A total of 20 matches have been played in IPL 2025 till April 7 and most of the matches have been exciting. Many records have been made in these matches on the basis of the excellent performance of the batsmen and bowlers. 

At the same time, if we talk about the most wickets for a pacer in IPL then Royal Challengers Bengaluru pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar overtook West Indies legend Dwayne Bravo to become the pacer with the most wickets in the history of the Indian Premier League.

Bhuvneshwar achieved this milestone during the IPL match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium. During the match, Bhuvneshwar gave away 48 runs but got a crucial wicket of Tilak Varma, who threatened to take the game away from RCB.

Also Read: MI vs RCB: Most Wickets against RCB in IPL

In this article, we will be discussing about the most wickets for a pacer in IPL. 

Most Wickets for a pacer in IPL

4. Jasprit Bumrah | 165 Wickets

One of the most lethal pacers in modern-day cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has been Mumbai Indians’ spearhead since his debut. He has taken 165 wickets in 134 matches, with a best performance of 5/10, finishing as the team’s leading-wicket taker during three title-winning campaigns (2017, 2019 and 2020). His ability to bowl in the powerplay and nail yorkers at the death makes him a standout bowler.

Bumrah made his long-awaited injury comeback after he was picked in the Mumbai Indians Playing XI for the IPL 2025 encounter against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. The 31-year-old has been missing from action since he suffered a back problem during the final Test of India’s series defeat against Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

3. Lasith Malinga | 170 Wickets

Arguably the greatest fast bowler in IPL history, Lasith Malinga was a key figure in Mumbai Indians’ success. With his deadly yorkers and deceptive slower balls, he took 170 wickets in 122 matches, boasting a stunning best of 5/13. His economy rate of 7.14 and strike rate of 16.62 highlight his dominance.

Malinga made his debut for his only IPL team Mumbai Indians, in the year 2009. He bagged a purple cap in 2011 for his exceptional performance of 28 wickets in just 16 matches.

2. Dwayne Bravo | 183 Wickets

Former West Indies cricketer Dwayne Bravo is at second place in the list of most wickets for a pacer in IPL. Bravo's slower balls and variations made him a CSK legend. He remains one of IPL's most iconic and successful death over specialist. 

Bravo, who last played in the IPL in 2022, has 183 scalps to his name. Bravo has played a total of 161 matches in IPL for three different teams. His best performance was 4 wickets for 22 runs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar broke Bravo's record against Mumbai in Wankhede.

Also Read: Most Wickets in IPL as a Captain

1. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 184 Wickets

RCB's fast bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the most wickets in IPL as a pacer. Kumar has taken 184 wickets in 179 matches. His best performance is 5 wickets for 19 runs. 

The right-arm swing bowler is also the third-highest wicket-taker in the IPL. Above him are Punjab Kings (PBKS) spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (206 wickets in 162 matches at an average of 22.83 and best figures of 5/40) and Piyush Chawla (192 wickets in 192 matches at an average of 26.60, with best figures of 4/17). 

Bhuvi is one of the finest bowlers in the history of the IPL, and is still going strong at the age of 35. He played for Pune Warriors initially, and then was the one of the pillars of SRH unit for a long time. He played a big role in their success and picked wickets both with the new ball and at the death, and is now doing the same for RCB in IPL 2025.

Cricket has evolved significantly, with the introduction of different formats challenging players to adapt their skills across Test cricket, ODIs and T20Is. Only a select few have managed to excel in all three, achieving the remarkable feat of taking over 100 wickets in each format. 

In this article, we will take a look at the bowlers to take 100 wickets in every format.

Also Read: Rising Stars Asia Cup: Past winners and results

Bowlers to take 100 wickets in every format

1. Tim Southee

• Test - 389
• ODI - 221
• T20I - 164

Tim Southee is the only bowler to take 100-plus wickets while featuring in 100-plus matches in each format. Southee picked up his 100th Test wicket against the West Indies on December 21, 2013 in Hamilton. A month later, the right-arm pacer added his 100th ODI scalp at the same venue against India. 

Southee was overall the third bowler to surpass 100 wickets in T20Is, achieving the feat against Pakistan on October 26, 2021, in Sharjah. With 774 wickets, his breakdown includes 389 in Tests, 221 in ODIs, and 164 in T20Is.

2. Lasith Malinga

• Test - 101
• ODI - 338
• T20I - 107

Lasith Malinga breached the 100-wicket landmark in all formats for the first time. Malinga took his 100th Test wicket in his 30th match in Colombo on August 4, 2010. He got Sachin Tendulkar as his landmark victim, though this match turned out to be his last in the format. Ten days later, the right-arm pacer clinched his 100th ODI scalp against New Zealand in Dambulla. He ended up with 338 wickets in 226 ODI matches for Sri Lanka.

Malinga picked up his 100th T20I wicket against the same opposition in Pallekele on September 6, 2019. He was in fact the first-ever bowler to take 100 wickets in the shortest format. Slinga Malinga bowed out with 107 scalps in 84 T20Is.

3. Shakib Al Hasan

• Test - 246
• ODI - 317
• T20I - 149

Shakib Al Hasan was the second bowler to join Malinga in this elite list. The Bangladesh all-rounder has been a key player for his team, contributing with the bat and ball. Shakib first reached the 100th wicket milestone in ODIs during the 2010 Asia Cup game against Pakistan on June 21 in Dambulla. Two years later, he repeated the feat in Test cricket, taking his 100th scalp against the West Indies on November 24, 2012 in Khulna.

Hasan was also the second bowler to bag 100 T20I wickets, reaching the landmark against Australia on August 9, 2021, in Mirpur. His bowling figures are impressive, with 712 wickets in total - 246 in Tests, 317 in ODIs, and 149 in T20Is.

Also Read: Most Wickets in Test Cricket in 2025

4. Shaheen Shah Afridi

• Test - 121
• ODI - 132
• T20I - 122

Shaheen Shah Afridi is the latest entrant in this list. The Pakistan pacer is rising quickly through the ranks, having made his debut across formats in 2018. Afridi has emerged as Pakistan’s lead bowler, picking up crucial wickets across formats. The left-arm pacer achieved the feat within one and a half years of taking his 100 scalps in Tests.

Afridi's 100th Test victim came in the first Test against Sri Lanka on July 16, 2023, in Galle. Three months later, Afridi took his 100th ODI wicket against Bangladesh in Kolkata on October 31, 2023, during the ODI World Cup. He also became the fastest Pakistani to 100 ODI wickets, taking 51 matches to reach the landmark.

Afridi’s 100th T20I wicket came on December 10, 2024, during the first T20I against South Africa in Durban. That made him only the fourth bowler to take 100 wickets in each of the international cricket formats. Overall Afridi took 375 wickets - 121 in Tests, 132 in ODIs, and 122 in T20Is. 

The auction for the next season of the Indian Premier League, IPL 2026, is expected to take place in December. It is reported that the auction could take place between December 13th and 15th. The BCCI has not yet finalized the auction date.

Compared to IPL 2025, this time a "mini auction" will be held, with fewer players up for grabs than last time. The same Cricbuzz report also stated that the deadline for retaining players could be November 15th.

Also Read: Exclusive: 'Would love to see her bat up the order,' Shib Shankar Paul, after Richa Ghosh's record-breaking 94 against South Africa

According to Cricbuzz, it has not yet been decided whether the auction will take place abroad or in India. Sources believe the BCCI may hold a "mini auction" in India, but the situation remains unclear.

Deadline for retention list

According to reports, all teams will have to release their retention lists by November 15th. By this date, teams must submit a list of players they wish to release. It is unlikely that there will be significant player changes.

Who can be released?

There is speculation that Deepak Hooda, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tripathi, Sam Curran, and star batsman Devon Conway could also be released before the 'mini auction.' In recent months, speculation about Sanju Samson being traded has also gained momentum.

It has also been reported that Rajasthan Royals may release their two main spin bowlers, Wanindu Hasaranga and Maheesh Theekshana. However, Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara will be the head coach of RR next season, so Hasaranga and Theekshana may not be released.

These players can get a new team

Some other players including Mitchell Starc, Akashdeep, T Natarajan, Mayank Yadav and David Miller may join the new team, but nothing is clear on this. Venkatesh Iyer, who was bought by KKR for ₹23.75 crore last season, could also be on the line. There is speculation that Cameron Green could become one of the most expensive players in the auction.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy 2025-26: Which matches will be streamed LIVE?

Players who can be retained

Mumbai is anyway, likely to retain Hardik Pandya, Surya Kumar Yadav, Bumrah and others. Chennai will retain Ruturaj Gaikwad, Dhoni and Jadeja. Bengaluru is likely to keep hold of captain Rajat Patidar, Virat Kohli, amongst others. 

The final list of retentions will be out in roughly a month from now, and this will potentially set the stage for the upcoming auction in December.

India will lock horns with Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup 2025 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Sunday. The excitement surrounding this match is at a different level in both countries. Looking at the tournament record, both teams have played 21 matches against each other. Out of these, India have won 12 while Pakistan have claimed 6 games. However, in the last 10 years, the rivalry has become one-sided, where Pakistan managed to win only once in seven showdowns.

So, let's have a look at the bowlers with most wickets in India vs Pakistan matches in Asia Cup in both ODI and T20I formats.

Also Read: Most Runs in India vs Pakistan Matches in Asia Cup (ODI+T20I)

Most Wickets in India vs Pakistan Matches (ODI+T20I)

5. Saeed Ajmal | 8 Wickets

Saeed Ajmal was one of the key spinners of Pakistan in the Asia Cup. Batters would struggle to score in front of him. Meanwhile, against India, Ajmal has taken 8 wickets in 4 matches at an average of 24.00 with a brilliant economy rate of 4.92.

In addition, Ajmal also played a key role in Pakistan’s win in 2012. He was one of the most reliable players on the team during the crucial matches.

4. Jasprit Bumrah | 8 Wickets

Jasprit Bumrah has been one of India’s biggest match-winners across formats, and his performances against Pakistan have been crucial in some of the most high-pressure encounters. His best ODI spell came in the 2018 Asia Cup, where he picked 2/29 in a tight 10-over spell.

Overall Bumrah took 8 wickets for India against Pakistan in Asia Cup in 7 games. In the latest edition (2025), Bumrah is being used strategically in the powerplay overs, a new role for him in T20Is. Against Pakistan, he claimed 2 wickets, dismantling their top order.

3. Hardik Pandya | 10 Wickets

India’s all-rounder Hardik Pandya has balanced his batting fireworks with key bowling contributions. His 10 wickets against Pakistan in only 8 games highlight his knack for breakthroughs, often dismissing set batsmen or breaking partnerships with clever use of short balls and cutters.

Pandya’s bowling has been particularly valuable when India experimented with team balance, allowing them to play an extra batsman while still retaining bowling depth. His dual role makes him one of the most influential Asia Cup performers of recent times.

Also Read: Past results of India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 10 Wickets

Indian pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken 10 wickets in 5 matches in Asia Cup for India against Pakistan. He ran through Pakistan's batting line-up in the Asia Cup 2022 match at the Dubai International Stadium. He registered figures worth 4/26(4) as the Pakistani innings folded on 147. 

Bhuvi has also become the first-ever bowler to take four or more wickets against Pakistan in T20 Internationals. He bowled 13 dot balls in the match. However, he is not part of the current T20I squad. 

1. Kuldeep Yadav | 12 Wickets

Indian spinners kuldeep Yadav is India's top wicket-taker against Pakistan in Asia Cup. He have always played an integral part in the success of the Men in Blue, and Kuldeep Yadav has added to the tradition with his performances in recent years. He possesses the X-factor with his chinaman bowling and has been the tormentor-in-chief in the recent outing against Pakistan.

Currently the 30-year-old is the part of the India squad in the T20I Asia cup 2025, and he played a crucial role for India against Pakistan in both group stage and super four matches. Kuldeep also has been part of an Asia Cup match against Pakistan in the ODI format. Overall, he took a total of 12 wickets in 6 matches. Kuldeep possesses mystery in his bowling, and the Pakistan batters have always struggled to read his variations.

In the long history of cricket, there have been only a few players who have achieved the No.1 position in the ICC rankings in all three formats - Test, ODI, and T20I. Looking at their stats and numbers it won’t be a difficult task to rank these players based on their performances and their abilities to turn the match around with their match-winning performance.

Let's have a look at those players who achieved No.1 ICC rankings in all formats.

Also Read: Indian Men's cricketers to win ICC player of the month award

Players who achieved No.1 ICC rankings in all

1. Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting became the first player to achieve number one ranking in each format. He scored 98 runs in the first ever T20I match played between Australia and New Zealand in Auckland in February 2005 and achieved the number one ranking in the format. Although he couldn't remain at the top for long.

Apart from that, Ponting has been crowned as number one batter in the ODI format for three consecutive years from 2005 to 2007, Ponting also achieved the number ranking in Tests for the first time in 2003. 

2. Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden is ranked among the most explosive opening batters in the world. He is also one of the few players to rank number one in all three formats of the game although not at the same time. The southpaw was the leading run-scorer of both the ODI World Cup and T20 World Cup in 2007 with 659 runs and 265 runs to his name respectively.

Hayden has 30 Test centuries to his name along with ten ODI hundreds. Apart from that, in his short T20I career, Hayden has good numbers with 308 runs to his name from nine innings at an average of 51.33 with four half-centuries.

3. Virat Kohli

Star cricketer Virat Kohli was first player from India to get the highest ICC ranking in every format of the game. Kohli had his best years as an international cricketer in the decade of 2010s. He first achieved the number one ranking in the ODI format in November 2013. After that, he went on to rule the 50-over format and remained as number 1 ODI batter in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively.

Apart from the ODIs, Virat Kohli won player of the tournament in the 2014 T20 World Cup and the 2016 T20 World Cup respectively and also finished as number one batter in the shorter format in both the years. Talking about the Test format, Kohli was crowned as number one batter in the longest format in 2018 and 2019 respectively.

4. Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah is considered as once in a generation player and has achieved several milestones in his nine-year international career so far. Making his international debut in January 2016, Bumrah achieved the number spot in ICC T20I bowlers’ ranking in January 2018 for a short period of time.

After the T20Is, Bumrah also became the nightmare for the batters in the ODI format and was crowned as number one ODI bowler by the ICC rankings in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Bumrah was also crowned as number 1 Test bowler by the ICC ranking in 2023 and 2024 respectively and is still holding the spot in the format as of 2025.

Also Read: Top 10 most watched cricket matches in history

5. Shakib al Hasan

The former Bangladesh ODI captain is one of the greatest cricketers to emerge from his nation. Shakib al Hasan is the leading run scorer for his side in T20Is with 2382 runs from 116 innings. The left-arm spinner is also the leading wicket-taker for Bangladesh in all three formats having 233 wickets in Tests, 317 wickets in ODIs and 140 scalps in T20Is.

He further has the third most runs for his nation in both ODIs (7570) and Tests (4454) stamping his authority as a true all-rounder. Notably, the southpaw is the second player to rank number one in all three formats at the same time as he took the top spot in the all-rounder rankings across formats in June 2015.

T20 cricket is one of the toughest formats to bowl for any bowler. With high-quality bats, shorter grounds, flatter pitches it has been a tough place for bowlers around the globe. However, some bowlers have found it easy to take wickets as the batsmen are willing to take more risks. Arshdeep Singh has emerged as one of the best in T20Is within two years of his debut. He is now the bowler with most T20I wickets for India.

Top 4: Most wickets in T20I for India

#1 Arshdeep Singh: 100 T20 International Wickets

Since his debut in 2022, Arshdeep Singh has made himself as one of the best white ball bowlers. The left-arm pacer is now the highest wicket-taker in T20I cricket among Indians. 

The highest wicket-taker of 2024 T20 World Cup has the ability to swing the new ball. He can also follow that up with Yorkers and variations at the death as well. 

In 64 matches he now has taken 100 wickets. Arsdheep has an average of 18.49 along with a 8.31 economy rate in T20I cricket.

Read Also | Most Wickets in India vs Pakistan Matches in Asia Cup (ODI+T20I)

#2 Hardik Pandya: 97 T20 International Wickets

Hardik Pandya claimed his 97th T20I wicket during India’s Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash against Pakistan in Dubai, moving past Yuzvendra Chahal into second place on India’s all-time list of most T20I wickets, behind Arshdeep Singh.He finished with figures of 1/29 after his three-over spell. 

The 31-year-old has 97 scalps in 118 matches at 26.63, and stands just three away from becoming just the second Indian to take 100 T20I wickets after Arshdeep Singh, who achieved the feat against Oman. Hardik also has 15 wickets in eight innings against Pakistan, the most by a bowler in the rivalry clash in T20Is. 

#3 Yuzvendra Chahal: 96 T20 International Wickets

Chahal, the leg-spinner, is one of the most clever bowlers in world cricket right now. With his experience in Chess, it is quite obvious that he outfox the batsman easily to get wickets. 

Chahal has taken 96 wickets in his 80 T20 international matches. He was also the first Indian bowler to pick a 5-wicket haul in a T20 international game. His bowling average of 25.09 in T20Is speaks volumes for his wicket-taking ability.

However, recently he has found it hard to find a place in the Indian team. 

#4 Jasprit Bumrah : 92 T20 International Wickets

Probably the best Indian pacer of all time, Jasprit Bumrah is a gift of IPL to Indian cricket. His death-bowling skill and game reading ability are second to none. He is a blessing for any captain in the shortest format of the game. 

Bumrah can come at any stage of the game and take a wicket without the batters trying to attack him. The 2024 T20 World Cup winner has taken 92 T20I wickets in just 73 games. He has an outstanding average of 18.16 along with his stunning economy rate of 6.36. 

Read Also | Most T20 wickets among Indian bowlers

#5 Bhuvneshwar Kumar: 90 T20 International Wickets

Once Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the bowler with most T20I wickets for India. Though Kumar has not played a single game for India since 2022, when bowlers like Arshdeep Singh was brought in the team.

The medium has taken 90 T20 international wickets in 87 games with an outstanding economy rate of 6.96. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also the first Indian player to take five-wicket hauls in all formats of the game.

With age, Bhuvneshwar Kumar might find it tough to make a return to the Indian T20I squad, but with his accuracy, he still can be an asset for the team.