Bhubaneswar : In a breathtaking display of bowling mastery, Finland’s right-arm medium pacer Mahesh Tambe made cricket history on July 27, 2025, by taking the fastest five-wicket haul in T20 International (T20I) cricket—achieving this feat in just eight balls during the third match of the series against Estonia in Tallinn. This landmark performance not only set a new world record but also helped Finland secure a crucial 5-wicket win, clinching the series 2-1.
Tambe’s remarkable spell came midway through Estonia’s innings when the visitors were looking strong at 118 for 4 in the 17th over. Entering the attack, Tambe took wickets on the third, fourth, and sixth deliveries of that over, narrowly missing a hat-trick. He then returned in the 19th over to dismiss two more batsmen on consecutive balls, completing a hat-trick and sealing his five-wicket haul in just eight deliveries—surpassing the previous record of 10 balls held by Bahrain’s Junaid Aziz since 2022.
The 40-year-old bowler finished with figures of 5 wickets for 19 runs in 2 overs, dismantling half of the Estonian batting lineup, including Sahil Chauhan, holder of the fastest T20I century record, who was bowled out for 23 runs off 14 balls. Estonia was bowled out for 141 runs in 19.4 overs.
Chasing a modest target of 142, Finland’s Arvind Mohan played a vital innings scoring 67 runs, guiding his team to victory with 11 balls to spare. Tambe’s performance was so impactful that he was awarded the Player of the Match.
This incredible achievement is particularly impressive given Tambe’s age and experience, having maintained his pace and skill as a seasoned player with 28 wickets in 24 T20 matches so far. His feat is now etched in cricket history as the fastest five-wicket haul in T20I cricket, demonstrating that cricketing excellence can come from emerging nations.
Previously, the fastest five-wicket hauls in T20Is were:
10 balls by Junaid Aziz (Bahrain) in 2022,
11 balls by Rashid Khan (Afghanistan) in 2017,
11 balls by Moazzam Baig (Malawi) in 2024,
11 balls by Khizer Hayat (Malaysia) in 2020.
Mahesh Tambe’s spectacular bowling will be remembered as one of the most extraordinary performances in T20I cricket history, bringing attention to Finnish cricket on the global stage.
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