Laura Cardoso has achieved an extraordinary milestone in the world of international T20 cricket, recording the best bowling figures ever for both men and women. The Brazilian athlete claimed nine wickets while conceding just four runs in a match against Lesotho.
This remarkable achievement surpasses the previous record held by Sonam Yeshey of Bhutan, who took eight wickets for seven runs during a men’s T20I against Myanmar in 2025.
At only 21 years old, Cardoso’s performance is likely to remain unmatched for some time. Competing in the Kalahari Women’s Tournament held in Gaborone, Botswana, her team, Brazil, set a formidable target of 202 runs, concluding their innings at 8-202.
When Cardoso took to the bowling crease, the opposition wickets began to tumble. She initiated her spell with a hat-trick in the second over and followed that up with an additional four wickets in her next over. Although she secured her final two wickets in the third over, she was unable to claim all ten as Marianne Artur took the last wicket, leaving Lesotho all out for a mere 13 runs in just 6.2 overs.
Before Cardoso’s groundbreaking performance, the record for the best bowling figures in international T20 matches was held by Sonam Yeshey, while the highest figures for a female bowler were set by Rohmalia Rohmalia of Indonesia, who had captured seven wickets for 10 runs against Mongolia in 2024.
