Top 10 Most Wicket Takers In 2025

Finding the leading wicket-takers of 2025 across all formats (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is) reveals a year where raw pace and mystery spin shared the spotlight. 2025 has been a historic year, particularly for New Zealand's Jacob Duffy, who shattered long-standing records to emerge as the leading force.

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Top 10 International Wicket Takers in 2025

Rank	Bowler	Team	Wickets	Key Highlight
1	Jacob Duffy	New Zealand	81	Broke Richard Hadlee's record for most wickets by a Kiwi in a year.
2	Blessing Muzarabani	Zimbabwe	65	Became the first bowler to hit the 30-wicket mark early in the year.
3	Matt Henry	New Zealand	65	Leading wicket-taker in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
4	Ali Dawood	Bahrain	63	A standout performer among Associate Nations.
5	Kuldeep Yadav	India	60	The highest wicket-taker for India across all formats this year.
6	Varun Chakaravarthy	India	46	Finished as the world's top-ranked T20I bowler.
7	Mohammed Siraj	India	45	Consistent across formats with a 4-wicket haul in the IPL.
8	Jasprit Bumrah	India	45	Maintained an elite average despite managed workload.
9	Deepti Sharma	India (W)	39	The leading wicket-taker in Women’s ODIs for 2025.
10	Ravindra Jadeja	India	37	Crucial contributions in both the Champions Trophy and Test matches.

Key Insights of 2025

• The Duffy Dominance: Jacob Duffy's 81 wickets came at an incredible average of 17.11, marking one of the most prolific individual years in modern cricket history.

• Spin vs. Pace: While pace dominated the top three spots, Indian spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakaravarthy proved that spin remains a lethal weapon, especially in T20Is where Chakaravarthy took a joint-record 36 wickets.

• Champions Trophy Impact: New Zealand's Matt Henry used the Champions Trophy platform to skyrocket his tally, finishing the tournament with 10 wickets, the most by any bowler in that series.

Detailed Performance Analysis

1. The Jacob Duffy Phenomenon

New Zealand’s Jacob Duffy had a career-defining 2025. By claiming 81 wickets, he surpassed the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee’s 40-year-old record (79 wickets in 1985). His success was built on versatility:

• Tests: 25 wickets in 4 matches (including a dominant series vs West Indies).

• T20Is: 35 wickets, the most ever by a Kiwi in a calendar year.

2. Mitchell Starc’s Record-Breaking Ashes

At age 35, Mitchell Starc proved he is far from finished. He became the only player to claim 51 Test wickets in 2025, doing so with a historic strike rate of 28.7. His ability to swing the ball at high speeds decimated England during the 2025 Ashes, where he took 22 wickets in just the first three Tests.

3. The Rise of "Mystery" and Associate Stars

• Varun Chakaravarthy: After a hiatus from the national side, his "mystery spin" returned with a vengeance. He ended the year with 36 T20I wickets, tying for the most globally in the format, and was instrumental in India's Champions Trophy campaign.

• Ali Dawood: A standout from Bahrain, his inclusion in the top 10 highlights the growing competitiveness of Associate cricket. His high wicket tally came from consistent performances in ICC T20 World Cup qualifiers.

4. India’s Multi-Format Dominance

India features four bowlers in the top 10 (Siraj, Chakaravarthy, Bumrah, and Kuldeep). This reflects their heavy schedule and success in reaching the final stages of major tournaments like the Champions Trophy. Siraj, in particular, stepped up as the leader of the red-ball attack with 43 Test wickets.