Mitchell Starc became the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets in the 2025 calendar year. He achieved the milestone during the third Ashes Test against England in Adelaide. Starc finished 2025 with 51 Test wickets from 10 matches at an average of 17.15, which is his best average in any calendar year. He took three five-wicket hauls during the year. The only other time he reached 50 Test wickets in a year was in 2016, when he took 50 wickets at an average of 22.58.
Earlier in 2025, Starc also crossed the milestone of 400 Test wickets during his 100th Test match. He now has 424 wickets from 103 Tests at an average of 26.50. His career includes 18 five-wicket hauls and three ten-wicket match hauls. In Ashes cricket, he has taken 119 wickets in 25 Tests at an average of 25.46, including six five-wicket hauls.
New Zealand fast bowler Jacob Duffy recorded 13 innings in 2025 where he took three or more wickets. According to ESPNcricinfo, his overall average of 17.11 is the third-best by a New Zealand bowler with at least 50 international wickets in a calendar year. Only Sir Richard Hadlee in 1984, with an average of 12.88, and Matt Henry in 2025, with 16.87, finished ahead of him.
List of Players with the Most Wickets in 2025
Jacob Duffy has taken the most wickets in 2025. He finished 2025 with 81 international wickets, the most by a New Zealand bowler in a single calendar year. This surpassed Sir Richard Hadlee’s long-standing record of 79 wickets set in 1985. Duffy reached the milestone in 39 innings at an average of 17.11, while Hadlee had taken 29 innings with an average of 18.51.
Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe ended the year with 65 wickets from 31 matches and 34 innings. He recorded a best of 7/58, with an average of 27.58 and a strike rate of 36.76.
New Zealand’s Matt Henry also took 65 wickets, achieving them in fewer matches and innings. He played 27 matches and 29 innings, finishing with an excellent average of 16.87.
Ali Dawood of Bahrain was among the standout performers, claiming 63 wickets in 37 matches. He had the best average among the top wicket-takers at 11.28 and a strike rate of 12.36.
India’s Kuldeep Yadav picked up 60 wickets from 25 matches, averaging 20.48, while Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava and West Indies pacer Jayden Seales both finished with 56 wickets each.
Rizwan Butt of Bahrain collected 55 wickets with an average of 12.96, while Australia’s Mitchell Starc took 54 wickets in just 13 matches. Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed rounded out the top group with 53 wickets from 34 matches, averaging 20.09.
| Player | Span | Inns | Wkts | BBI | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| Jacob Duffy (NZ) | 2025-2025 | 39 | 81 | 5/34 | 4 | 3 | – |
| Blessing Muzarabani (ZIM) | 2025-2025 | 34 | 65 | 7/58 | 1 | 3 | – |
| Matt Henry (NZ) | 2025-2025 | 29 | 65 | 6/39 | 3 | 3 | – |
| Ali Dawood (BHR) | 2025-2025 | 37 | 63 | 7/19 | 3 | 1 | – |
| Kuldeep Yadav (IND) | 2025-2025 | 28 | 60 | 5/82 | 5 | 1 | – |
| Richard Ngarava (ZIM) | 2025-2025 | 37 | 56 | 5/37 | 2 | 1 | – |
| Jayden Seales (WI) | 2025-2025 | 33 | 56 | 6/18 | 1 | 2 | – |
| Rizwan Butt (BHR) | 2025-2025 | 34 | 55 | 6/9 | 1 | 1 | – |
| Mitchell Starc (AUS) | 2025-2025 | 23 | 54 | 7/58 | – | 3 | 1 |
| Abrar Ahmed (PAK) | 2025-2025 | 36 | 53 | 4/9 | 3 | – | – |
FAQs
Q. Who was the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets in 2025?
A. Mitchell Starc was the first bowler to take 50 Test wickets in 2025.
Q. How many Test wickets does Mitchell Starc have in his career?
A. Mitchell Starc has 424 Test wickets in his career.
Q. Who took the most international wickets in 2025?
A. Jacob Duffy took the most wickets with 81 in 2025.
Q. Which record did Jacob Duffy break in 2025?
A. Jacob Duffy broke Sir Richard Hadlee’s New Zealand record for most wickets in a year.
Q. Who had the best average among the top wicket-takers in 2025?
A. Ali Dawood had the best average at 11.28 in 2025.
Q. How many wickets did Kuldeep Yadav take in 2025?
A. Kuldeep Yadav took 60 wickets in 2025.
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