Who took the first 5-fer of every T20 league?

T20 leagues have gained immense popularity in the past few years. Almost every country has launched its T20 league since the inception of the Indian Premier League in 2008. Big Bash League, SA20, Pakistan Super League, Caribbean Premier League, International League T20, and Lanka Premier League are among the top T20 leagues.

T20 cricket, unlike Test and ODI cricket, does not provide enough opportunities for a bowler to take a five-wicket haul. The reason being that in T20 matches, a bowler can only bowl 4 overs, making a five-wicket haul extremely tough. However, there are a few skilled bowlers who have taken 5-fers in a T20 match. Here is a list of all bowlers who took the first 5-fer in every T20 league.

1.    Lanka Premier League – Mohammad Amir

Mohammad Amir of Pakistan got his first five-wicket haul in Sri Lanka’s T20 league, the Lanka Premier League (LPL). Amir bowled a 5/26 spell for the Galle Gladiators against the Colombo Kings. He achieved this feat in the first season of the LPL in 2020. Dinesh Chandimal, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Thikshila de Silva, Isuru Udana, and Qais Ahmad were his five victims.

2.    BBL – Lasith Malinga

Ex-Sri Lankan captain Lasith Malinga took the first five-wicket haul in Australia’s Big Bash League (BBL). Malinga produced a dream spell of 6/7 against the Perth Scorchers while playing for the Melbourne Stars. The event took place in the second season of the BBL. Marcus North, Marcus Stoinis, Hilton Cartwright, Tom Triffitt, Nathan Coulter-Nile, and Joe Mennie were among a few of his victims.

3.    IPL – Sohail Tanvir

In 2008, Rajasthan Royals (RR) fast bowler Sohail Tanvir became the first player in IPL history to take five wickets in an innings. In a league-stage match against the Chennai Super Kings, the left-arm bowler bowled a stunning spell of 6/14. Tanvir took six wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. He claimed the scalps of Parthiv Patel, Stephen Fleming, S Vidyut, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Makhaya Ntini. RR won by eight wickets in the match.

4.    SA20 – Roelof van der Merwe

SA20 began earlier this month, with the inaugural season presently underway in South Africa. Roelof van der Merwe became the first player in South Africa’s new T20 league to get a five-wicket haul on January, 22, 2023 during a match between the SunRisers Eastern Cape (SEC) and Durban’s Super Giants (DSG). Van der Merwe bowled a match-winning spell of 6/20 for SEC against DSG. Helping the Orange Army win by 124 runs.

5.    Caribbean Premier League – Shakib Al Hasan

Few fans could recall that the first two five-wicket hauls in the Caribbean Premier League occurred in the same match during the league’s debut season. Shakib Al Hasan of the Barbados Tridents returned with 6/6 against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel. Later in the same game, Red Steel’s fast bowler Fidel Edwards ended his spell with figures of 5/22. However, Shakib holds the record for the first five-wicket haul.

6.    PSL – Ravi Bopara

Some fans may be surprised to learn that England all-rounder Ravi Bopara was the first player to grab five wickets in Pakistan’s T20 league, the Pakistan Super League (PSL). In the first PSL season, Bopara accomplished the feat while playing for the Karachi Kings against the Lahore Qalandars. In his 6/16 spell, the medium-pacer, bowling all-rounder took the wickets of Chris Gayle, Umar Akmal, Dwayne Bravo, Mohammad Rizwan, Hammad Azam, and Naved Yasin.