Muttiah Muralitharan, from Sri Lanka, holds the record for the most Test wickets with an incredible 800 wickets from 133 Tests. His best performance of 9/51 and an average of 22.72 showcase his dominance.
In second place is Shane Warne, an Australian legend, who took 708 wickets in 145 Tests. His 8/71 remains one of his greatest performances. Warne’s career economy rate of 2.65 and strike rate of 57.49 further solidify his legacy.
James Anderson, from England, comes in third with 704 wickets in 188 Tests. Known for his exceptional swing, his best performance of 7/42 highlights his adaptability and skill. Anderson’s impressive economy rate of 2.79 as a fast bowler has earned him a special place in cricket history.
Now, let’s take a look at the top 50 most Test wicket-takers in cricket history.
Top wicket-taker in Test history
| Player | Country | Tenure | Mat | Inns | Balls | Overs | Mdns | Runs | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 1992-2010 | 133 | 230 | 44039 | 7339.5 | 1794 | 18180 | 800 | 9/51 | 22.72 | 2.47 | 55.04 | 45 | 67 | 22 |
| Shane Warne | Australia | 1992-2007 | 145 | 273 | 40705 | 6784.1 | 1761 | 17995 | 708 | 8/71 | 25.41 | 2.65 | 57.49 | 48 | 37 | 10 |
| James Anderson | England | 2003-2024 | 188 | 350 | 40037 | 6672.5 | 1730 | 18627 | 704 | 7/42 | 26.45 | 2.79 | 56.87 | 32 | 32 | 3 |
| Anil Kumble | India | 1990-2008 | 132 | 236 | 40850 | 6808.2 | 1576 | 18355 | 619 | 10/74 | 29.65 | 2.69 | 65.99 | 31 | 35 | 8 |
| Stuart Broad | England | 2007-2023 | 167 | 309 | 33698 | 5616.2 | 1304 | 16719 | 604 | 8/15 | 27.68 | 2.97 | 55.79 | 28 | 20 | 3 |
| Glenn McGrath | Australia | 1993-2007 | 124 | 243 | 29248 | 4874.4 | 1470 | 12186 | 563 | 8/24 | 21.64 | 2.49 | 51.95 | 28 | 29 | 3 |
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 2011-2025 | 139 | 259 | 34502 | 5750.2 | 1089 | 16942 | 562 | 8/50 | 30.14 | 2.94 | 61.39 | 26 | 24 | 5 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 2011-2024 | 106 | 200 | 27246 | 4541.0 | 907 | 12891 | 537 | 7/59 | 24.00 | 2.83 | 50.73 | 25 | 37 | 8 |
| Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 1984-2001 | 132 | 242 | 30019 | 5003.1 | 1144 | 12688 | 519 | 7/37 | 24.44 | 2.53 | 57.84 | 32 | 22 | 3 |
| Dale Steyn | South Africa | 2004-2019 | 93 | 171 | 18608 | 3101.2 | 660 | 10077 | 439 | 7/51 | 22.95 | 3.24 | 42.38 | 27 | 26 | 5 |
| Kapil Dev | India | 1978-1994 | 131 | 227 | 27740 | 4623.2 | 1060 | 12867 | 434 | 9/83 | 29.64 | 2.78 | 63.91 | 17 | 23 | 2 |
| Rangana Herath | Sri Lanka | 1999-2018 | 93 | 170 | 25993 | 4332.1 | 814 | 12157 | 433 | 9/127 | 28.07 | 2.80 | 60.03 | 20 | 34 | 9 |
| Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 1973-1990 | 86 | 150 | 21918 | – | 809 | 9611 | 431 | 9/52 | 22.29 | 2.63 | 50.85 | 25 | 36 | 9 |
| Shaun Pollock | South Africa | 1995-2008 | 108 | 202 | 24353 | 4058.5 | 1222 | 9733 | 421 | 7/87 | 23.11 | 2.39 | 57.84 | 23 | 16 | 1 |
| Harbhajan Singh | India | 1998-2015 | 103 | 190 | 28580 | 4763.2 | 871 | 13537 | 417 | 8/84 | 32.46 | 2.84 | 68.53 | 16 | 25 | 5 |
| Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 1985-2002 | 104 | 181 | 22627 | 3771.1 | 871 | 9779 | 414 | 7/119 | 23.62 | 2.59 | 54.65 | 20 | 25 | 5 |
| Curtly Ambrose | West Indies | 1988-2000 | 98 | 179 | 22103 | 3683.5 | 1001 | 8501 | 405 | 8/45 | 20.99 | 2.30 | 54.57 | 21 | 22 | 3 |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 2011-2025 | 100 | 192 | 19094 | 3182.2 | 606 | 10863 | 402 | 6/9 | 27.02 | 3.41 | 47.49 | 20 | 16 | 2 |
| Tim Southee | New Zealand | 2008-2024 | 107 | 203 | 23490 | 3915.0 | 889 | 11832 | 391 | 7/64 | 30.26 | 3.02 | 60.07 | 19 | 15 | 1 |
| Makhaya Ntini | South Africa | 1998-2009 | 101 | 190 | 20834 | 3472.2 | 759 | 11242 | 390 | 7/37 | 28.82 | 3.23 | 53.42 | 19 | 18 | 4 |
| Ian Botham | England | 1977-1992 | 102 | 168 | 21815 | – | 788 | 10878 | 383 | 8/34 | 28.40 | 2.99 | 56.95 | 17 | 27 | 4 |
| Malcolm Marshall | West Indies | 1978-1991 | 81 | 151 | 17584 | 2930.4 | 614 | 7876 | 376 | 7/22 | 20.94 | 2.68 | 46.76 | 19 | 22 | 4 |
| Waqar Younis | Pakistan | 1989-2003 | 87 | 154 | 16224 | 2704.0 | 516 | 8788 | 373 | 7/76 | 23.56 | 3.25 | 43.49 | 28 | 22 | 5 |
| Imran Khan | Pakistan | 1971-1992 | 88 | 142 | 19458 | – | 727 | 8258 | 362 | 8/58 | 22.81 | 2.54 | 53.75 | 17 | 23 | 6 |
| Daniel Vettori | New Zealand | 1997-2014 | 113 | 187 | 28814 | 4802.2 | 1197 | 12441 | 362 | 7/87 | 34.36 | 2.59 | 79.59 | 19 | 20 | 3 |
| Dennis Lillee | Australia | 1971-1984 | 70 | 132 | 18467 | – | 652 | 8493 | 355 | 7/83 | 23.92 | 2.75 | 52.01 | 23 | 23 | 7 |
| Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 1994-2009 | 111 | 194 | 23438 | 3906.2 | 895 | 10501 | 355 | 7/71 | 29.58 | 2.68 | 66.02 | 20 | 12 | 2 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 2015-2025 | 71 | 130 | 13100 | 2183.2 | 433 | 7306 | 336 | 7/112 | 21.74 | 3.34 | 38.98 | 15 | 17 | 4 |
| Allan Donald | South Africa | 1992-2002 | 72 | 129 | 15519 | 2586.3 | 661 | 7344 | 330 | 8/71 | 22.25 | 2.83 | 47.02 | 11 | 20 | 3 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 2012-2025 | 83 | 156 | 19067 | 3177.5 | 742 | 8129 | 326 | 7/42 | 24.93 | 2.55 | 58.48 | 13 | 15 | 3 |
| Bob Willis | England | 1971-1984 | 90 | 165 | 17357 | – | 554 | 8190 | 325 | 8/43 | 25.20 | 2.83 | 53.40 | 12 | 16 | – |
| Trent Boult | New Zealand | 2011-2022 | 78 | 149 | 17417 | 2902.5 | 656 | 8717 | 317 | 6/30 | 27.49 | 3.00 | 54.94 | 18 | 10 | 1 |
| Mitchell Johnson | Australia | 2007-2015 | 73 | 140 | 16001 | 2666.5 | 514 | 8891 | 313 | 8/61 | 28.40 | 3.33 | 51.12 | 16 | 12 | 3 |
| Ishant Sharma | India | 2007-2021 | 105 | 188 | 19160 | 3193.2 | 640 | 10078 | 311 | 7/74 | 32.40 | 3.15 | 61.60 | 10 | 11 | 1 |
| Zaheer Khan | India | 2000-2014 | 92 | 165 | 18785 | 3130.5 | 624 | 10247 | 311 | 7/87 | 32.94 | 3.27 | 60.40 | 15 | 11 | 1 |
| Brett Lee | Australia | 1999-2008 | 76 | 150 | 16531 | 2755.1 | 547 | 9554 | 310 | 5/30 | 30.81 | 3.46 | 53.32 | 17 | 10 | – |
| Pat Cummins | Australia | 2011-2025 | 71 | 132 | 14187 | 2364.3 | 514 | 6829 | 309 | 6/23 | 22.10 | 2.88 | 45.91 | 17 | 14 | 2 |
| Morne Morkel | South Africa | 2006-2018 | 86 | 160 | 16498 | 2749.4 | 605 | 8550 | 309 | 6/23 | 27.66 | 3.10 | 53.39 | 18 | 8 | – |
| Lance Gibbs | West Indies | 1958-1976 | 79 | 148 | 27115 | – | 1313 | 8989 | 309 | 8/38 | 29.09 | 1.98 | 87.75 | 11 | 18 | 2 |
| Fred Trueman | England | 1952-1965 | 67 | 127 | 15178 | – | 522 | 6625 | 307 | 8/31 | 21.57 | 2.61 | 49.43 | 19 | 17 | 3 |
| Derek Underwood | England | 1966-1982 | 86 | 151 | 21862 | – | 1239 | 7674 | 297 | 8/51 | 25.83 | 2.10 | 73.60 | 13 | 17 | 6 |
| Josh Hazlewood | Australia | 2014-2025 | 76 | 143 | 15423 | 2570.3 | 657 | 7144 | 295 | 6/67 | 24.21 | 2.77 | 52.28 | 11 | 13 | – |
| Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 1995-2013 | 166 | 272 | 20232 | 3372.0 | 848 | 9535 | 292 | 6/54 | 32.65 | 2.82 | 69.28 | 7 | 5 | – |
| Craig McDermott | Australia | 1984-1996 | 71 | 124 | 16586 | 2764.2 | 579 | 8332 | 291 | 8/97 | 28.63 | 3.01 | 56.99 | 17 | 14 | 2 |
| Kemar Roach | West Indies | 2009-2025 | 85 | 154 | 14944 | 2490.4 | 540 | 7729 | 284 | 6/48 | 27.21 | 3.10 | 52.61 | 14 | 11 | 1 |
| Bishan Singh Bedi | India | 1966-1979 | 67 | 118 | 21364 | – | 1096 | 7637 | 266 | 7/98 | 28.71 | 2.14 | 80.31 | 13 | 14 | 1 |
| Danish Kaneria | Pakistan | 2000-2010 | 61 | 112 | 17697 | 2949.3 | 517 | 9082 | 261 | 7/77 | 34.79 | 3.07 | 67.80 | 8 | 15 | 2 |
| Neil Wagner | New Zealand | 2012-2024 | 64 | 122 | 13725 | 2287.3 | 473 | 7169 | 260 | 7/39 | 27.57 | 3.13 | 52.78 | 13 | 9 | – |
| Joel Garner | West Indies | 1977-1987 | 58 | 111 | 13169 | 2194.5 | 576 | 5433 | 259 | 6/56 | 20.97 | 2.47 | 50.84 | 18 | 7 | – |
| Jason Gillespie | Australia | 1996-2006 | 71 | 137 | 14234 | 2372.2 | 630 | 6770 | 259 | 7/37 | 26.13 | 2.85 | 54.95 | 8 | 8 | – |
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