Batsmen often dominate ICC Cricket World Cup matches, but bowlers also play an equally important role. And it’s pretty much evident, with some legendary bowlers playing their hearts out and helping their team lift the coveted trophy.
Glenn McGrath, an Australian legend, helped his team win consecutive World Cups in 1999, 2003, and 2007 with his exceptional bowling performances. McGrath picked up 71 wickets in his 4 appearances (1996-2007), the most by any bowler in ODI World Cup history.
Like McGrath, other bowlers also played an instrumental role in their team’s campaign. So, in this article, let’s take a look at the top 10 bowlers with the most wickets in the World Cup.
Most Wickets in ODI World Cup
| Player | Innings | Wickets | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 5W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn McGrath (AUS) | 39 | 71 | 7/15 | 18.19 | 3.96 | 27.53 | 2 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran (SL) | 39 | 68 | 4/19 | 19.63 | 3.88 | 30.30 | 0 |
| Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 28 | 65 | 6/28 | 19.29 | 5.15 | 22.44 | 3 |
| Lasith Malinga (SL) | 28 | 56 | 6/38 | 22.87 | 5.51 | 24.89 | 1 |
| Mohammed Shami (IND) | 18 | 55 | 7/57 | 13.52 | 5.13 | 15.81 | 4 |
| Wasim Akram (PAK) | 36 | 55 | 5/28 | 23.83 | 4.04 | 35.40 | 1 |
| Trent Boult (NZ) | 29 | 53 | 5/27 | 25.54 | 4.92 | 31.13 | 1 |
| Chaminda Vaas (SL) | 31 | 49 | 6/25 | 21.22 | 3.97 | 32.04 | 1 |
| Zaheer Khan (IND) | 23 | 44 | 4/42 | 20.22 | 4.47 | 27.11 | 0 |
| Javagal Srinath (IND) | 33 | 44 | 4/30 | 27.81 | 4.32 | 38.63 | 0 |
Key Stats
2: Only 2 bowlers — Glenn McGrath and Muthiah Muralidaran — have picked up more than 60 wickets while bowling in 39 innings each.
3: Australia’s left-arm pacer, Mitchell Starc, is the only bowler who has bagged three 5-wicket hauls in the World Cup.
25: More than 25 players have picked 30 or more wickets in the prestigious tournament over the years.
27: Mitchell Starc also holds the record for scalping the most wickets in one edition of the ODI World Cup. In the 2019 edition held in England, Starc went past Glenn McGrath’s tally of 26 wickets and ended the tournament with 27 wickets.
