USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk has emerged as one of the surprise bowling stars of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, continuing his remarkable tournament form with another four-wicket haul against Pakistan following his terrific 4-fer against India. The South Africa-born seamer has been the leading wicket-taker in this edition so far, taking centre stage with incisive bowling performances that include key scalps of top batters and a knack for troubling left-handed players with his variations.
Dominant spell against pakistan
In the USA’s clash with Pakistan, van Schalkwyk produced a disciplined and clever bowling performance to finish with 4 for 25, once again leading the USA attack and taking his tournament tally into double figures. His bowling, mixing pace variations and smart slower deliveries, regularly forced mistakes from set batters and disrupted the Pakistan batting momentum.
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The right-arm medium-fast bowler struck in his very first over yet again, getting the wickets of Saim Ayub & Salman Agha. He then got crucial blows in the late overs, dismissing experienced Pakistan batters including Shadab Khan and Faheem Ashraf, capitalising on a couple of well-flighted slower balls to induce false strokes in key moments of the innings.
Rarlier run-through of India’s top order
Van Schalkwyk first made global headlines in the USA’s tournament opener against India at Wankhede Stadium, where he produced a stunning spell that triggered a collapse in India’s top order. In that game he dismissed Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube in a single over, using clever slower balls and well-disguised cutters to great effect, leaving India reeling.
The triple blow in that over showed van Schalkwyk’s ability to exploit pressure situations and target technically talented left-handed batters, a trend that has continued through the tournament.
Troublesome against left-handers
A distinctive feature of van Schalkwyk’s breakout tournament has been his effectiveness against left-handed batsmen. His stock delivery, a slower cutter flattered by deceptive pace and late movement, has been particularly successful in unsettling left-handed players. In both the India and Pakistan matches, several of his scalps came from batters who struggled to adjust to variations pointed at their pads or just outside off stump, with 6 of his 8 tournament victims so far have been left-handed batters, underlining the threat he poses to that segment of batting lineups.
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Van Schalkwyk’s consistency has seen him rise to the top of the T20 World Cup 2026 bowling charts, with his string of four-wicket hauls and key breakthroughs.
Background and bowling profile
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, van Schalkwyk carved his cricketing path through domestic cricket before qualifying for the United States national team. A right-arm medium-fast bowler with a reputation for sharp seam movement and clever changes of pace, he played domestic cricket in South Africa before moving to the U.S. and featuring in Minor League Cricket and Major League Cricket with franchises such as the Los Angeles Knight Riders.
He made his T20I debut for the USA in April 2024 and quickly became a valued member of the bowling attack. Coming into the 2026 World Cup, selectors saw his experience and nuanced bowling as assets for the USA in high-pressure global competition.
