The twenty-twenty format of the game has always been very unforgiving and harsh. It can make and break careers for players. It is considered to be the shortest format of the game, but interestingly it is probably the toughest format of the game as well. Fans are always in for a a lot of drama, entertainment and nailbiting encounters while the players face the heat.
The punishing nature of this format mounts so much pressure on the players that they often end up making more errors than they should. Batsmen face the most unexpected dismissals while the bowlers end up stretching their overs to beyond just six balls. Let us take a look at the top five longest overs in T20Is.
Top 5 longest overs in T20 Internationals
1. Kouakou Wilfried (Ivory Coast) – 14 balls
Ivory Coast’s Kouakou Wilfried holds the record for bowling the longest over in the history of T20Is. It so happened that Wilfried ended up bowling 14 balls for Ivory Coast during Africa Sub-Regional Qualifier against St. Helena for the T20 World Cup. He couldn’t control his line and length and ended up bowling so many deliveries. He gave away 19 runs, including eight balls as Ivory Coast ended up on the losing side.
2. Arshdeep Singh (India) – 13 balls
One of India’s finest fastbowlers Ashdeep Singh finds himself on the second spot on this list. The southpaw bowled a 13 ball over during the recently concluded T20I series against South Africa. Arshdeep gave away seven wide balls and conceded 18 runs in the process during the second T20I. It was a completely contrasting performance from the type of standards the bowler has set for himself. Moreover, India lost that game as Arshdeep gave away more than 50 runs.
3. Naveen Ul Haq (Afghanistan) – 13 balls
Afghanistan’s premier fast bowler Naveen Ul Haq is also a part of this list. He also executed a 13 ball over against Zimbabwe in Harare back in December 2024. Naveen couldn’t execute his deliveries to perfection and as a result bowled six wides and also a no ball in that over. He conceded 19 runs in that over and helped the opponent team secure a victory over Afghanistan.
4. Sisanda Magala (South Africa) – 12 balls
South Africa’s Sisanda Magala is placed fourth on this list. He holds the record for the fourth longest over in T20Is till date having bowled a 12 ball over against Pakistan in 2021 at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Magala was forced to bowl more than just six balls because of five illegitimate deliveries, including two no balls and three wide deliveries. Fortunately, the Proteas won that game and Magala’s mistake went unpunished.
5. Barry McCarthy (Ireland): 11 balls
Barry McCarthy is the latest edition to this list. The Irish bowler went on to bowl 11 deliveries during Ireland’s opening 2026 T20 World Cup fixture against Sri Lanka. His first delivery was a no ball which resulted in a four followed by two consecutive wides. After two legal deliveries, he bowled another wide and then dismissed Kamindu Mendis. He took another wicket on the next ball and sent back Shanaka. He recorded four wides and one no bal while conceding 19 runs in that over.
