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Bowling a maiden over in T20I cricket is a rarity, as batters are constantly looking to score on every delivery. This makes it challenging for bowlers, who must be at the top of their game to achieve a maiden over in this format.
For India, Jasprit Bumrah holds the record for the most maiden overs, having delivered 12 in his 70 matches. Bhuvneshwar Kumar ranks second among Indian bowlers, with 10 maidens in 87 games.
Additionally, there is a select group of bowlers who have bowled a maiden first over in their debut T20I. On that note, let’s take a look at three Indian bowlers who have achieved this feat.
#1 Ajit Agarkar against South Africa in 2006
The current chief selector of the Indian men’s team and former bowler Ajit Agarkar bowled a maiden first over in his debut match, which was also the Men in Blue's inaugural T20I, played against South Africa. The match took place in Johannesburg in December 2006.
In the sixth over of South Africa’s innings, Agarkar dismissed Herschelle Gibbs for seven on his very first delivery and followed up with five consecutive dot balls against Justin Kemp, marking his first over in T20I cricket as a maiden. He completed a spell of 2.3 overs, conceding just 10 runs and taking two wickets. South Africa finished their innings at 126 for nine in 20 overs.
In response, captain Virender Sehwag scored 34 runs, while Dinesh Mongia contributed 38. Dinesh Karthik remained unbeaten on 31 off 28 balls as India won by six wickets, with just one ball to spare. Agarkar went on to play four T20Is for India, taking a total of three wickets.
#2 Arshdeep Singh against England in 2022
Arshdeep Singh became the second bowler to bowl a maiden first over in his debut T20I during a match against England in 2022. Batting first, India scored 198 runs, bolstered by a 51-run innings from Hardik Pandya.
Arshdeep bowled the second over of England's innings and delivered six consecutive dot balls to Jason Roy. The left-arm bowler took two wickets, while Hardik claimed four, leading India to a 50-run victory.
The 25-year-old played a vital role in the Men in Blue's success at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Arshdeep has represented India in 55 T20Is, taking 86 wickets.
#3 Mayank Yadav against Bangladesh in 2024
The latest addition to this list is 22-year-old speedster Mayank Yadav, who achieved this milestone in the first T20I of the three-match series between India and Bangladesh in 2024 on Sunday (October 6). The pacer bowled the final over of the batting powerplay and delivered a maiden over against Towhid Hridoy.
Mayank took one wicket, while Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy each claimed three, as Bangladesh were bowled out for 127. In response, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav each contributed 29 runs, while Hardik Pandya finished unbeaten on 39 off just 16 balls, leading the Men in Blue to victory by seven wickets with 49 balls to spare.
