Greatest Bowling Records in International Cricket History
Bowling has produced some of cricket’s most iconic moments, from record-breaking wicket hauls and match-winning spells to career milestones that may never be surpassed. From legendary spinners like Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne to modern fast-bowling greats such as James Anderson and Jasprit Bumrah, bowlers have shaped cricket history across all formats.
Explore the ultimate collection of world bowling records across Test cricket, ODI cricket, T20 Internationals, World Cups, and franchise cricket.
World Bowling Records at a Glance
| Record | Player | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Most International Wickets | Muttiah Muralitharan | 1,347 |
| Most Test Wickets | Muttiah Muralitharan | 800 |
| Most ODI Wickets | Muttiah Muralitharan | 534 |
| Most T20I Wickets | Tim Southee | 175+ |
| Best Test Bowling Figures | Jim Laker | 10/53 |
| Best ODI Bowling Figures | Chaminda Vaas | 8/19 |
| Best T20I Bowling Figures | Peter Aho | 6/5 |
| Most International Five-Wicket Hauls | Muttiah Muralitharan | 77 |
Test Bowling Records
Most Wickets in Test Cricket
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 800 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | 708 |
| 3 | James Anderson | 700+ |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | 619 |
| 5 | Stuart Broad | 604 |
Best Bowling Figures in an Innings
| Rank | Player | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jim Laker | 10/53 |
| 2 | Anil Kumble | 10/74 |
| 3 | Ajaz Patel | 10/119 |
| 4 | George Lohmann | 9/28 |
| 5 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 9/51 |
Most Five-Wicket Hauls
| Rank | Player | 5WI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 67 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | 37 |
| 3 | Richard Hadlee | 36 |
| 4 | Rangana Herath | 34 |
| 5 | Anil Kumble | 35 |
ODI Bowling Records
Most Wickets in ODI Cricket
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 534 |
| 2 | Wasim Akram | 502 |
| 3 | Waqar Younis | 416 |
| 4 | Chaminda Vaas | 400 |
| 5 | Shahid Afridi | 395 |
Best ODI Bowling Figures
| Rank | Player | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chaminda Vaas | 8/19 |
| 2 | Rashid Khan | 7/18 |
| 3 | Andy Bichel | 7/20 |
| 4 | Glenn McGrath | 7/15 |
| 5 | Wanindu Hasaranga | 7/19 |
Most ODI Five-Wicket Hauls
| Rank | Player | 5WI |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Waqar Younis | 13 |
| 2 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 10 |
| 3 | Mitchell Starc | 9 |
| 4 | Brett Lee | 9 |
| 5 | Shahid Afridi | 9 |
T20 International Bowling Records
Most Wickets in T20I Cricket
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tim Southee | 175+ |
| 2 | Rashid Khan | 165+ |
| 3 | Shakib Al Hasan | 155+ |
| 4 | Ish Sodhi | 145+ |
| 5 | Adil Rashid | 140+ |
Best T20I Bowling Figures
| Rank | Player | Figures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peter Aho | 6/5 |
| 2 | Deepak Chahar | 6/7 |
| 3 | Ajantha Mendis | 6/8 |
| 4 | Yuzvendra Chahal | 6/25 |
| 5 | Wanindu Hasaranga | 6/9 |
International Career Records
Most International Wickets
| Rank | Player | Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 1,347 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | 1,001 |
| 3 | James Anderson | 990+ |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | 956 |
| 5 | Glenn McGrath | 949 |
Most International Five-Wicket Hauls
| Rank | Player | Hauls |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | 77 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | 47 |
| 3 | Richard Hadlee | 41 |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | 40 |
| 5 | Rangana Herath | 39 |
World Cup Bowling Records
| Record | Player | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Most ODI World Cup Wickets | Glenn McGrath | 71 |
| Most T20 World Cup Wickets | Shakib Al Hasan | 50+ |
| Most Wickets in Single ODI World Cup | Mohammed Shami | 24 |
| Best ODI World Cup Figures | Glenn McGrath | 7/15 |
| Most World Cup Five-Wicket Hauls | Mitchell Starc | 3 |
IPL Bowling Records
| Record | Player | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| Most IPL Wickets | Yuzvendra Chahal | 220+ |
| Best IPL Bowling Figures | Alzarri Joseph | 6/12 |
| Most Purple Caps | Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Dwayne Bravo | 2 Each |
| Most IPL Five-Wicket Hauls | James Faulkner | 3 |
| Best IPL Economy (100+ Wickets) | Rashid Khan | Elite Record |
Greatest Bowlers of All Time
Muttiah Muralitharan
- Most wickets in Test cricket
- Most wickets in ODI cricket
- Most international wickets overall
Shane Warne
- First bowler to reach 700 Test wickets
- Revolutionized leg-spin bowling
James Anderson
- Most wickets by a fast bowler
- Over two decades of excellence
Glenn McGrath
- Highest wicket-taker in ODI World Cups
- One of the most accurate bowlers ever
Anil Kumble
- Only the second bowler to take all 10 wickets in a Test innings
- India’s highest wicket-taker in Tests
Latest Bowling Records News (2026)
Jasprit Bumrah Continues to Dominate
Jasprit Bumrah remains one of the world’s most effective all-format bowlers with exceptional averages and match-winning performances.
Rashid Khan Strengthens T20 Legacy
Rashid Khan continues climbing the all-time T20 wicket charts across international and franchise cricket.
Young Fast Bowlers Rising
New-generation stars are challenging established records with increasing pace, fitness, and adaptability across formats.
Spin Bowling Remains Crucial
Modern spinners continue to play a decisive role despite batting-friendly conditions worldwide.
FAQs
Who has taken the most wickets in international cricket?
Muttiah Muralitharan with 1,347 wickets.
Who has the most Test wickets?
Muttiah Muralitharan with 800 wickets.
Who has the most ODI wickets?
Muttiah Muralitharan with 534 wickets.
Who is the highest wicket-taking fast bowler?
James Anderson.
Who took 10 wickets in a Test innings?
Jim Laker, Anil Kumble, and Ajaz Patel.
What is the best ODI bowling figure?
Chaminda Vaas with 8/19.
Who has the most IPL wickets?
Yuzvendra Chahal.
Who has the most World Cup wickets?
Glenn McGrath with 71 wickets.
Related Links
