Over the years, batters have wreaked havoc over the bowlers, but Test cricket is one format where bowlers have a fair say. Taking 20 wickets of the opponent requires skills and dedication; however, a few bowlers have that sort of mastery.
We have seen bowlers like Muthiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Ravichandran Ashwin, James Anderson, and Glenn McGrath who have dominated their opponents and bagged many wickets.
In this article, take a look at the top 10 active players with the most wickets in Test cricket.
Most Wickets by Active Players in Test Cricket
| Player | Wickets | Innings | BBI | Avg | 5W Haul |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nathan Lyon (AUS) | 553 | 253 | 8/50 | 30.19 | 24 |
| Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 382 | 184 | 6/50 | 27.57 | 15 |
| Kagiso Rabada (SA) | 327 | 128 | 7/112 | 22.00 | 16 |
| Ravindra Jadeja (IND) | 323 | 150 | 7/42 | 24.14 | 15 |
| Pat Cummins (AUS) | 294 | 125 | 6/23 | 22.43 | 13 |
| Kemar Roach (WI) | 284 | 154 | 6/48 | 27.21 | 11 |
| Josh Hazlewood (AUS) | 279 | 135 | 6/67 | 24.55 | 12 |
| Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) | 246 | 121 | 7/36 | 31.72 | 19 |
| Mohammed Shami (IND) | 229 | 122 | 6/56 | 27.71 | 6 |
| Taijul Islam (BAN) | 217 | 91 | 8/39 | 31.74 | 15 |
More “Current Players” Records
Most Runs by Active Players in Test
Most Wickets by Active Players in Test
Most Wickets by Active Players in ODI
Most Runs by Active Players in ODI
Key Insights
After the retirement of the experienced candidates James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Ravichandran Ashwin, it is Australia’s Nathan Lyon, who is the only contender to 600 Test wickets club.
The off-spinner became the 8th bowler to grab 500 wickets in the Test format. The Australian spinning maestro achieved this feat in December 2023 during the first Test match against Pakistan as he trapped Faheem Ashraf LBW.
Considering the age of the members listed above, Kagiso Rabada and Kagiso Rabada are the only contenders to make it to the 500-wickets milestone in the longer formats.
Other active players like Mohammed Shami, Ben Stokes, and Taijul Islam are in the offing to rise up the ranks and trouble the batters.
