Most wickets in WTC history: Nathan Lyon, Pat Cummins and Ravichandran Ashwin on top

The World Test Championship is the premier competition in Test cricket akin to the World Cup in ODI and T20 cricket. 

The idea of WTC was introduced in 2019 when the Test-playing nations played against each other for over two years. At the end of the two-year cycle, teams that occupy the top two spots in the points table will qualify to play the Final.

New Zealand won the inaugural edition of the WTC in June 2021 beating India by eight wickets at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. It was Australia who won the title in June 2023, once again beating India by 209 runs, at the Oval in London.

India currently leads the points table in the current edition of the WTC and are well-placed to qualify for the Final to be played in June 2025 in England.

Batters win you sessions, but bowlers win you matches in Test cricket. For any team to win a Test match, it is imperative that they pick up 20 wickets of the opponents within the stipulated five days.

It is sweat and toil for the bowlers as they do the dirty job to help their team get the better of their opposition. Bowling is always a thankless job, especially in the longer format of the game.

Here, we look at the players with the most wickets in WTC history after it was introduced in 2019. 

Most wickets in WTC history: List of players with most wickets in the World Test Championship

Nathan Lyon | 187 wickets

Nathan Lyon is the leading wicket-taker in the history of the World Test Championship with 187 wickets from 43 matches. He averages 26.70 with the ball along with a strike rate of 58.05 balls per wicket. He also has 10 five-wicket hauls to his name.

The off-spinner played a stellar role in Australia’s victorious campaign in the WTC 2021-2023 cycle with a massive haul of 88 wickets from just 20 matches. He also picked up five wickets against India in the Final at The Oval, which the Aussies won by 209 runs in June 2023. 

With a tally of 43 wickets from nine games, he is fourth in the current edition of the WTC and holds the key for Australia in the much-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy in November 2024.

Pat Cummins | 175 wickets

Australian skipper Pat Cummins is next on the list with a tally of 175 wickets from 42 matches. The pacer has eight five-wicket hauls with an average of 22.81 runs per wicket and strikes at an excellent frequency of 46.93 balls.

Cummins has led the Australian attack from the front providing timely breakthroughs for the team. He finished second in the list of top wicket-takers in the inaugural World Test Championship in 2021 with an impressive tally of 70 wickets from just 14 matches.

Cummins once again finished in the top five list in the subsequent edition of WTC to take Australia to the title in 2023. He is currently second in the bowling charts in the ongoing WTC cycle with 48 wickets from 12 matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin | 174 wickets

Following closely at third spot is India’s Ravichandran Ashwin with 174 wickets, just one short of Cummins, from 35 matches, including 10 five-wicket hauls. The off-spinner has an impressive average of 20.43 and a strike rate of 44.79, both best among his peers in the top-five wicket-takers list in the WTC.

Ashwin topped the bowling charts in the WTC 2019-2021 cycle with 71 wickets from 14 matches. He finished third in the list of top wicket-takers in the next edition in 2023. Ashwin’s excellent performances lifted India to consecutive Finals in the first two editions, the only team to do so.

In the current WTC cycle too, Ashwin is the top Indian in the list of wicket-takers with 42 wickets from eight matches.

Mitchell Starc | 147 wickets

Mitchell Starc completes the Aussie domination in the list of bowlers with the most wickets in the history of WTC. Starc is placed fourth with 147 wickets from 38 matches.

The left-arm pacer has an average of 27.08 and a strike rate of 46.83 with three five-wicket hauls to his name. He is currently third in the list of wicket-takers in the WTC 2023-2025 cycle with 48 wickets from 11 matches.

Photo credit: Imago