Top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in Tests in 2025

The 2025 Test calendar handed bowlers plenty of opportunities in heavy workloads, long series and pitches that rewarded attacking plans. The leaderboard is a mix of genuine pace threats and craftier operators who picked wickets across different conditions. Below are the five bowlers who took the most Test wickets in 2025, with a look at how they produced those tallies.

1. Mitchell Starc (Australia) - 55 wickets

Mitchell Starc topped the list with a staggering 55 wickets from 11 Tests (best innings 7/58). His average of 17.32 and strike-rate of 28.36 show how consistently he struck throughout the year. Starc combined raw pace, steep bounce and lethal seam position to force edges and induce false shots. 

His ability to land the ball under the bat and the knack for hitting the right lengths made him the most potent wicket-taker. He produced both long spells of sustained pressure and short, incisive bursts that changed games, which is the mark of a front-line Test quick at peak effectiveness.

2. Mohammed Siraj (India) - 43 wickets

Mohammed Siraj finished with 43 wickets in 10 Tests (best 6/70), bowling 311.3 overs and conceding 1,170 runs. Siraj’s year was built on aggressive short-pitched plans and late movement off the seam. 

He was particularly effective when used in tandem with other quicks, with one attacking the line, and the other searching for seam or bounce. Siraj’s ability to keep intensity across long spells and deliver breakthroughs at key moments made him India’s strike bowler of 2025.

3. Blessing Muzarabani (Zimbabwe) - 42 wickets

Blessing Muzarabani claimed 42 wickets in 10 Tests (best 7/58), finishing the year with a strike-rate in the low 40s. Muzarabani’s value came from steep, awkward bounce and uncomfortable lengths that troubled batters in both home and visiting conditions. 

Opponents regularly misjudged the bounce or shape of the delivery, producing catches in the ring and sloppy drives. His tally underlines two things: Zimbabwe played him frequently, and he delivered match-impacting spells rather than occasional success.

4. Ben Stokes (England) - 33 wickets

Ben Stokes’ role as an all-rounder showed up in the bowling charts with 33 wickets from 9 Tests (best 5/23) at an average of around 23.12. Stokes’ wickets were a mixture of aggressive seam bowling up front and steely, attack-oriented spells in the middle innings. 

He repeatedly broke partnerships with intuitive field placements and surprise angles, and his ability to swing the ball, combined with cunning, slower balls and the use of the short ball, made him a constant threat. For England, Stokes remained a match-winner with the ball as well as the bat.

5. Taijul Islam (Bangladesh) - 33 wickets

Taijul Islam finished equal-fourth on raw wickets (33 from 6 Tests, best 6/60) but with a notably tight economy (3.02). Taijul’s left-arm orthodox craft in accuracy, subtle drift and a well-disguised arm ball allowed him to dominate middle overs on receptive surfaces. 

His wickets often came through the pressure of dot balls, batters reaching for runs, and then nicking or miscuing. Taijul’s performance highlights how a specialist spinner can accumulate bulk wickets when conditions and game plans allow sustained bowling spells.

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