Highest Wicket Taker in World Cup History: Top 10 ODI Bowling Legends (1975–2023)

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup has traditionally reserved as many history-making moments for bowlers as it does for batters. Though imperious centuries and new records for run-chases resonate with fandom, most championship-winning teams are built on the potent attack of unheralded bowling units. Many of the best bowlers have risen to the occasion on numerous occasions over time, taking key wickets in major matches. Glenn McGrath’s unerring accuracy, Mitchell Starc’s uneven pace, and Mohammed Shami’s record-breaking spells as seamers have defined World Cup history. In this article, we bring you the highest wicket-takers in the Cricket World Cup with full stats, career achievements, and interesting records.

Top 10 Highest Wicket Takers in Cricket World Cup History

Rank	Player	Country	World Cups	Matches	Wickets	Best Figures
1	Glenn McGrath	Australia	4	39	71	7/15
2	Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	5	40	68	4/19
3	Mitchell Starc	Australia	3	28	65	6/28
4	Lasith Malinga	Sri Lanka	4	29	56	6/38
5	Wasim Akram	Pakistan	5	38	55	5/28
6	Mohammed Shami	India	3	18	55	7/57
7	Trent Boult	New Zealand	3	22	53	5/27
8	Chaminda Vaas	Sri Lanka	4	31	49	6/25
9	Shaun Pollock	South Africa	5	28	46	5/36
10	Javagal Srinath	India	4	34	44	4/30

1. Glenn McGrath – The King of World Cup Bowling

Glenn McGrath is the most successful bowler in the history of the ICC Cricket World Cup. That record of 71 wickets held by the Australian pacer was set up and retained for some years. The world’s best batters struggled to find answers to his extraordinary control, bounce, and consistency over the course of not one but four World Cups.

Simon O’Connor, USA Today Sports Images. McGrath was among the mainstays of Australia’s astonishing hat trick of World Cup victories (1999, 2003, and 2007). His best figures of 7 wickets for 15 runs against Namibia are still one of the finest bowling performances in World Cups.

Glenn McGrath World Cup Stats

Statistic	Record
Matches	39
Wickets	71
Average	18.19
Economy	3.96
Best Bowling	7/15
World Cup Titles	3

2. Muttiah Muralitharan – Sri Lanka’s Spin Wizard

Muttiah Muralitharan Considered One Of The Greatest Spinners In Cricket He picked up 68 scalps with his mesmerizing off-spin and incomparable variations across five World Cups.

Even at the end of his career, Murali was going in and taking top-order batters for fun; he played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka reaching many final-four stages throughout his career.

Muralitharan’s World Cup Record

Statistic	Record
Matches	40
Wickets	68
Average	19.63
Best Bowling	4/19

3. Mitchell Starc – Australia’s Modern-Day Match Winner

Mitchell Starc is one of the most prolific wicket-takers per match in World Cups. He has made just 28 appearances but has already taken 65 wickets.

Starc was the highest wicket-taker in both the 2015 and 2019 World Cups, playing pivotal roles in Australia’s title-winning campaigns of 2015 and 2023.

Mitchell Starc World Cup Stats

Statistic	Record
Matches	28
Wickets	65
Average	19.74
Best Bowling	6/28
World Cup Titles	2

4. Lasith Malinga – Master of the Yorker

His outlandish sling action and toe-crushing yorkers revolutionized the art of death-over bowling too–a major based in the most batsman-friendly part of One Day Internationals. In just 29 World Cup appearances, he picked 56 wickets.

Known for his ability to hit in both the new ball and at death, he was one of the most feared bowlers of his time.

Malinga’s World Cup Record

Statistic	Record
Matches	29
Wickets	56
Average	22.87
Best Bowling	6/38

5. Wasim Akram – Pakistan’s Swing King

To this day, the record for most wickets taken by a Pakistani bowler in World Cups belongs to Wasim Akram, 55. His reverse swing and his presence under pressure led Pakistan to win the World Cup in 1992.

World Cup Summary

Statistic	Record
Matches	38
Wickets	55
Best Bowling	5/28
World Cup Titles	1

6. Mohammed Shami – India’s Fastest Rising World Cup Star

Mohammed Shami has the distinction of one of the most phenomenal World Cup careers in ODI history. He has a target of 55 wickets in merely 18 games, which is way fewer matches than any other bowler on this list.

Shami was one of the most impressive bowlers in the tournament, taking numerous match-winning spells like his 7/57 against New Zealand in the semi-final.

Shami’s World Cup Record

Statistic	Record
Matches	18
Wickets	55
Average	13.52
Best Bowling	7/57

7. Trent Boult – New Zealand’s Swing Specialist

Trent Boult has been New Zealand’s bowling spearhead for more than a decade. His ability to swing the new ball both ways has earned him 53 World Cup wickets.

He was one of the standout performers during New Zealand’s runs to the finals in 2015 and 2019.

Trent Boult Statistics

Statistic	Record
Matches	22
Wickets	53
Best Bowling	5/27

8. Chaminda Vaas – Sri Lanka’s Silent Hero

Chaminda Vaas consistently delivered breakthroughs with the new ball and became one of Sri Lanka’s greatest ODI pacers.

Career Snapshot

Statistic	Record
Matches	31
Wickets	49
Best Bowling	6/25

9. Shaun Pollock – South Africa’s Reliable Performer

Shaun Pollock combined exceptional accuracy with subtle movement to trouble batters throughout his World Cup career.

Career Snapshot

Statistic	Record
Matches	28
Wickets	46
Best Bowling	5/36

10. Javagal Srinath – India’s Pace Pioneer

Before the rise of India’s modern fast-bowling attack, Javagal Srinath carried the pace department almost single-handedly. He finished with 44 World Cup wickets across four tournaments.

Career Snapshot

Statistic	Record
Matches	34
Wickets	44
Best Bowling	4/30

Bowlers with the Most World Cup Five-Wicket Hauls

Player	Five-Wicket Hauls
Mohammed Shami	4
Mitchell Starc	3
Glenn McGrath	2
Trent Boult	2
Chaminda Vaas	2

Highest Wicket-Taker in Each ICC Cricket World Cup

World Cup	Bowler	Country	Wickets
1975	Gary Gilmour	Australia	11
1979	Mike Hendrick	England	10
1983	Roger Binny	India	18
1987	Craig McDermott	Australia	18
1992	Wasim Akram	Pakistan	18
1996	Anil Kumble	India	15
1999	Geoff Allott	New Zealand	20
2003	Chaminda Vaas	Sri Lanka	23
2007	Glenn McGrath	Australia	26
2011	Zaheer Khan	India	21
2015	Mitchell Starc	Australia	22
2019	Mitchell Starc	Australia	27
2023	Mohammed Shami	India	24

Country-wise Most World Cup Wickets

Country	Total Players in Top 10
Australia	2
Sri Lanka	3
India	2
Pakistan	1
New Zealand	1
South Africa	1

Interesting Facts

• Nobody has more World Cup scalps (70+) than Glenn McGrath.
• Mohammed Shami, for example, has the best bowling average in World Cup history among bowlers with 50 or more of those runs.
• Mitchell Starc is the fastest to 50 WORLD CUP wickets
• Sri Lankan cricket has had three of the hemisphere’s most dominant bowlers in the untouched main 10.
• Australia-5 World Cup wins, 2 out of the top 3 wicket-takers from Australia.
• The best ever bowling feat by a player in the history of Test cricket is 7/15 (first innings).

Conclusion

A few of the best bowlers in the game have exhibited their strong talents during the Cricket World Cup. Glenn McGrath still tops the all-time list with 71 wickets, but in modern stars like Mitchell Starc and Mohammed Shami, this record is in jeopardy, especially given how many wickets get taken nowadays. While these famous bowlers have massive records on paper, they also produced legendary spells that changed the course of World Cup history. As other editions unfold, the supporters will be eagerly waiting to see who earns their place in this exclusive honor roll.

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