trent Boult | 61 | 83 | 4/13 | 21.43 | 7.68 | 16.73 | 2/0 |
| Lockie Ferguson | 54 | 77 | 5/21 | 18.03 | 7.39 | 14.63 | 2/1 |
| Adam Milne | 55 | 66 | 5/26 | 24.92 | 8.40 | 17.80 | 2/1 |
| James Neesham | 75 | 64 | 5/22 | 25.17 | 9.19 | 16.42 | 1/1 |
| Jacob Duffy | 46 | 62 | 4/14 | 20.25 | 8.08 | 15.03 | 5/0 |
| Nathan McCullum | 59 | 58 | 4/16 | 22.03 | 6.82 | 19.36 | 2/0 |
| Matt Henry | 41 | 53 | 3/26 | 24.15 | 8.67 | 16.69 | 0/0 |
| Kyle Mills | 42 | 43 | 3/26 | 28.55 | 8.21 | 20.86 | 0/0 |
| Daniel Vettori | 34 | 38 | 4/20 | 19.68 | 5.70 | 20.71 | 1/0 |
| Michael Bracewell | 39 | 37 | 3/5 | 21.72 | 7.45 | 17.48 | 0/0 |
| Ben Sears | 26 | 33 | 3/14 | 21.12 | 8.05 | 15.72 | 0/0 |
| Mitchell McClenaghan | 28 | 30 | 3/17 | 25.26 | 7.70 | 19.66 | 0/0 |
Key Insights on Leading Wicket-Takers for New Zealand T20I Cricket
Top Wicket-Takers for New Zealand in T20Is
Ish Sodhi is the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand in T20Is, going past Tim Southee’s 164 scalps.
Southee was just the second bowler to take 100 wickets in T20I cricket, taking 84 innings to reach the milestone.
Sodhi, however, is the fastest New Zealand bowler to take 100 T20I wickets, racing past the mark in 78 innings.
Mitchell Santner is the only New Zealand bowler to pick more than 50 wickets as a captain in T20Is.
Five-Wicket Hauls and Match-Winning Spells for New Zealand in T20Is
Southee has registered the best bowling figures for New Zealand in T20Is. He returned 5 for 18 against Pakistan in the 2010 Auckland T20I. This was the first-ever five-for by a Kiwi bowler. (Check out the top bowling figures delivered in overall T20Is.)
Southee is also the only Kiwi bowler to take two five-wicket hauls in T20Is. His other five-for, 5 for 25, came against the UAE in the 2023 Dubai T20I.
Lockie Ferguson (5/21 vs WI), Adam Milne (5/26 vs SL) and James Neesham (5/22 vs PAK) are the other New Zealand bowlers with five-fors in T20Is.
Home, Away and Series Bowling Records for New Zealand in T20Is
Sodhi and Jacob Duffy hold the joint record for the most wickets for New Zealand in a bilateral T20I series. Both took 13 wickets each against Australia in 2021 and Pakistan in 2025, respectively. This is the joint third-most wickets by a bowler in a bilateral T20I series.
Southee picked up 91 of his 164 in New Zealand, the most by a Kiwi bowler at home in T20Is. This is also the most wickets by any bowler in home T20Is.
Sodhi and Mitchell Santner are the only two Blackcaps bowlers to take more than 50 wickets in away T20Is.
Southee claimed 23 of his 91 home wickets at Eden Park in Auckland. This is the most wickets by a New Zealand bowler at a single venue in T20Is.
Duffy has taken the most wickets for the Blackcaps in a calendar year in T20Is, with 35 scalps in 20 innings in 2025.
Average, Strike Rate and Economy Benchmarks for New Zealand in T20Is
Rachin Ravindra, Ferguson and Daniel Vettori are the three Kiwi bowlers to average under 20 runs per wicket in T20Is (minimum 20 wickets taken).
Ferguson is the only New Zealand bowler with a bowling strike rate under 15 in T20Is (minimum 300 balls bowled).
Vettori has the lowest bowling economy rate for the Blackcaps in T20Is, going at 5.7 while taking 38 wickets in 34 innings (minimum 300 balls bowled).
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