Delhi became the first team to use 11 bowlers in a T20 game today (November 29) in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy game.
In a Group C encounter against Manipur at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Delhi were asked to field first upon losing the toss. They opened the bowling with right-arm seamers Aayush Singh and Akhil Chaudhary.
Left-arm spinner Harsh Tyagi was the first-change bowler, picking two wickets for 11 runs in his three overs. Leg spinner Digvesh Rathi bettered Tyagi's figures to end up with 2-8 from three overs, even as captain Ayush Badoni (1-8 from two) and Priyansh Arya (1-2 from one) shared a wicket each.
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If those six bowlers weren't enough, Delhi used five more, giving at least one over to every single member of the playing XI. In doing so, they became the first team in the history of professional T20 cricket, across genders, to use 11 bowlers in an innings.
In fact, it was also the first time a men's team used 10 bowlers in a T20 game, with the previous highest being nine, used on 32 different occasions in the men's game. In women's T20s, 10 bowlers have been used twice before - by the Czech Republic against Austria in June this year, and by Italy against Malta in September this year. Apart from that, 18 times teams have used nine bowlers in an innings in women's T20s.
Previously, nine bowlers have been used in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy innings thrice - by Bengal against Tripura in 2013-14, by Kerala against Goa in 2013-14, and by Meghalaya against Arunachal Pradesh in 2021-22.
Most bowlers used in a T20 innings
| No. of bowlers | Team | Opposition | Venue | Date |
| 11 | Delhi | Manipur | Mumbai | 29 Nov, 2024 |
| 10 | Czech Republic | Austria | Lower Austria | 8 Jun, 2024 |
| 10 | Italy | Malta | Spinaceto | 26 Sep, 2024 |
| 9 | Kerala | Goa | Visakhapatnam | 2 Apr, 2014 |
| 9 | Bengal | Tripura | Kolkata | 4 Apr, 20214 |
| 9 | Meghalaya | Arunachal Pradesh | Mangalagiri | 9 Nov, 2021 |
| 9 | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | Gujarat Lions | Bengaluru | 14 May, 2016 |
| 9 | Lucknow Super Giants | Punjab Kings | Mohali | 28 Apr, 2023 |
The most expensive bowler for Delhi today (November 29) was Mayank Rawat, who conceded 31 in his three overs for no wickets, while Anuj Rawat conceded 14 in his only over. Manipur ended with 120-8 from their 20 overs and reduced Delhi to 44-4 in the run-chase, before Yash Dhull steadied the ship and took them to a safe victory by four wickets, finishing unbeaten on 59 off 51 balls.
*Only those instances of nine bowlers being used have been mentioned in the table that came in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy or the IPL. Apart from the five entries of nine bowlers mentioned in the table, 27 such instances have occured in the men's game and 18 in the women's.
