Arshdeep Singh breaks Bhuvneshwar Kumar's T20I record

India pacer Arshdeep Singh created history on Saturday, breaking Bhuvneshwar Kumar's record for the most T20I wickets by an Indian bowler in a calendar year.

The left arm pacer achieved the milestone during India's second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch, returning impressive figures of 2 for 33 from his four overs.

Arshdeep dismissed Tim Seifert and Glenn Phillips as New Zealand finished on 180 for 5.

India then survived a dramatic middle order collapse, slipping to 112 for 6 before Tilak Varma's unbeaten 51 from 26 balls and Nitish Kumar Reddy's 26 not out helped the visitors secure a thrilling four wicket victory with one ball remaining.

The victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the five match series.

With his two wickets, Arshdeep took his tally to 38 wickets in 2026, surpassing Bhuvneshwar's previous Indian record of 37 wickets in 2022.

Interestingly, Arshdeep already featured twice among India's leading wicket takers in a calendar year, having claimed 36 wickets in 2024 and 33 in 2022.

Varun Chakravarthy also picked up 36 wickets in 2025, while Axar Patel has taken 32 wickets in 2026.

Most T20I wickets for India in a calendar year

1. Arshdeep Singh: 38 wickets (2026)

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 37 wickets (2022)

3. Arshdeep Singh: 36 wickets (2024)

4. Varun Chakravarthy: 36 wickets (2025)

5. Arshdeep Singh: 33 wickets (2022)

Arshdeep is now closing in on another significant milestone.

Ireland's Joshua Little holds the record for the most men's T20I wickets in a calendar year among bowlers from ICC Full Member nations, having claimed 39 wickets in 2022.

With 38 wickets already this year, Arshdeep needs just two more to surpass Little's record.

Meanwhile, Bahrain's Ali Dawood holds the overall record for the most men's T20I wickets in a calendar year, with 63 wickets from 37 matches in 2025.

With more matches remaining in 2026, Arshdeep has an opportunity to extend his record further.