Cricket history has produced extraordinary bowling talents across every generation — but only a handful of bowlers have accumulated the kind of career wicket tallies that place them in a conversation reserved for the truly exceptional. The question of who holds the most wickets in all formats of international cricket is one that combines longevity, mastery across different conditions, and the rare ability to take wickets consistently at the highest level over many years.
This complete guide ranks the top ten bowlers by most wickets in international cricket, examines records by format, and asks whether any bowler from the current generation has a realistic path to challenging the all-time leaders.
What Does Most Wickets In All Formats Mean?
When analysts refer to the most wickets in all formats, they are combining a bowler’s wicket tally across all three forms of official international cricket — Test matches, One Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals. This combined figure represents the truest measure of a bowler’s overall international impact because it rewards both longevity and versatility across formats that demand very different skills and strategies.
A bowler who dominates Test cricket but contributes minimally in limited-overs formats will rank lower on this combined list than a bowler who sustained excellence across all three. This is what makes the highest wicket-taker in all formats conversation so compelling — it measures complete bowling careers rather than format-specific excellence.
Who Has The Most Wickets In All Formats Of International Cricket?
Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for the most wickets in international cricket across all formats combined, with 1,347 wickets across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is. His combination of Test match dominance and consistent ODI contribution across a career spanning more than fifteen years makes him the undisputed leader of this conversation.
The top of the all-format wickets list is dominated by bowlers from the 1990s and 2000s era — a period when international cricket schedules were already demanding but before the explosion of T20 cricket added a third format to every bowler’s workload. Modern bowlers accumulating T20I wickets alongside Test and ODI contributions will eventually challenge these totals, but the journey requires both excellence and durability in equal measure.
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Top 10 Bowlers with Most International Wickets (All Formats):
| Rank | Bowler | Country | Test Wickets | ODI Wickets | T20I Wickets | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 800 | 534 | 13 | 1,347 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | Australia | 708 | 293 | 1 | 1,001 |
| 3 | James Anderson | England | 700+ | 269 | 0 | 969+ |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | India | 619 | 337 | 0 | 956 |
| 5 | Glenn McGrath | Australia | 563 | 381 | 0 | 944 |
| 6 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 414 | 502 | 0 | 916 |
| 7 | Stuart Broad | England | 604 | 178 | 65 | 847 |
| 8 | Shaun Pollock | South Africa | 421 | 393 | 0 | 814 |
| 9 | Waqar Younis | Pakistan | 373 | 416 | 0 | 789 |
| 10 | Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 355 | 400 | 13 | 768 |
1. Muttiah Muralitharan:
Total International Wickets: 1,347
Muttiah Muralitharan is not just the leader in most wickets in all formats — he is in a category entirely his own. His 800 Test wickets alone represent a record that has stood since his retirement in 2010 and shows no signs of being challenged by any active bowler in the foreseeable future.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 800 | 22.72 | 55.0 |
| ODIs | 534 | 23.08 | 36.1 |
| T20Is | 13 | 18.30 | 16.3 |
Muralitharan’s off-spin, delivered through a uniquely gifted wrist action that generated extraordinary turn on virtually any surface, made him equally dangerous in all conditions. His ability to take wickets on flat pitches that defeated other spinners was the quality that separated him from every contemporary and predecessor. He is the undisputed answer to who has the most wickets in international cricket across all formats combined.
2. Shane Warne:
Total International Wickets: 1,001
Shane Warne became the first bowler to reach 700 Test wickets and finished his career as the second-highest wicket-taker in Test history. His leg-spin was so complete — the flipper, the googly, the slider, the perfectly disguised variations — that batsmen across twenty years of international cricket never fully solved it.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 708 | 25.41 | 57.4 |
| ODIs | 293 | 25.73 | 36.1 |
| T20Is | 1 | — | — |
Warne retired before T20 International cricket became a significant part of the international calendar, which means his combined total of 1,001 is built almost entirely on Tests and ODIs. Had he played through the T20I era at his peak, his most wickets in all formats total would comfortably exceed 1,100. His 1,001 combined wickets remain a testament to sustained excellence across two formats over an extraordinary career.
3. James Anderson:
Total International Wickets: 969+
James Anderson rewrote the record books for pace bowling in Test cricket, becoming the first fast bowler to take 700 Test wickets and extending his record with every appearance before his retirement from Test cricket in 2024. His swing bowling — conventional and reverse — proved effective across different conditions and against every batting lineup he faced over more than two decades.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 700+ | 26.45 | 56.7 |
| ODIs | 269 | 29.22 | 35.0 |
| T20Is | 0 | — | — |
Anderson never played T20 International cricket, which means his combined total trails Muralitharan and Warne despite his exceptional Test record. His position at third on the most wickets in all formats list is built on the quality and longevity of his Test career rather than format breadth — a reminder that sustained excellence in the longest format accumulates wickets faster than any other format in international cricket.
4. Anil Kumble:
Total International Wickets: 956
Anil Kumble is India’s greatest wicket-taker in international cricket history and one of the most relentless competitors the sport has produced. His leg-spin relied less on extravagant turn than Warne’s and more on accuracy, variation, and the mental pressure of bowling stump to stump for extended spells without deviation from his line and length.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 619 | 29.65 | 65.9 |
| ODIs | 337 | 30.89 | 39.0 |
| T20Is | 0 | — | — |
Kumble’s 619 Test wickets place him third on the all-time Test wickets list behind only Muralitharan and Warne. His ODI contribution of 337 wickets across a career that also saw him captain India adds a significant volume to his combined most wickets in international cricket total. Like Anderson, the absence of T20I appearances limits his combined total relative to his Test match dominance.
5. Glenn McGrath:
Total International Wickets: 944
Glenn McGrath defined what relentless fast bowling accuracy could achieve at the highest level of international cricket. His ability to hit the same spot on a good length outside off stump delivery after delivery — on every pitch, in every condition, against every batting lineup — made him the most effective and economical fast bowler of his generation.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 563 | 21.64 | 51.9 |
| ODIs | 381 | 22.02 | 31.7 |
| T20Is | 0 | — | — |
McGrath’s ODI wicket tally of 381 — at an average of 22.02 — reflects how completely his skills translated from the longest format to the 50-over game. His combined 944 wickets across Tests and ODIs places him fifth on the most wickets in all formats list, and his career averages across both formats remain among the finest of any bowler in cricket history.
6. Wasim Akram:
Total International Wickets: 916
Wasim Akram is widely regarded as the greatest left-arm fast bowler in cricket history, and his combined international wicket tally of 916 across Tests and ODIs reflects a career that produced extraordinary performances in both formats with equal consistency.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 414 | 23.62 | 54.6 |
| ODIs | 502 | 23.52 | 30.0 |
| T20Is | 0 | — | — |
What makes Wasim’s placement in the most wickets in international cricket conversation particularly significant is that his ODI wicket tally of 502 was the world record when he retired and remains one of the highest ODI wicket totals ever recorded. His reverse swing at high pace, his ability to bowl two completely different deliveries from the same hand position, and his accuracy at the death made him uniquely dangerous across both formats that defined his era.
7. Stuart Broad:
Total International Wickets: 847
Stuart Broad is the only bowler in the top ten of most wickets in all formats who played significant T20 International cricket, with 65 T20I wickets contributing to a combined total of 847 across all three formats. His career alongside James Anderson defined English Test bowling for more than a decade.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 604 | 27.68 | 56.8 |
| ODIs | 178 | 32.76 | 37.3 |
| T20Is | 65 | 24.51 | 18.4 |
Broad’s 604 Test wickets place him among the elite Test bowlers in cricket history, and his ability to perform in high-pressure moments — he dismissed Virat Kohli repeatedly in famous Test series — added a quality dimension to his wicket-taking that the numbers alone do not fully capture. His T20I contribution makes him the most complete format contributor in the top ten of the highest wicket-taker in all formats list behind Muralitharan.
8. Shaun Pollock:
Total International Wickets: 814
Shaun Pollock combined right-arm fast-medium bowling of exceptional accuracy with genuine pace and movement to build one of the most efficient international wicket-taking careers South Africa has produced. His ability to take wickets and restrict runs simultaneously made him arguably the most complete bowling all-rounder of his generation.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 421 | 23.11 | 57.8 |
| ODIs | 393 | 24.50 | 33.6 |
| T20Is | 0 | — | — |
Pollock’s 421 Test wickets and 393 ODI wickets reflect remarkable balance across both formats, with averages in the low twenties in Tests and mid-twenties in ODIs representing sustained excellence across both disciplines. His combined 814 wickets place him eighth on the most wickets in all formats list — a testament to a career that delivered at the highest level consistently and without the dramatic peaks and troughs that characterize less disciplined bowling careers.
9. Waqar Younis:
Total International Wickets: 789
Waqar Younis brought devastating yorker bowling and reverse swing at express pace to international cricket in a way that no bowler before him had fully demonstrated at the highest level. His partnership with Wasim Akram formed the most feared fast bowling combination of the 1990s and perhaps in cricket history.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 373 | 23.56 | 43.4 |
| ODIs | 416 | 23.84 | 25.9 |
| T20Is | 0 | — | — |
Waqar’s ODI strike rate of 25.9 — meaning he took a wicket every 25.9 balls in ODI cricket — remains one of the finest strike rates in the history of the format. His 416 ODI wickets in an era when ODI cricket was dominated by batsmen reflects how completely his skills adapted to the demands of limited-overs bowling. His combined 789 wickets place him ninth among the most wickets in international cricket all-time leaders.
10. Chaminda Vaas:
Total International Wickets: 768
Chaminda Vaas was Sri Lanka’s most prolific pace bowler across both major formats of cricket in the 1990s and early 2000s, combining left-arm swing with exceptional accuracy and the ability to generate reverse swing at pace in the middle and late overs of limited-overs cricket.
| Format | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 355 | 29.58 | 66.0 |
| ODIs | 400 | 27.53 | 36.7 |
| T20Is | 13 | 22.30 | 16.2 |
Vaas’s 400 ODI wickets represent a landmark achievement in limited-overs bowling, and his Test contribution of 355 wickets built across a career that navigated the challenges of bowling on the flat subcontinent pitches that typically favor batsmen. His presence in the top ten of most wickets in all formats reflects both the quality and the longevity of a career that served Sri Lankan cricket for over fifteen years.
Key Records By Format:
Most Wickets in Test Cricket:
| Rank | Bowler | Country | Test Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 800 |
| 2 | Shane Warne | Australia | 708 |
| 3 | James Anderson | England | 700+ |
| 4 | Anil Kumble | India | 619 |
| 5 | Stuart Broad | England | 604 |
Muralitharan’s 800 Test wickets remain the greatest individual bowling achievement in the longest format. The record has stood for fifteen years and no active bowler currently has a realistic trajectory to challenge it within their career.
Most Wickets in ODI Cricket:
| Rank | Bowler | Country | ODI Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Muttiah Muralitharan | Sri Lanka | 534 |
| 2 | Wasim Akram | Pakistan | 502 |
| 3 | Waqar Younis | Pakistan | 416 |
| 4 | Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 400 |
| 5 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 395 |
Muralitharan leads the ODI wickets list as well, making him the only bowler in cricket history to hold the most wickets in international cricket record across both Tests and ODIs simultaneously.
Most Wickets in T20 International Cricket:
| Rank | Bowler | Country | T20I Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 130+ |
| 2 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 140+ |
| 3 | Rashid Khan | Afghanistan | 130+ |
| 4 | Tim Southee | New Zealand | 130+ |
| 5 | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 107 |
T20 International cricket has produced its own generation of leading wicket-takers, with Shakib Al Hasan currently leading the all-time T20I wickets list. As the format continues to grow, T20I wickets will become an increasingly significant component of any most wickets in all formats conversation about future generations.
Can Any Modern Bowler Break the Record?
The most wickets in all formats record of 1,347 set by Muralitharan appears secure for the foreseeable future, but several active bowlers are accumulating combined totals that suggest the long-term picture might eventually change.
Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh is the most likely candidate among current players to challenge all-format wicket records, with significant contributions across all three formats combined. His T20I wickets alone place him among the leaders in that format, and his Test and ODI contributions have been consistent throughout a long international career.
Rashid Khan of Afghanistan has built extraordinary T20I wicket totals at a young age, and if his Test career develops as his limited-overs career has, he could accumulate combined totals that challenge historical records over a fifteen to twenty year international career.
Kagiso Rabada of South Africa is building a Test and ODI wicket tally that could potentially reach significant combined totals if he maintains current health and performance levels through his mid-thirties, but his trajectory currently points toward a total in the 700-800 range rather than anything approaching Muralitharan’s record.
The honest assessment is that Muralitharan’s 1,347 combined international wickets will remain the most wickets in all formats record for at least another decade and possibly much longer. Creating a career that produces wickets at his volume across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is simultaneously requires a combination of quality, durability, and selection opportunity that very few bowlers in cricket history have ever assembled.
Conclusion:
The most wickets in all formats conversation in international cricket tells the story of bowling greatness across different eras, formats, and styles. Muralitharan’s 1,347 combined wickets stand at the summit — a record built on Test match dominance unprecedented in cricket history combined with exceptional ODI contribution across a fifteen-year career.
The top ten highest wicket-takers in all formats represent a collective portrait of what sustained excellence in international bowling looks like — relentless accuracy, the ability to take wickets in all conditions, and the physical durability to perform at the highest level across hundreds of international appearances without significant decline.
As cricket’s formats continue to evolve and T20 International cricket grows in volume and significance, future generations of bowlers will build combined wicket tallies that benefit from three active formats rather than the two that defined most careers in this top ten. Whether that produces a challenge to Muralitharan’s record remains one of cricket’s most compelling long-term questions.
FAQs:
Who has the most wickets in all formats of international cricket? Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for most wickets in all formats of international cricket with 1,347 wickets across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is combined.
Who has taken the most Test wickets in cricket history? Muttiah Muralitharan leads the Test wickets list with 800 wickets, followed by Shane Warne with 708 and James Anderson with 700+.
Which bowler has the most ODI wickets? Muttiah Muralitharan leads ODI wickets as well with 534, making him the only bowler to lead both the Test and ODI all-time wickets lists.
Who leads the T20 International wickets list? Shakib Al Hasan of Bangladesh currently leads the all-time T20I wickets list, followed closely by Rashid Khan and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Can any current bowler break Muralitharan’s all-format record? No active bowler is currently on a trajectory that would realistically challenge Muralitharan’s 1,347 combined international wickets within their career, though Shakib Al Hasan represents the most plausible long-term candidate if he continues playing all three formats at a high level for several more years.
