The greatest T20 player: Malinga or Steyn? Bravo or Tanvir?

Here's the next set of match-ups to determine the greatest T20 cricketer. The player with more votes progresses to the round of 16.

Note: Voting closes at 6.30am GMT on Tuesday, April 14. Click here to refresh the page if the polls don't load.

Lasith Malinga v Dale Steyn

Lasith Malinga
Wickets 390 Ave 19.69 ER 7.08

Lasith Malinga's slinging action, cunning change of pace and pinpoint yorkers at the death put him in pole position to be considered as the best in the format. Among pace bowlers with at least 200 T20 wickets, no one averages better than his 19.69. Second to Dwayne Bravo on the wicket-taking charts in T20 cricket, Malinga is the only bowler with over 100 wickets in T20Is. Half of his 390 wickets have come for the Mumbai Indians, and he's the leading wicket-taker in the IPL. He took the most wickets in the 2011 IPL, and followed that up with a Player-of-the-Tournament performance in the franchise's first title, the Champions League T20. He has since gone on to win four IPL titles with the franchise. In 2014, he led Sri Lanka to the T20 World Cup title, taking up captaincy midway into the tournament. Many would have thought his T20 career was on the wane when he was appointed Mumbai Indians' bowling mentor in 2018 after going unsold at the IPL auction. Come 2019, Malinga took a wicket off the final ball in a one-run thriller in the IPL final, and later that year conjured a magical four in four for his country.

Dale Steyn
Wickets 256 Ave 21.48 ER 6.75

Dale Steyn's T20 record usually goes under the radar given his success in the other formats, but he has been impactful in the shortest format too. He is South Africa's highest wicket-taker in T20Is, and has combined his pace and swing with deceitful slower deliveries to fox opposition batsmen over the years. Effective with the new ball as well as to close out an innings, Steyn's economy rate of 6.75 is the best for any pace bowler with more than 200 wickets in T20s. Injuries have plagued Steyn in recent years, and he retired from Test cricket last year, but he's still excelling in his T20 stints. In two MSL seasons, he is the joint-highest wicket-taker, and he has been the most impactful bowler in T20s since 2019. South Africa's top T20 World Cup wicket-taker could be crucial to their hopes of a title in 2020.

Dwayne Bravo v Sohail Tanvir

Dwayne Bravo
Runs 6307Ave 23.89 SR 126.82
Wickets 497 Ave 24.52 ER 8.24

The leading wicket-taker in the format, Dwayne Bravo is three strikes away from becoming the first to 500. Out of those 497 wickets, 279 have come in overs 17-20 - the most by any bowler in this phase. It's Bravo control over his variations - particularly the slower balls and delivering them from various points - that make him difficult to get away in the slog overs. He's been a serial topper across leagues when it comes to the wicket charts - the 2009 Champions League T20, IPL 2013 and 2015, CPL 2015 and 2016, BPL 2016-17, and BBL 2017-18. His bowling numbers overshadow his batting - he often bats low down the order - but he still has 6307 runs in the format and can be a handy finisher when on song. "Champion" Bravo has won 13 tournament finals across the world, and he's led the Trinbago side to three CPL titles - he was Player of the Tournament in their first win in 2015. And don't forget his electric fielding, a couple of examples of which here and here.

Sohail Tanvir
Runs 2267 Ave 15.74 SR 118.13
Wickets 351 Ave 24.57 ER 7.30

If Bravo's the master of the death overs, then Tanvir is the master of the Powerplay. Nobody has taken more wickets than his 120 in the first six overs in T20 cricket. Tanvir has also fronted up to the slog overs, and is only behind Bravo and Lasith Malinga with 172 strikes. His wrong-footed action and his control saw him become the top wicket-taker in Rajasthan Royals' run to the title in the inaugural IPL back in 2008. His 6 for 14 in that edition remained the best bowling figures in the IPL for nearly 11 years. In 2017, Tanvir claimed 5 for 3 in his four overs at the CPL for Guyana Amazon Warriors. It stands as the joint second-most economical four-over spell in CPL history. In all he is the sixth-highest wicket-taker in T20 cricket. Tanvir last played a T20I in 2017, but he continues to be a key cog in domestic T20: he was the top wicket-taker in Quetta Gladiators' title success in PSL 2019, and was the joint top wicket-taker for table-toppers Multan Sultans this year.

Thanks for voting. Keep track of past match-ups in the greatest T20 player bracket here.