The 10 leading wicket-takers in men's Test cricket, from Muttiah Muralitharan's 800 to Mitchell Starc's 448, with active players' totals as of 9 October 2026.
Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka has taken the most Test wickets, 800 in 133 matches. Shane Warne is second with 708 and James Anderson third with 704. The ranking is by career wickets in men's Test cricket, per Wikipedia's player statistics; totals for the two active bowlers, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc, are as of 9 October 2026.
Taking wickets across a long Test career is the measure of a bowler's skill and durability. This list ranks the 10 bowlers with the most wickets in men's Test cricket. Muttiah Muralitharan leads by 92 wickets: his 800 against Shane Warne's 708. Seven of the ten are retired and their totals are final. Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are still playing, so their totals will rise; Ravichandran Ashwin, whose earlier total on this page was out of date, retired in December 2024 with 537.
The only bowler to take 800 Test wickets, a total built over an 18-year career (1992-2010) as Sri Lanka's right-arm off-spinner. His 800 is final, and 92 clear of anyone else in the history of the format.
The leg-spinner took 708 Test wickets in 145 matches for Australia between 1992 and 2007. His first ball of the 1993 Ashes series, which bowled Mike Gatting at Old Trafford, became known as the 'Ball of the Century'.
England's leading Test wicket-taker and the most successful fast bowler in Test history by wickets. Anderson took 704 wickets in 188 Tests between 2003 and his final Test in July 2024.
India's leading Test wicket-taker, with 619 wickets from 132 Tests (1990-2008). In 1999 he took all ten wickets in an innings against Pakistan, one of only three bowlers ever to do so, with Jim Laker and Ajaz Patel.
England's second-highest Test wicket-taker retired in July 2023 with 604 wickets from 167 Tests, taking a wicket with the last ball he bowled to win his farewell Test at The Oval. His 8 for 15 against Australia at Trent Bridge in 2015 is his best innings return.
Australia's right-arm off-spinner is the highest-ranked active bowler on the list, with 573 wickets from 144 Tests as of 9 October 2026, which takes him past Glenn McGrath. His total is still changing.
Australia's metronomic fast bowler took 563 wickets in 124 Tests between 1993 and 2007 at an average of 21.64, the lowest average of anyone in this top 10.
India's off-spinner took 537 wickets in 106 Tests between 2011 and December 2024, when he retired from international cricket. His 37 five-wicket hauls equal Shane Warne's.
The West Indies fast bowler became the first bowler of any type to reach 500 Test wickets, finishing with 519 from 132 Tests between 1984 and 2001.
Australia's left-arm fast bowler had 448 wickets from 108 Tests as of 9 October 2026. During the 2026 home series against Bangladesh he became the leading Test wicket-taker among left-arm bowlers. His total is still changing.
| # | Name | country | matches | bowling average | fiveWicketHauls | Test career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 133 | 22.72 | 67 | 1992-2010 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | Australia | 145 | 25.41 | 37 | 1992-2007 |
| 3 | James Anderson | England | 188 | 26.45 | 32 | 2003-2024 |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | India | 132 | 29.65 | 35 | 1990-2008 |
| 5 | Stuart Broad | England | 167 | 27.68 | 20 | 2007-2023 |
| 6 | Nathan Lyon | Australia | 144 | 30.26 | 24 | 2011- |
| 7 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 124 | 21.64 | 29 | 1993-2007 |
| 8 | Ravichandran Ashwin | India | 106 | 23.95 | 37 | 2011-2024 |
| 9 | Courtney Walsh | West Indies | 132 | 24.44 | 22 | 1984-2001 |
| 10 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 108 | 26.16 | 19 | 2011- |
Bowlers are ranked by total wickets in men's Test cricket, highest first. Every figure (wickets, matches, bowling average, five-wicket hauls, career span) is taken from the statistics box on each player's English Wikipedia article as read on 18 October 2026, which those pages credit to ESPNcricinfo. Totals for retired players are final. Totals for the two active players, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc, are as of 9 October 2026, the date their pages state, and will change. Muralitharan's 133 matches include one Test for the ICC World XI in 2005. There are no ties. The next bowler below the top 10 is Dale Steyn, with 439. Matches, average and five-wicket hauls are shown for context and do not affect the ranking.
Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka, with 800 wickets in 133 Tests between 1992 and 2010. He is the only bowler to reach 800, 92 ahead of second-placed Shane Warne.
Two: Nathan Lyon of Australia, sixth with 573 wickets, and his teammate Mitchell Starc, tenth with 448, both as of 9 October 2026. Ravichandran Ashwin retired in December 2024 with 537.
Glenn McGrath, at 21.64 runs per wicket, followed by Muttiah Muralitharan at 22.72 and Ravichandran Ashwin at 23.95. A lower average means fewer runs conceded per wicket.
Nine: Muralitharan (800), Warne (708), Anderson (704), Kumble (619), Broad (604), Lyon (573), McGrath (563), Ashwin (537) and Walsh (519). Mitchell Starc, at 448, is the only top-10 bowler below 500.
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