Most Wickets In International Cricket History: Top 20 Bowlers

Muttiah Muralitharan has taken the most wickets in men’s international cricket: 1,347 across Tests, ODIs and T20Is. This all-time list combines only official men’s internationals and excludes IPL, domestic and other franchise matches. The rankings and active-player figures below use records checked through 16 October 2026, so a later international match can change the order.

Table Numbering: The No. column shows row order. Players with equal totals still share the same record; the row numbers do not break those ties.

Records At A Glance

Verified men’s international records, with format totals kept separate.

All-Time Leader

Muttiah Muralitharan

1,347

Sri Lanka · International Wickets

Second Overall

Shane Warne

1,001

Australia · International Wickets

Leading Pacer

James Anderson

991

England · International Wickets

Records Checked 16 October 2026 · Official Internationals Only

Archive Portraits: ESPNcricinfo (Muralitharan), Darren England / Getty Images via ESPNcricinfo (Warne), ICC (Anderson).

Who Has Taken The Most Wickets In International Cricket?

Muttiah Muralitharan is the record-holder with 1,347 wickets in 495 matches. His total is made up of 800 wickets in 133 Tests, 534 in 350 ODIs and 13 in 12 T20Is. ESPNcricinfo’s player record page lists the same format splits, averages and career spans.

The total includes his recognised Sri Lanka, Asia XI and ICC World XI appearances in the way the international record database classifies them. That matters because older summaries sometimes show only his Sri Lanka totals. A fair combined list must use one consistent classification for every player, rather than include Muralitharan’s representative-team matches while silently removing similar official entries elsewhere.

International wickets are not the same as all-format wickets. A bowler’s IPL, Big Bash, county, domestic one-day or other franchise wickets do not enter this table. T20I numbers also do not mean all T20 numbers: a T20 league career is a separate statistical category.

Top 20 Bowlers With The Most International Wickets

The primary ranking below is ordered by combined official men’s Test, ODI and T20I wickets. “Matches” means matches in those three international formats, not bowling innings. Country labels retain representative-team context where the source does so.

A zero in the T20I column means no T20I wickets in this career record. The combined total includes only official international wickets.

Most Wickets In Test Cricket

Muralitharan is the Test record-holder with 800 wickets in 133 matches, a bowling average of 22.72 and 67 five-wicket hauls. He also took 22 ten-wicket match hauls. Shane Warne is second with 708, followed by James Anderson on 704.

These numbers show why a raw total needs context. McGrath’s 563 Test wickets came at a lower average than several bowlers above him, while Muralitharan combines the largest total with a 22.72 average. Match workload, bowling role, pitch conditions and career length all affect the comparison.

Most Wickets In ODI Cricket

Muralitharan leads ODIs with 534 wickets in 350 matches. Wasim Akram is second on 502, ahead of Waqar Younis on 416. Shahid Afridi belongs fifth, between Chaminda Vaas and Shaun Pollock.

These are official international records, not franchise totals. Average means runs conceded per wicket; active players can change position after another match.

Most Wickets In T20I Cricket

Rashid Khan leads the men’s T20I list with 197 wickets in 118 matches. Adil Rashid follows on 171. The all-nation list includes Hong Kong’s Ehsan Khan and Bahrain’s Rizwan Butt. Hasaranga and Mustafizur share fifth place on 163 wickets.

These are official international records, not franchise totals. Average means runs conceded per wicket; active players can change position after another match.

Fast Bowlers And Spin Bowlers Compared

The combined top 20 contains both styles. Muralitharan, Warne, Kumble, Ashwin, Harbhajan, Vettori and Shakib are spin or spin-bowling all-rounder examples. Rashid Khan leads the separate T20I list, not this combined top 20. Anderson, McGrath, Wasim, Broad, Pollock, Waqar, Southee, Starc, Walsh, Lee, Steyn and Kapil represent pace or seam roles. Some players, especially all-rounders, do not fit a simple category.

Among pace bowlers, Anderson’s 991 is the highest combined total, followed by McGrath’s 949 and Wasim’s 916. In Tests, Anderson’s 704 is the biggest pace tally in the table. In ODIs, Wasim’s 502 is the leading pace total. These are useful record statements, not proof that pace is universally better than spin. Format, workload, selection and opportunity shape the totals.

Among spin bowlers, Muralitharan is the clear overall leader and owns the two largest format records. Warne’s 1,001 combined wickets and Kumble’s 956 show the depth of the Test era, while Rashid Khan’s T20I lead reflects the expansion and importance of the shortest international format. The comparison is strongest when totals, averages and format context are kept together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who Has Taken The Most Wickets In International Cricket?

Muttiah Muralitharan has taken the most: 1,347 official men’s international wickets across Tests, ODIs and T20Is.

How Many International Wickets Did Muttiah Muralitharan Take?

He finished with 1,347: 800 in Tests, 534 in ODIs and 13 in T20Is.

Who Has The Most Wickets In Test Cricket?

Muralitharan leads Test cricket with 800 wickets in 133 matches.

Who Has The Most Wickets In ODI Cricket?

Muralitharan also leads ODIs, with 534 wickets in 350 matches.

Who Has Taken The Most Wickets In T20I Cricket?

Rashid Khan leads the current men’s T20I record table with 197 wickets in 118 matches at the stated cutoff.

Who Is The Leading Fast Bowler By International Wickets?

James Anderson is the leading pace bowler in the combined table, with 991 international wickets. The style label is a role-based comparison, not an official statistical category.

Are IPL Wickets Included In International Records?

No. IPL wickets, domestic wickets and franchise T20 wickets are excluded. Only official men’s Test, ODI and T20I wickets count in this article.

Final Answer

Muralitharan remains the answer to most wickets in international cricket, with a record 1,347. His 800 Test wickets and 534 ODI wickets are also format records, while Rashid Khan leads the modern T20I list. The fairest way to read the leaderboard is to start with the combined total, then check matches, average, five-wicket hauls and format splits before judging a bowler’s impact.

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Sources: ESPNcricinfo records and relevant official scorecards. T20I bowling ranks are additionally reconciled with the named October leaderboard. Source links are kept in the private editorial ledger.