Over the years, India has established itself as a batting powerhouse and has produced many legendary batters. But since the turn of this century, many bowlers have left an indelible mark on Indian cricket history.
Bowlers like Kapil Dev and Bishan Singh Bedi brought a revolution to the bowling department. And now Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah are carrying forward their legacy.
This article delves into the top 10 bowlers who have picked up the most wickets for India in all formats of the game.
Most Wickets for India in All Formats
| Player | Wickets | Innings | Average | BBI | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumble | 953 | 499 | 30.06 | 10/74 | 37/8 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 755 | 372 | 25.58 | 7/59 | 37/8 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 707 | 442 | 32.59 | 8/84 | 28/5 |
| Kapil Dev | 687 | 448 | 28.83 | 9/83 | 24/2 |
| Zaheer Khan | 597 | 373 | 31.48 | 7/87 | 12/1 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 577 | 400 | 29.08 | 7/42 | 15/2 |
| Javagal Srinath | 551 | 348 | 29.11 | 8/86 | 13/1 |
| Mohammed Shami | 448 | 245 | 26.06 | 7/57 | 11/0 |
| Ishant Sharma | 434 | 280 | 32.35 | 7/74 | 11/1 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 408 | 230 | 20.88 | 6/19 | 12/0 |
Key Insights
953: Anil Kumble, the legendary leg spinner, has scalped the most wickets for India across all formats. He has 953 wickets under his belt, with 619 Test wickets and 334 ODI wickets. Moreover, Kumble is the leading wicket-taker for India in both Tests and ODIs. And there is a high chance that Kumble’s tally will remain untouched.
8: Kumble and Ravichandran Ashwin are the only 2 Indian bowlers who have picked up 30 or more 5-wicket hauls and 8 or more 10-wicket hauls. And both have achieved this feat in the longer format, Test cricket. Both of them are also on the global list of bowlers with the same milestone.
45: Over 45 bowlers have bagged 100-plus wickets for India in all 3 formats of the game combined.
202: The number of wickets taken by former captain Kapil Dev in Tests and ODIs. This is the highest number of wickets picked by an Indian captain in Tests, ODIs, and T20Is combined.
10/74: This is the best bowling performance by an Indian bowler across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. And this was delivered by none other than Anil Kumble.
While playing in a Test against Pakistan in Delhi, Kumble had a dream day with the red cherry in his hand as he spun his web around the Pakistani batters and scalped all 10 wickets. With this wonderful performance, he became the second bowler to grab all 10 wickets of the opposition in Tests.
319 & 323: The number of wickets scalped by Kapil Dev and Zaheer Khan while bowling in home and away conditions, respectively. This is the highest among the Indian pacers.
476 & 336: When it comes to spinners, Anil Kumble is the only bowler who has picked up most wickets in home and away conditions.
