Most wickets in World Cup is a list that contains iconic names in international cricket. They have consistently delivered with the ball and brought glory to their respective nations in the biggest cricketing event.
Most Wickets in World Cup
Legendary Glenn McGrath tops the most wickets chart in ODI World Cup history. The Aussie has consistently delivered in the 50-over mega event and has 71 wickets in his name. He has also won the World Cup thrice – 1999, 2003, and 2007. Australia finished runner-up in the 1996 edition.
Here are the five players with the most wickets in ODI World Cup:
- Glenn McGrath (Australia)
- Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
- Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
- Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
- Mitchell Starc (Australia)
Let us look at the ODI World Cup careers of these players in brief:
Glenn McGrath (Australia)
With 71 wickets, McGrath is the most successful bowler in ODI World Cup history. He debuted in 1996 and picked up wickets consistently in the 1999, 2003, and 2007 World Cups. McGrath’s best performance in the World Cup came against Namibia in 2003, picking up 7/15. He was the leading wicket-taker in the 2007 edition with 26 wickets.
Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
Despite not registering a five-wicket haul in five World Cups, Muttiah Muralitharan is second in most wickets list. The former off-spinner has 68 scalps in 39 innings, with career-best figures of 4/19, which came against Ireland during the 2007 ODI World Cup. He made his ODI World Cup debut in 1996, which was won by Sri Lanka.
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka):
Lasith Malinga is the second Sri Lankan in the top five most wickets in World Cup chart. He has 56 wickets, with best figures of 6/38. The fast bowler has two hat tricks in the ODI World Cup – against South Africa (2007) and Kenya (2011). He made his World Cup debut in 2007 and was part of the Lankan side in the 2019 edition.
Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
The Pakistan legend came a long way in his career, which spanned 16 years. He made his World Cup debut as a young man in 1987 and played a phenomenal role in Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup triumph. He clinched 55 wickets with a career-best of 5/28 against Namibia during the 2003 edition. The left-arm pacer was a lethal bowler and would execute a perfect reverse swing with the white ball in his hand.
Mitchell Starc (Australia)
A lot like Akram, Mitchell Starc is a left-armer. It is why he gets the ball to cut back in, especially to the right-handers. He is also lanky and produces superb bounce, which has helped him pick up 49 wickets in just 18 matches. He has one of the best strike rates in the 50-over mega event, picking up wickets every 19 balls. He debuted in the ODI 2015 World Cup and was the top wicket-taker. Moreover, he also took the wickets in the ODI 2019.
Top 5 Most wicket takers in world cup history.
| Player | Innings | Wickets | Econ | SR |
| Glenn McGrath | 39 | 71 | 3.96 | 27.53 |
| Muttiah Muralitharan | 39 | 68 | 3.88 | 30.30 |
| Lasith Malinga | 28 | 56 | 5.51 | 24.89 |
| Wasim Akram | 36 | 55 | 4.04 | 35.40 |
| Mitchell Starc | 18 | 49 | 4.64 | 19.12 |
With Starc the only active player in the top five list, the Aussie is expected to overtake a few players in the above list. If he takes more than 23 wickets in the 2023 edition, Starc will surpass McGrath’s record.
Concluding Thoughts
Some of the finest names in cricket also turned out to be the best wicket-takers in the ODI World Cup. To sum it all up, we have some proven performers in World Cup.
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FAQs about Most Wickets in World Cup
With 71 wickets, Australia’s Glenn McGrath has the most wickets in World Cup history.
Mitchell Starc was the leading wicket-taker in the 2019 World Cup with 27 wickets.
Lasith Malinga, who is also in the top five most wickets in World Cup chart, has taken two hat-tricks in the ODI World Cup – against South Africa and Kenya.
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