Who has taken the most wickets in international cricket across all formats?

Stuart Broad just hung up his boots, while Ashwin & Anderson are still going on. How far can they go? Can anyone challenge Muralitharan?

Here’s your complete stats guide to the most wickets in international cricket.

Key Takeaways

• Muttiah Muralitharan (1347), Shane Warne (1001), Jimmy Anderson (976), Anil Kumble (956), and Glenn McGrath (949) have taken the most wickets across formats in international cricket.
• Muttiah Muralitharan has taken the most wickets in both Test cricket (800) and ODI cricket (534), while Shakib Hasan (140) & Tim Southee (134) are leading the charge in T20Is. The second highest are Shane Warne (708) and Wasim Akram (502) in Tests & ODIs respectively.
• Jimmy Anderson (976), Stuart Broad (843), Tim Southee (714), Ravichandran Ashwin (712), and Shakib Al Hasan (678) are the highest wicket-takers who are still currently playing international cricket. Stuart Broad just announced his retirement.
• Waqar Younis (2.73%) and Dale Steyn (2.70%) had the highest percentage of wickets compared to the number of balls bowled in their entire career.
• The breakdown of the highest wicket takers by country is as follows: India (4), South Africa & Australia (3), Sri Lanka, England, New Zealand, & Pakistan (2), and Bangladesh & West Indies (1) .

Also Read: Who Has Taken The Most Wickets in Test Cricket? | List of The Top 26 Highest Wicket Takers In Test Cricket History, 155 Greatest Cricketers of All Time (Men’s): Who Is the King of Cricket? (Updated 2023), Who has the Most Man of the Match Awards in International Cricket? The Greatest Match Winners in Cricket History, Who Has Scored the Most Test Runs? List of Top 35 Highest Runs Scorers in Test Cricket History

Highest Wicket Takers in International Cricket Across Formats: Where do Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, and Ravichandran Ashwin Rank?

1. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka), 1347 Wickets

*also spelled Muralidaran

• Years Played: 1992-2011
• Matches/Innings: 495/583
• 5-fers/10-fers: 77/22
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 800/534/13]

Balls Bowled: 63132

Percentage of Wickets: 2.13%

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2. Shane Warne (Australia), 1001 Wickets

• Years Played: 1992-2007
• Matches/Innings: 339/464
• 5-fers/10-fers: 38/10
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 708/293/0

Balls Bowled: 51347

Percentage of Wickets: 1.95%

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3. Jimmy Anderson (England), 976* Wickets

• Years Played: 2002-2023*
• Matches/Innings: 395/549
• 5-fers/10-fers: 34/3
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 689/269/18

Balls Bowled: 48983

Percentage of Wickets: 1.99%

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4. Anil Kumble (India), 956 Wickets

• Years Played: 1990-2008
• Matches/Innings: 403/501
• 5-fers/10-fers: 37/8
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 619/337/0

Balls Bowled: 55346

Percentage of Wickets: 1.73%

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5. Glenn McGrath (Australia), 949 Wickets

• Years Played: 1993-2007
• Matches/Innings: 376/493
• 5-fers/10-fers: 36/3
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 563/381/5

Balls Bowled: 42266Percentage of Wickets: 2.25%

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6. Wasim Akram (Pakistan), 916 Wickets

• Years Played: 1984-2003
• Matches/Innings: 460/532
• 5-fers/10-fers: 31/5
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 414/502/0

Balls Bowled: 40813

Percentage of Wickets: 2.24%

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7. Stuart Broad (England), 843* Wickets

• Years Played: 2006-2023
• Matches/Innings: 343/483
• 5-fers/10-fers: 21/3
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 600/178/65

Balls Bowled: 40736

Percentage of Wickets: 2.1%

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8. Shaun Pollock (South Africa), 829 Wickets

• Years Played: 1995-2008
• Matches/Innings: 423/510
• 5-fers/10-fers: 21/1
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 421/393/15

Balls Bowled: 40308

Percentage of Wickets: 2.06%

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9. Waqar Younis (Pakistan), 789 Wickets

• Years Played: 1989-2003
• Matches/Innings: 349/412
• 5-fers/10-fers: 35/5
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 373/416/0

Balls Bowled: 28922

Percentage of Wickets: 2.73%

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10. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka), 761 Wickets

• Years Played: 1994-2009
• Matches/Innings: 439/520
• 5-fers/10-fers: 16/2
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 355/400/6

Balls Bowled: 39345

Percentage of Wickets: 1.93%

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11. Courtney Walsh (West Indies), 746 Wickets

• Years Played: 1984-2001
• Matches/Innings: 337/446
• 5-fers/10-fers: 23/3
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 519/227/0

Balls Bowled: 40841

Percentage of Wickets: 1.82%

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12. Brett Lee (Australia), 718 Wickets

• Years Played: 1999-2012
• Matches/Innings: 322/392
• 5-fers/10-fers: 19/0
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 310/380/28

Balls Bowled: 28261

Percentage of Wickets: 2.54%

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13. Tim Southee (New Zealand), 714* Wickets

• Years Played: 2008-2023*
• Matches/Innings: 355/435
• 5-fers/10-fers: 19/1
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 370/210/134

Balls Bowled: 31694

Percentage of Wickets: 2.25%

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14. Ravichandran Ashwin (India), 712* Wickets

• Years Played: 2010-2023*
• Matches/Innings: 272/354
• 5-fers/10-fers: 34/8
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 489/151/72

Balls Bowled: 32706

Percentage of Wickets: 2.18%

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15. Harbhajan Singh (India), 711 Wickets

• Years Played: 1998-2016
• Matches/Innings: 367/444
• 5-fers/10-fers: 28/5
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 417/269/25

Balls Bowled: 41671

Percentage of Wickets: 1.71%

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16. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand), 705 Wickets

• Years Played: 1997-2015
• Matches/Innings: 442/498
• 5-fers/10-fers: 22/3
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 362/305/38

Balls Bowled: 43661

Percentage of Wickets: 1.61%

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17. Dale Steyn (South Africa), 699 Wickets

• Years Played: 2004-2020
• Matches/Innings: 265/342
• 5-fers/10-fers: 29/5
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 439/196/64

Balls Bowled: 25879

Percentage of Wickets: 2.70%

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18. Kapil Dev (India), 687 Wickets

• Years Played: 1978-1994
• Matches/Innings: 356/448
• 5-fers/10-fers: 24/2
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 434/253/0

Balls Bowled: 38942

Percentage of Wickets: 1.76%

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19. Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), 678* Wickets

• Years Played: 2006-2023*
• Matches/Innings: 418/455
• 5-fers/10-fers: 25/2
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 233/305/140

Balls Bowled: 29713

Percentage of Wickets: 2.28%

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20. Makhaya Ntini (South Africa), 662 Wickets

• Years Played: 1998-2011
• Matches/Innings: 284/371
• 5-fers/10-fers: 22/4
• Tests/ODIs/T20Is: 390/266/6

Balls Bowled: 29713

Percentage of Wickets: 2.23%

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Honorable Mentions: Curtly Ambrose (630), Mitchell Starc (617), Zaheer Khan (610), Allan Donald (602)

Final Thoughts on the Highest Wicket Takers

Bowling is an art, and I am glad to have watched the majority of these bowlers throughout my life.

The interesting aspect is that every bowler had their own unique style. From Murali’s skill to Anderson’s swing & from Mcgrath’s consistency to Ashwin’s inventiveness, it has been just a joy to watch.

I hope the legacies of these bowlers will continue with the next generation, but the real question is – can anyone even come close to the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan?

Frequently Asked Questions – Most Wickets in International Cricket Across Formats

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