T20 World Cup: Top 5 matches with the most number of dot balls

When it's a T20 game, the viewers' expectations have increased these days. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 saw a lot of high-scoring matches, which made the tournament exciting; hence, the audience is more into the excitement of high scores than enjoying the game in general. As the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 started, the first game was a high-scoring thriller between the USA and Canada. 

However, after that, most of the games are low-scoring yet interesting to watch. But several games broke the record of highest dot balls bowled in a match. Not only this year, there have been several matches where the dot balls are written in the tournament's history. 

Let's discuss the top five matches which saw the most dot balls in a T20 World Cup:

5. Namibia vs Scotland – 118 Dot Balls

Held in Abu Dhabi in 2021, the Namibia vs Scotland saw the fifth-highest dot balls bowled in a single T20 World Cup match. On winning the toss, Namibia chose to bowl first. Scotland's batters failed miserably as they managed to score 109 runs. Call it great bowling by Scotland, Namibia's batting line-up failure, or a pitch issue, but while chasing, Namibia took 19 overs to reach the target. It was a total bowler's game, as 118 dot balls were bowled in the match. 

4. Netherlands vs Zimbabwe – 121 Dot Balls

The Netherlands vs Zimbabwe match in 2022 was one match where the bowlers had complete control over the game with their mindful bowling. While batting first, Zimbabwe scored 117 runs, while the Netherlands chased down the target after losing five wickets. There were 121 dot balls bowled in this match, showcasing how T20 can sometimes be a bowler's game if they use the perfect line and length to keep the batters unsettled throughout the game. 

3. South Africa vs India – 123 Dot Balls

In the inaugural season of the T20 World Cup in 2007, South Africa vs India was a one-sided match where the Proteas gave up while they were batting. India batted first and scored 153 runs, which South Africa failed to chase and could only score 116 runs at the loss of nine wickets. In this match, 123 dot balls were bowled, most of which came during South Africa's batting. This was another example of the bowlers' powers and strengths. 

2. Namibia vs Oman – 123 Dot Balls

Even though the T20 World Cup 2024 started on a great note, the Namibia vs Oman game wasn't a high-scoring thriller. Rather, it was a low-scoring game that went on to the super over. On batting first, Oman scored 109 runs, which Namibia failed to chase on the first go. The match went to the super over, where Namibia batted first and scored 21 runs. Since the target was high, Oman lost the match. A total of 123 dot balls were bowled in this game. 

1. Sri Lanka vs South Africa – 127 Dot Balls

Unexpectedly, the Sri Lanka vs South Africa match in T20 WC 2024 saw the highest number of dot balls in a match. This particular match made it to the history books of the World Cups, as a total of 127 dot balls were bowled in a match of 240 balls. Sri Lanka batted first and scored just 77 runs, while South Africa took 16.2 overs to chase down a mere target. The bowling was amazing for both teams as they kept the scoring game interesting and the audience hooked to their seats.