The Wicket Machines: Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in a Single Calendar Year | StatsOverStumps

StatsOverStumps

The Wicket Machines: Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in a Single Calendar Year

A bowler's ability to perform consistently is the real test of greatness in the demanding world of international cricket, where schedules are packed and formats change frequently. Achieving a record number of wickets in a single calendar year is a testament to something special: extraordinary skill, remarkable fitness, and unwavering consistency across all formats. Career milestones are celebrated.

This blog post honors the bowlers who became wicket machines by overcoming formats and seasons. They left a lasting legacy as some of the most prolific wicket-takers of their generation by dominating rather than just performing well. Peak performance and unrelenting genius are synonymous with their names.

The All-Time Greats: Top 10 Bowlers with Most Wickets in a Single Calendar Year

Rank	Player	Team	Year	Matches	Wickets	Overs	Maidens	Runs	BBI	BBM	Average	Economy	Strike Rate	5 Wickets	10 Wickets
1	Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	2001	45	136	1089.5	245	2718	8/87	11/170	19.98	2.49	48.0	8	4
2	Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	2006	40	128	854.2	147	2687	8/70	12/225	20.99	3.14	40.0	9	5
3	Shane Warne	Australia	1994	39	120	902.2	230	2319	8/71	12/128	19.32	2.57	45.1	6	2
4	Glenn McGrath	Australia	1999	41	119	802.2	187	2408	5/15	10/78	20.23	3.00	40.4	6	1
5	Mitchell Johnson	Australia	2009	47	113	774.3	103	3185	5/69	8/137	28.18	4.11	41.1	2	-
6	Graeme Swann	England	2010	39	111	736.0	123	2402	6/65	10/217	21.63	3.26	39.7	6	1
7	Saeed Ajmal	Pakistan	2013	50	111	700.3	83	2435	7/95	11/118	21.93	3.47	37.8	4	2
8	Muttiah Muralitharan	Sri Lanka	2000	31	109	823.3	166	2143	7/30	13/171	19.66	2.60	45.3	9	3
9	Allan Donald	South Africa	1998	27	107	643.4	140	1987	6/88	8/74	18.57	3.08	36.0	7	0
10	Dennis Lillee	Australia	1981	28	105	747.1	164	2204	7/83	11/159	20.99	2.94	42.6	5	2

© 2025 StatsOverStumps. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Contact Us