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Muralitharan and McGrath Photograph: (X)
With just under a month to go the major ICC event of 2025 is set to take place. Pakistan and Dubai will host the Champions Trophy event starting on 19th February. Hosts Pakistan are set to take on New Zealand in the first match of the tournament. Some of the top bowlers in the Champions Trophy like Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Starc, and Shaheen Shah Afridi will be seen in action.
Champions Trophy first came into being in 1998 when it was called the ICC Knockout Trophy. Bangladesh hosted the first-ever edition before Kenya hosted it in 2000 which saw New Zealand win their first major ICC title beating India in the finals. 2002 onwards the format of the tournament was changed to make it look like a ‘mini world cup’ of sorts.
In 2002, hosts Sri Lanka shared the trophy with India after rains played spoilsport twice. West Indies won the title two years later beating hosts England in a close game. Ricky Ponting led Australia to win the title twice in succession in 2006 and 2009. In 2013, MS Dhoni completed the perfect ICC title collection by beating England in the finals. Four years later Pakistan beat India to claim the title before the tournament faced a long hiatus.
Also Read:Best Bowling Figures in Champions Trophy History
Here are the top five wicket-takers in Champions Trophy history
Name | Matches | Wickets | Best | Economy |
Kyle Mills | 15 | 28 | 4/30 | 4.29 |
Lasith Malinga | 16 | 25 | 4/34 | 5.31 |
Muttiah Muralitharan | 17 | 24 | 4/15 | 3,6 |
Brett Lee | 16 | 22 | 3/38 | 4.79 |
Glenn McGrath | 12 | 21 | 5/37 | 4 |
5- Glenn McGrath – 21 wickets
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Former Australian pacer Glenn McGrath is regarded as one of the top bowlers in Champions Trophy. The former pacer played 12 matches and picked 21 wickets and is placed fifth on the list for leading wicket-takers in Champions Trophy history. McGrath’s best of 5/37 came during the 2002 tournament against New Zealand. His wickets that day included Stephen Fleming, Lou Vincent, Scott Styris, Jacob Oram, and Matthew Sinclair.
4- Brett Lee – 22 wickets
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One of the fastest bowlers the game has ever seen was none other than Brett Lee. The right-arm seamer played in four editions. Brett Lee picked 22 wickets to be in the top five list for top bowlers in Champions Trophy history. Brett Lee’s best bowling figures of 3/38 was against New Zealand in 2002 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.
3- Muttiah Muralitharan – 24 wickets
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Former Sri Lankan legendary spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was one of the greatest bowler’s the world had ever seen. Murali as he was fondly called played 17 matches and picked 24 wickets for his side to be counted as one of the top bowlers in Champions Trophy history. The right-arm spinner had the best economy rate of 3.6 runs per over in the history of the tournament.
2- Lasith Malinga – 25 wickets
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One of the best fast bowlers the world has seen emerge in the last two decades came from Sri Lanka and his name was Lasith Malinga. Well known for his slingy action and ability to nail the perfect yorker, Malinga picked 25 wickets in Champions Trophy tournament from 16 matches with a best of 4/34.
1- Kyle Mills – 28 wickets
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The top bowler in Champions Trophy history is former New Zealand pacer Kyle Mills with 28 wickets from 17 matches. The right-arm seamer picked his wickets with a bowling average of 17.25 with a best of 4/30. Incidentally those figures were recorded in Mills’ final ever Champions Trophy game during the 2013 tournament against hosts England.
Key insights and stats
In the above table, it can be seen that none of the current bowlers have made the list. Former New Zealand pacer Kyle Mills has been one of the best bowlers in this tournament. Former Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath is the only bowler to record a fifer as far as the top five wicket-takers in the Champions Trophy are concerned.
If we speak about one of the top bowlers in Champions Trophy history, former Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan cannot be missed. Test cricket’s highest wicket-taker has the best economy rate which is at 3.6 from his 17 matches in the tournament. interestingly only one spinner has made the list of the top bowlers in Champions Trophy history while the other are pace bowlers.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the highest wicket-taker in Champions Trophy?
Former New Zealand pacer Kyle Mills is the highest wicket-taker in the Champions Trophy. The right-arm seamer has picked 28 wickets from 15 matches with a best of 4/30. His best figures came during the 2013 edition against England. Mills had dismissed Johnathon Trott, Jos Buttler, Stuart Broad, and James Tredwell. Three batters in the game were caught by Nathan McCullum, the brother of current England coach Brendon McCullum.
Which spinner has taken the most wickets in Champions Trophy?
Former Sri Lankan spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan has the most wickets by a spinner in the Champions Trophy. The right-arm off-spinner played 17 matches and took 24 wickets with a best of 4/15. Those figures were recorded against the Netherlands during the 2002 tournament at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.
Who has the best bowling figures in Champions Trophy history?
Farveez Maharoof’s 6/14 is the best-ever bowling figure in Champions Trophy history. The feat was achieved during the 2006 tournament in the game between Sri Lanka and West Indies at the Brabourne Stadium. Batting first West Indies were bowled out for 80 with Maharoof dismissing Brian Lara for 13 and Wavell Hinds for 28. This was followed by the scalps of Dwayne Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Smith, and Carlton Baugh. The pacer finished with 6/14 from nine overs with two maiden overs.
Who is the leading wicket-taker for India in Champions Trophy history?
Ravindra Jadeja is the best bowler for India in the Champions Trophy. The left-arm spinner has picked 16 wickets from 10 matches with a best of 5/36. Those figures were recorded during the 2013 tournament against West Indies at the Oval. Jadeja picked 12 wickets from matches in the 2013 event before capturing four wickets in the 2017 tournament. Jadeja was in fact the highest wicket-taker during the 2013 tournament that India won by beating England in the finals.
Who could be the leading wicket-taker for India in Champions Trophy 2025?
Jasprit Bumrah could become India’s leading wicket-taker during the 2025 tournament if he regains his fitness. Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh can also be a potential candidate considering the amount of swing he gets with the new ball. Kuldeep Yadav is another candidate to finish on the top wicket-takers list with the number of tricks he possesses with the ball.