Most Wickets in International Cricket—Know the Top 10 Bowlers of All Time

In cricket, the bat and the ball are equal. Although people usually might say about batting, bowlers are the people who really determine the game because they take the wickets when the situation is necessary. And these few bowlers have made a name in record books by regularly removing batsmen in Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T 20 Internationals (T20Is) through their long careers over several decades.

In this write-up, we shall go through the Top 10 bowlers that have grabbed the most wickets in international cricket, their style, major highlights, and how they made their impression on the sport unforgettable.

Top 10 most wickets in international cricket (All Formats)

This table provides an overview of the 10 most successful bowlers in terms of total international wickets:

1. Muttiah Muralitharan – Sri Lanka

• Career: 1992–2011
• Style: Right-arm Off-Spin
• Records: Most wickets in Tests and ODIs

Muttiah Muralitharan holds the most wickets in the history of international cricket, having claimed 1,347 wickets. The magical off-spin of the Sri Lankan legend, particularly his doosra, kept the batters in trouble during almost two decades. He still held the record with 800 wickets in Test cricket and 534 wickets in ODI cricket, where he was not matched in consistency. Muralitharan was a match-winner on any pitch and is a legend of spin bowling in the world of cricket.

2. Shane Warne—Australia

• Career: 1992–2007
• Style: Right-arm Leg-Spin
• Legacy: Rebirth of interest in leg-spin around the world

Shane Warne transformed leg-spin bowling because he had a sharp turn and unparalleled skills. The Australian mastermind had taken 1,001 overseas wickets, 708 of them in Tests. Warne was the boogeyman that batters could not sleep because of his tactical thinking and change of variations. His well-known deliveries, such as the Ball of the Century, made fans speechless. He never suited up in a T20 game but he is one of the greatest cricketers in the red-ball game.

3. James Anderson—England

• Career: 2003–2025.
• Playing Category: Right-arm Fast-Medium.
• Record: Most Test wickets, final batsman, pace bowler.
• He retired from test cricket on 12 July 2024 but has 977 wickets in total.

England is headed by James Anderson, who is one of the greatest fast bowlers and franchisees in taking wickets. He is still playing with 977 international wickets, which makes his career noteworthy and supreme in swing. He is the epitome of dominance, as shown by his 704 Test wickets, especially in England. Being able to change with time, adjust, pace, and control, Anderson has been able to survive generation after generation and keep evolving until well into his 40s.

4. Anil Kumble—India

• Career: 1990–2008
• Style: Right-arm Leg-Break
• He is best known till date as the 10-wicket haul in a single Test innings

Anil Kumble is the greatest wicket taker of India on the international platform, with 956 wickets. An expert in bounce and precision and not a batter of huge spin, Kumble could achieve wickets all the way to an unassisting ground by virtue of his persistence. His 619 Test match wickets and 337 wickets in the ODIs highlight his match-winning talents. He is well known to have the fighting spirit in him that he once bowled with a fractured mandible and that became his way of showing dedication as well as of being the name icon in Indian cricket.

5. Wasim Akram—Pakistan

• Career: 1984–2003
• Style: Left-arm Fast
• Known as: Swinger and lethal yorker

The swing king of Pakistan was Wasim Akram who bamboozled world cricket with 916 wickets on the international arena. His extremely fast and two-way abilities with the ball made him lethal under any circumstances. Akram had 502 ODI and 414 test wickets and played a major role in the golden era of Pakistan. The exact way he did those kinds of reverse swings and also his leadership skills on the field motivated generations of fast bowlers all over the world.

6. Glenn McGrath – Australia

• Career: 1993–2007
• Style: Right-Arm fast-Medium
• Strength: Accuracy and control

Glenn McGrath kept on being accurate and mentally tough to pick 949 international wickets. The Australian pacer did not depend much on the raw speed but it was a spot-on line and length. He was the bowler to turn to when the pressure was on having 563 wickets in Test cricket, and 381 in the ODI format. The performances of McGrath in the world cups and his stability against the strong opposition sides meant he was recognized as one of the greatest fast bowlers in history.

7. Stuart Broad- England

• Career: 2007–2023
• Manner: Right-arm Fast-Medium
• Reputed to: Change games with his magic

Passion and fiery spells of Stuart Broad earned him 845 international wickets. One of the backbones of England bowling attack of more than 15 years, Broad has had his best moments with several match-turning bowling spells in Ashes. He had 604 Test wickets, especially when bowling with the new ball. His forcefulness, bound and his capability to capture big wickets at the most important moments gave him the achievement of becoming an all-time great in Test cricket.

8. Shaun Pollock- South Africa

• Career: 1995–2008
• Style: Right-arm Fast -Medium
• Specialty: Thrifty and steady

The capability of Shaun Pollock to deliver in all aspects led to him getting 829 wickets for the South African side. Reputed as an accurate swing bowler, Pollock was also a dangerous bowler in the Test and ODI formats and has 421 and 393 wickets, respectively, in each format. His placidity and captaincy were a big asset to the Proteas team. He was a rare run giver on the field and still he is one of the most economical and consistent pacers of his times.

9. Waqar Younis—Pakistan

• Career: 1989–2003
• Playing style: Right-arm Fast
• Known as: Crushing yorkers toe-crushers

Toe-cracking yorker specialist Waqar Younis took 789 international wickets as a Pakistani. He was a nightmare to the batters with an unparalleled pace and reverse swing in the 1990s. There are a high number of match-turning spells recorded by Waqar in his 416 ODI and 373 Test wickets. His team with Wasim Akram made one of the deadliest fast bowling pairs of all time. He became an idol of fast bowlers in the world with his combative, attacking style of bowling.

10. Harbhajan Singh—India

• Career: 1998–2016
• Style: Off-Spin bowler, Right arm
• Specialty: Doosra and attitude to assaultive mindset

Harbhajan Singh, the Indian warrior of spin, claimed 711 international victims with his cut-off spin. He had a reputation for fighting spirit and pivotal performances in major games, particularly against Australia. Having 417 Test and 269 ODI wickets to his credit, Bhajji produced numerous match-winning bowling spells. He was dangerous on flat wickets through his doosra and bounce. He was a crowd favorite and was extremely energetic and aggressive when it came to bowling with the Indian bowling lineup.

Key Insights

• Muralitharan has 1,347 wickets, which could never be surpassed.
• The top 4 bowlers include Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, who started to play earlier than T20Is gained popularity.
• James Anderson has demonstrated how fast bowlers can remain fit and not rusty to old age.
• Wasim and Waqar made one of the most deadly bowling combinations of all time.
• Kumble, Harbhajan and Ashwin (who is just out of the top 10) were a spin trio in India.

Conclusion

Wickets are not only a statistic. It shows steadiness, planning, perseverance, and genius. Besides having flabbergasting records to their names, these 10 bowlers left their fans with moments they will always remember. Owing to the evolution of the game, future bowlers will be challenged by new forms of the game and pitches. However, these myths will keep motivating the cricketers across the world thanks to the kind of foundation that they have created.

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