Cricket is a game of numbers, and on a Friday afternoon in Gelephu, a new number was added to the history books that might never be changed. Bhutan’s 22-year-old spinner Sonam Yeshey did something no bowler has ever done before in T20 Internationals. He took 8 wickets in a single match. This incredible performance has made headlines all over the world.
The Historic Moment in Gelephu
The date was December 26, 2025. The venue was the Gelephu International Cricket Ground in Bhutan. The home team, Bhutan, was playing against Myanmar in the third match of their T20 International series. Bhutan had already won the first two matches and was looking to win the series.
When the second innings started, nobody knew history was about to be made. Myanmar needed 128 runs to win. But then, Sonam Yeshey came to bowl. He is a slow left-arm orthodox spinner. This means he spins the ball from left to right for a right-handed batsman.
From his very first over, the Myanmar batsmen could not read his bowling. He bowled with great control. He did not give any loose balls. One by one, the batsmen tried to hit him but got out. By the time his four overs were finished, the scorecard looked unbelievable.
Sonam Yeshey’s figures: 4 overs, 1 maiden, 7 runs, 8 wickets.
This is now the best bowling performance in the history of men’s T20 International cricket. Before this, the maximum number of wickets a bowler had taken in one innings was seven. Sonam Yeshey went one step further. He took eight.
How the Match Unfolded
To understand the value of the Sonam Yeshey 8 wicket haul, we must look at the full match. It was a low-scoring game, which usually means the bowlers are on top.
Bhutan’s Batting
Bhutan batted first. The pitch was not very easy for batting. The Myanmar bowlers did a decent job and stopped Bhutan from scoring a very big total. Bhutan scored 127 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in their 20 overs. For a T20 match, 127 is not a huge score. It is a score that can be chased if the batsmen play carefully.
Myanmar’s Chase
When Myanmar came to bat, they hoped to chase down the target of 128. But the Sonam Yeshey 8 wicket haul stopped them completely. The Myanmar team lost wickets in a heap. They could not form any partnerships.
Yeshey was the main destroyer. He took wickets in the Powerplay, in the middle overs, and at the end. He was unplayable. Because of his bowling, the entire Myanmar team was all out for just 45 runs. They batted for only 9.2 overs.
Bhutan won the match by a huge margin of 82 runs. This win also gave them a 3-0 lead in the series. But the result of the match became secondary. The main news was the world record.
Who is Sonam Yeshey?
Many cricket fans are asking this question. Who is this young player from Bhutan?
Sonam Yeshey was born on December 3, 2003. He is currently 22 years old. He has been part of the Bhutan cricket setup for a few years. He started playing for the Under-19 team before moving to the senior team.
He made his debut for the Bhutan senior team in July 2022. His first match was against Malaysia. In that debut match, he showed his talent by taking 3 wickets. Since then, he has been a regular member of the team.
He is not a batsman. He bats right-handed but comes very low in the order. His main job is to take wickets. Before this match, he had played 33 matches and taken 29 wickets. But after the Sonam Yeshey 8 wicket haul, his stats have jumped. He now has 37 wickets in 34 matches. His bowling average is excellent at 17.37. His economy rate, which shows how many runs he gives per over, is just 5.69. This is very good for T20 cricket where batsmen try to hit every ball.
Breaking the 7-Wicket Barrier
For a long time, taking 5 wickets in a T20 match was considered a great achievement. Taking 6 wickets was rare. Taking 7 wickets was almost impossible. But in the last few years, bowlers have started taking more wickets.
Before Sonam Yeshey, the record for best bowling figures belonged to a bowler from Malaysia named Syazrul Idrus. He took 7 wickets for 8 runs. Everyone thought this record would stand for a long time. But Sonam Yeshey broke it in just two years.
It is interesting to note that the top three bowling figures in T20 Internationals now belong to players from Associate nations (countries that are still developing in cricket). The top three are from Bhutan, Malaysia, and Bahrain. This shows that cricket is growing fast in these countries.
Comparison with Other Great Bowlers
To understand how big this record is, we should look at other bowlers who have taken many wickets in a single T20I match. The Sonam Yeshey 8 wicket haul sits at the top, but who are the others? Let’s look at the list of bowlers with the best figures in T20 International history.
- Syazrul Idrus (Malaysia) – 7 wickets for 8 runs
Before Yeshey, the record holder was Syazrul Idrus. He achieved this feat in July 2023. Malaysia was playing against China in the T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier.
In that match, the China team was very inexperienced. Syazrul Idrus bowled 4 overs and gave away only 8 runs. He took 7 wickets. He bowled all his overs very fast and swung the ball. Because of his bowling, China was all out for just 23 runs. It was a shocking scorecard. For two years, Idrus was the only man with 7 wickets in a T20 International. Now he is second on the list.
- Ali Dawood (Bahrain) – 7 wickets for 19 runs
The third name on the list is Ali Dawood. Interestingly, his record also happened in 2025, and it happened against Bhutan! Just a few months before Sonam Yeshey broke the record, Ali Dawood destroyed the Bhutan batting lineup.
In a match between Bahrain and Bhutan, Ali Dawood bowled a fiery spell. He is a fast bowler. He took 7 wickets and gave away 19 runs. Bhutan was the victim that day. But cricket is a funny game. A few months later, a Bhutanese bowler (Yeshey) broke the record to take the top spot.
- Deepak Chahar (India) – 6 wickets for 7 runs
For fans of big cricket teams, Deepak Chahar is a famous name. He holds the record for the best figures by a bowler from a Test-playing nation.
His record came in 2019 against Bangladesh. The match was in Nagpur, India. Bangladesh was chasing a target and playing well. The match was close. Then Deepak Chahar came to bowl the final overs. He took wickets on consecutive balls. He also took a hat-trick (three wickets in three balls).
He finished with 6 wickets for just 7 runs. Until Syazrul Idrus came along, Deepak Chahar was the world record holder. His spell is still considered one of the best because it came against a strong team like Bangladesh in a high-pressure match.
- Dinesh Nakrani (Uganda) – 6 wickets for 7 runs
Dinesh Nakrani is a left-arm medium pacer from Uganda. He equaled Deepak Chahar’s record in 2021. Uganda was playing against Lesotho. Nakrani bowled 4 overs and took 6 wickets for 7 runs.
He bowled many yorkers and slower balls. The batsmen from Lesotho could not score off him. This performance put Uganda cricket on the map.
- Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka) – 6 wickets for 8 runs
Ajantha Mendis was a mystery spinner. He was famous for his “carrom ball” which spun the other way. He was the first bowler ever to take 6 wickets in a T20 International.
He did this in 2011 against Australia. The Australian batting lineup was very strong, with players like Shane Watson and David Warner. But they could not read Mendis’s bowling. He took 6 wickets for 16 runs in that match.
Later, in 2012, he broke his own record. Playing against Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup, he took 6 wickets for just 8 runs. For many years, Ajantha Mendis was the king of T20 bowling records. He is the only bowler to take two 6-wicket hauls in T20 Internationals.
- Yuzvendra Chahal (India) – 6 wickets for 25 runs
Another Indian on the list is Yuzvendra Chahal. He is a leg-spinner. In 2017, India was playing England in Bengaluru. England was chasing a big score and was going strong.
Then Chahal came into the attack. He spun the ball widely and confused the English batsmen. In a space of few overs, England lost all their wickets. Chahal took 6 wickets for 25 runs. It was the first time an Indian bowler took 5 or more wickets in T20Is.
Bhutan Cricket on the Rise
This record is not just about one player. It is about the growth of cricket in Bhutan. Bhutan is a small country in the Himalayas. It is famous for its mountains and happiness index. But now, it is making a name in sports.
The Bhutan cricket team has been working hard for many years. They play in the Asian regional tournaments. They have been improving their skills. The series against Myanmar showed their dominance. They won the first three matches easily.
The victory in this match was huge. Bowling out a team for 45 runs is a team effort. While Yeshey took 8 wickets, the other bowlers kept the pressure on from the other end. The fielders took the catches.
The Bhutan Cricket Board posted on social media about the record. They called it “a spell for the ages.” This kind of performance inspires young kids in Bhutan to take up cricket. It shows them that they can also break world records.
The post Bhutan Cricketer Sonam Yeshey Creates History, Took 8 Wicket Haul in T20I appeared first on Sportzcraazy.
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