Top 10 Indian bowlers with most Test wickets till January 2026

Anil Kumble (L) and Ravichandran Ashwin (R) (Source: AFP)

There’s a famous cricketing notion that “batters win you the games, but bowlers win you the series or tournaments.” This notion fits more accurately in Test cricket, the longest and traditional format of the game. Test cricket is the hardest examination of a bowler’s longevity and consistency. 

Meanwhile, India have produced some bowling legends in their almost 94-year Test history since 1932. There have been the bowling greats who won the games single-handedly for India in the Tests. Therefore, here’s a look at the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets. 

Top 10 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets till January 2026

Anil Kumble (1990-2008) - 619 Test wickets 

The former spin legend, Anil Kumble, served the Indian cricket team for 18 years from 1990 to 2008. He went on to play 132 Tests for India, being the backbone of India’s spin attack during his entire Test career. 

Kumble scalped 619 wickets in 236 innings, with an outstanding economy rate of just 2.69, claiming 35 five-wicket hauls and eight ‘10-wicket hauls in a match’. 

Besides that, he was only the second bowler to claim all 10 wickets of the opponent team in a Test innings. He was later joined by New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel in this list. 

Anil Kumble is still leading the chart of the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets even after more than 17 years of his retirement. He is also the fourth leading wicket-taker of all time in Tests, following James Anderson, Shane Warne, and Muttiah Muralitharan. 

Ravichandran Ashwin (2011-2024) - 537 Test wickets

The former off-spin great and bowling all-rounder, Ravichandran Ashwin, left a long-lasting mark on India’s Test bowling legacy. Ashwin represented India in 106 Tests in his 13-year-long Test career from 2011 to 2024. He picked 537 wickets in 200 innings, with an economy rate of just 2.83. 

R Ashwin claimed 37 five-wicket hauls, the most by any Indian bowler in Test history, alongside picking eight ‘10-wicket hauls in a match’. He ranks second in the list of top 10 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets. 

Kapil Dev (1978-1994) - 434 Test wickets 

The former skipper and one of the legendary all-rounders of his era, Kapil Dev, played 131 Tests for India from 1978 to 1994. He also holds the record of playing the most Test matches among the pacers. 

Kapil Dev picked 434 wickets in 227 innings, with an economy rate of 2.78, claiming 23 five-wicket hauls and two ‘10-wicket hauls in a match’. He ranks third among the top 10 Indian bowlers with most Test wickets, alongside being the leading wicket-taker among pacers for India. 

Harbhajan Singh (1998-2015) - 417 Test wickets 

Former off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was also one of the vital cogs in the wheel of the Indian spin attack in Tests during his career from 1998 to 2015. Harbhajan played 103 Tests for India, picking 417 wickets in 190 innings, with an economy rate of 2.84. 

The turbanator also picked 25 five-wicket hauls and five ‘10-wicket hauls in a match’. He ranks fourth in the list of leading wicket-takers of all time in Tests for India. 

Ravindra Jadeja (2012-Present) - 348 Test wickets 

Ravindra Jadeja is the only bowler from India’s current Test setup who is among the top 10 leading wicket-takers of all time in Tests for India. He ranks fifth in this list, with 348 wickets in 167 innings of the 89 Tests he has played. 

Jadeja has bagged 15 five-wicket hauls and three 10-wicket hauls in a match. Besides that, he is only the second Indian all-rounder after Kapil Dev to complete a double of 4,000 Test runs and 300 Test wickets. 

Zaheer Khan (2000-2014) - 311 Test wickets 

The former pacer Zaheer Khan was one of the greatest pace bowlers ever to play for India. He served the Indian cricket team in the longest format of the game for almost 1.5 decades, from 2000 to 2014. 

Zak played 92 Tests for India and snared 311 wickets in 165 innings, with a decent economy rate of 3.27, claiming 11 five-wicket hauls and one ‘10-wicket haul in a match’. 

He ranks sixth among the top 10 Indian bowlers with most Test wickets, alongside being the joint second leading wicket-taker among pacers for India, alongside Ishant Sharma. 

Ishant Sharma (2007-Present) - 311 Test wickets 

The veteran pacer, Ishant Sharma, hasn’t announced his retirement yet, but he has also been out of action from the Tests since 2021. In his 14 active years in Tests from 2007 to 2021, Ishant proved his worth with the ball for India. 

He has claimed 311 wickets in 188 innings of the 105 Tests he has played. He has picked these wickets, with an economy rate of 3.15, including 11 five-wicket hauls and a ‘10-wicket haul in a match’. He ranks seventh among the leading wicket-takers of all time in Tests. 

Bishan Singh Bedi (1966-1979) - 266 Test wickets 

The former spin wizard, Bishan Singh Bedi, was the first Indian spinner to cross the 250 Test wickets mark. In his 13-year-long Test career from 1966 to 1979, he picked up 266 wickets in 118 innings of the 67 Tests. 

Bedi claimed 14 five-wicket hauls and one ‘10-wicket haul in a match’, ranking eighth in the list of the top 10 Indian bowlers with most Test wickets. 

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar (1964-1979) - 242 Test wickets 

The former leg-spin great, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, represented India in Tests from 1964 to 1979, playing 58 Tests. In these appearances, he picked 242 wickets in 97 innings, with an average of 2.70, claiming 16 five-wicket hauls and two ‘10-wicket hauls in a match’. 

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar is still ninth among the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets, even after almost 46 years of his retirement. 

Javagal Srinath (1991-2002) - 236 Test wickets 

The former pace bowling great, Javagal Srinath, was active in Tests for India for 13 years from 1991 to 2002. He was also one of the leading pacers for India in the longest format of the game. Srinath picked 236 wickets in 121 innings of the 67 Tests he played. 

In these 236 wickets, He picked 10 five-wicket hauls and two one ‘10-wicket haul in a match. Srinath is placed at the tenth spot among the top 10 Indian bowlers with the most Test wickets.