Overview:
Kuldeep Yadav’s 2025 was a quiet return to authority. Playing 25 matches and bowling in 28 innings, Kuldeep picked up 60 wickets at an average of 20.48. His economy rate of 4.58 and strike rate of 26.80 underline balance, not dominance.
The year has ended, and as cricket pauses to take stock, one truth stands tall. 2025 was not dominated only by celebrated superstars. It was shaped just as much by underdogs who bowled with clarity, courage, and control across formats. In a season that demanded durability and constant adjustment, these bowlers cut through the noise. They bowled in Tests, adapted in ODIs, and survived the brutality of T20Is. Their wicket tallies are not cosmetic numbers. They reflect balance, discipline, and impact under relentless schedules. The ten bowlers with the most wickets in 2025 did not just take scalps. They defined phases, broke partnerships, and offered their teams control when chaos threatened.
Jacob Duffy
Jacob Duffy finished 2025 as the leading wicket-taker across formats, a remarkable achievement for a bowler often flying under the radar. Playing 36 matches and bowling in 39 innings, Duffy picked up 81 wickets at an average of 17.11. His economy rate stood at 4.26, with a strike rate of 24.07, numbers that underline efficiency rather than flash.
What made Duffy stand out was his adaptability. In Tests, he hit consistent lengths and extracted movement without searching for magic balls. In limited-overs cricket, he understood his role clearly. He attacked early and defended late. His economy never ballooned, even in high-scoring conditions. Duffy was not a bowler who relied on pace alone. He relied on repeatability. In a year where New Zealand rotated heavily, Duffy offered reliability, and that is why he topped the list.
Blessing Muzarabani
Blessing Muzarabani’s 2025 was a statement year, not just for himself but for Zimbabwean fast bowling. Across 31 matches and 34 innings, he claimed 65 wickets at an average of 27.58. His economy rate of 4.50 and strike rate of 36.76 reflect a bowler trusted to operate in long spells and tough phases.
Muzarabani’s uniqueness lies in his presence. His height and bounce forced batters into mistakes, especially on slower surfaces. In Tests, he was Zimbabwe’s strike bowler, breaking partnerships through persistence rather than bursts. In white ball cricket, he was used strategically, often bowling into the wind or during rebuilding phases. His numbers may not scream domination, but context matters. Muzarabani bowled without the cushion of strong support attacks. He carried the workload, and that responsibility defined his year.
Matt Henry
Matt Henry’s 2025 reinforced why he remains one of the most effective multi format seamers in the modern game. In 27 matches and 29 innings, Henry picked up 65 wickets at an average of 16.87. His economy rate of 4.62 and strike rate of 21.90 highlight his ability to strike regularly without leaking runs.
Henry’s strength has always been control with variation. In ODIs, he was lethal with the new ball, swinging it early and hitting the deck hard. In T20s, he mixed pace intelligently, never relying on raw speed alone. Even in Tests, he played a supporting but decisive role, often cleaning up tails and breaking stubborn stands. Henry’s 2025 was not about reinvention. It was about precision. He knew his strengths and executed them relentlessly.
Ali Dawood
Ali Dawood’s inclusion on this list is the clearest reminder that cricket’s reach continues to widen. Representing Bahrain, Dawood bowled in 37 matches and 37 innings, picking up 63 wickets at an outstanding average of 11.28. His economy rate stood at 5.47, while his strike rate of 12.36 was the best among the top five.
Dawood’s uniqueness lies in impact density. He did not bowl long spells, but he bowled decisive ones. In T20s and ODIs, he struck early and often, dismantling top orders before momentum could settle. His role was simple and brutal. Take wickets, even at the cost of a few runs. For an associate nation, such impact changes games entirely. Dawood’s 2025 was proof that quality is not confined to full member teams. It emerges wherever opportunity meets execution.
Kuldeep Yadav
Kuldeep Yadav’s 2025 was a quiet return to authority. Playing 25 matches and bowling in 28 innings, Kuldeep picked up 60 wickets at an average of 20.48. His economy rate of 4.58 and strike rate of 26.80 underline balance, not dominance.
Kuldeep’s uniqueness lies in timing. He was used as a middle overs controller rather than an attacking luxury. In Tests, he offered variation when surfaces flattened. In ODIs, he broke partnerships without bleeding runs. In T20Is, he relied on accuracy rather than mystery. His numbers may not match his peak years, but his role evolved. Kuldeep, in 2025, was not about deception. He was about control. That evolution made him indispensable in a packed Indian bowling unit.
Mitchell Starc
Mitchell Starc’s 2025 was a reminder that elite fast bowling ages differently. Despite playing only 14 matches and bowling in 25 innings, Starc picked up 58 wickets, an exceptional return for his workload. He averaged 18.41, maintained a tight economy of 3.80, and struck every 29.06 balls. Starc’s uniqueness was timing. He was not used excessively, but when deployed, he delivered impact immediately. In Tests, he provided left arm variation and early breakthroughs. In limited-overs cricket, his control in power plays tilted matches early. Starc’s value in 2025 was not volume. It was efficiency, experience, and decisive spells when Australia needed separation.
Richard Ngarava
Richard Ngarava quietly assembled a strong and demanding year for Zimbabwe. Across 35 matches and 37 innings, he claimed 56 wickets at an average of 24.35. His economy rate stood at 5.07 with a strike rate of 28.78, reflecting a bowler entrusted with long and difficult spells. Ngarava’s strength lay in consistency rather than bursts. He bowled with discipline across formats, often opening attacks and returning during pressure phases. In Tests, he relied on accuracy and patience. In white ball cricket, he focused on containment before breakthroughs. Ngarava’s 2025 mattered because he carried responsibility without support depth, and still delivered control for his side.
Jayden Seales
Jayden Seales continued to establish himself as the West Indies’ most reliable fast bowler in 2025. Playing 26 matches and bowling in 33 innings, he picked up 56 wickets at an average of 27.46. His economy rate of 4.27 and strike rate of 38.58 reflect sustained pressure rather than short spells. Seales’ impact came from discipline. He hit consistent lengths and extracted movement without chasing wickets recklessly. In Tests, he operated as a workhorse, softening batting orders for others. In limited-overs cricket, he maintained structure through the middle overs. Seales’ 2025 was about durability and control, qualities the West Indies have long searched for in their pace attack.
Rizwan Butt
Rizwan Butt was one of the most impactful associate nation bowlers of 2025. Across 34 matches and 34 innings, he picked up 55 wickets at a remarkable average of 12.96. His economy rate was 5.89, while his strike rate of 13.20 highlighted frequent breakthroughs. Butt’s uniqueness was clarity of role. He bowled attacking spells, prioritising wickets even at the cost of runs. In limited-overs cricket, he disrupted the top orders early, often deciding matches within the first half. His consistency across a heavy schedule stood out, especially without the backing of elite bowling units. Butt’s 2025 reinforced that associate cricket continues to produce bowlers capable of sustained impact.
Abrar Ahmed
Abrar Ahmed’s 2025 showcased the value of control in a spin-heavy role. Playing 34 matches and bowling in 36 innings, Abrar claimed 53 wickets at an average of 20.09. He maintained an economy rate of 5.05 and struck every 23.84 balls, providing Pakistan with balance rather than aggression. Abrar’s strength was the containment of the threat. In Tests, he held ends while building pressure. In white ball cricket, he operated through the middle overs, preventing acceleration and forcing errors. His impact was not headline-grabbing but structural. Abrar’s 2025 reflected maturity, showing how spinners can remain relevant across formats through accuracy and tactical awareness.
These bowlers underline an important truth about 2025. Impact was not limited to marquee names alone. Experience, endurance, and clarity of role mattered just as much as raw pace or mystery. From Starc’s efficiency to associate-level bowlers forcing relevance through performance, this group reinforced balance across formats. Together, they ensured that wicket-taking in 2025 remained diverse, competitive, and uncompromising.