Indian cricket has seen some of the most talented cricketers in the history of the sport. Indian bowlers, in particular, have always been a force to reckon with in international cricket. These Indian cricketers have contributed significantly to the success of Indian cricket over the years. They have taken a considerable number of wickets and have played an essential role in various victories for India. In this article, we will take a look at the bowlers who have taken the most wickets for Indians in international cricket.

1. Anil Kumble | 956 Wickets

Anil Kumble comes holds the first position in the list of most wickets for Indians in International cricket. He is considered one of India's greatest spin bowlers and one of the most successful bowlers in international cricket history. Kumble has played 132 Tests and 271 ODIs for India. He took a total of 956 wickets in his international career, including 619 wickets in Test cricket and 337 wickets in One Day Internationals (ODIs). This record has not been broken till date and there is no possibility that any bowler can break this record even further. Moreover, only two players have a record of scoring more than 500 wickets and more than 2000 runs in Test cricket. First Shane Warne of Australia and second Anil Kumble. Kumble's most memorable performance came in the 1999 Test against Pakistan in Delhi, where he took all ten wickets in an innings.

2. Harbhajan Singh | 711 Wickets

Harbhajan Singh is one of the most successful spinners in the history of Indian cricket. He has taken numerous wickets for India in all formats of the game. That's why he comes at the second position in the list of most wickets for Indians in international cricket. He represented India in 103 Tests, 236 ODIs, and 28 T20Is. Harbhajan Singh took a total of 711 wickets in his international career, including 417 wickets in Test cricket, 269 wickets in ODI, and 25 plucks in T20 Internationals. One of the highlights of the Punjab cricketer's international career was his performance against Australia, where he took 32 wickets in three Tests including a maiden Test hat-trick for India. Moreover, he played a crucial role in India's victory in the 2007 World Twenty20 and the 2011 World Cup.

3. Ravichandran Ashwin | 688* Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin recorded history by claiming his 688th international wickets during the first session of Day 2 in Indore against Australia. The scalp puts him ahead of Kapil Dev in terms of most wickets for Indians in International cricket. And the off-spinner only finds himself behind the illustrious duo of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh. The off-spinner overtook Kapil Dev's elusive tally of 434 Test wickets during the home series against Sri Lanka in March 2022. He has since reached the 450 wicket mark as well and his current tally reads 466. Moreover, he has also claimed 151 ODI wickets and 72 T20I wickets over the course of his career.

4. Kapil Dev | 687 Wickets

Kapil Dev was an exceptional all-rounder and is widely regarded as one of the greatest cricketers India has ever produced. Arguably the greatest cricketer in the history of Indian cricket, Kapil became the country's first World Cup winning captain when he led India to a World Cup win in 1983. He was a skillful and versatile bowler who could swing the ball both ways. Kapil Dev took a total of 687 wickets in his international career, including 434 wickets in Test cricket and 253 wickets in ODIs. Even today, Kapil remains in the list of top-10 leading wicket-takers in the world. He is next only to Ravichandran Ashwin as far as Indian bowlers are concerned. With his stellar performance, he made his place in the list of most wickets for Indians in International cricket.

5. Zaheer Khan | 610 Wickets

Zaheer Khan holds the fifth position in the list of most wickets for Indians in International cricket. He is considered one of the finest left-arm pacers to have played for India. Khan could swing the ball both ways and was also adept at bowling reverse swing. He played 92 Tests, 200 one-day internationals, and 17 Twenty20s for India and took a total of 610 wickets in his international career. His 311 Test wickets came at 32.94 while he picked up 282 scalps in ODIs. Moreover, He went on to lead the Indian attack in the 2011 World Cup. He also was the joint-top wicket-taker in the tournament with 21 scalps, helping his side clinch the title in the process.

The controversy over the key members of the Indian Test team not being selected for major domestic cricket tournaments continues to grow. Now The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed strong displeasure over the exclusion of top international players like KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj from the South Zone team for the upcoming Duleep Trophy.

After this, the Board has officially written a letter to all the state associations asking them to give priority to the selection of centrally contracted players for this opening tournament of the domestic season.

Also Read: Ranji Trophy: Ajinkya Rahane steps down from Mumbai captaincy ahead of the new season

Many big names were not included

South Zone announced its team on July 27. Many big names like KL Rahul, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Prasidh Krishna and Sai Sudharsan were not included in it.

The Duleep Trophy, which begins in Bengaluru on August 28, is considered an important platform for domestic and national level talents. The board did not like the decision of the South Zone to not include these players in the team despite their availability during the off-season.

Abey Kuruvilla wrote the email

BCCI General Manager of Cricket Operations Abey Kuruvilla addressed the issue in an email sent to zonal coordinators and state units last week. According to the reports, Kuruvilla stressed the importance of ensuring the participation of all available Indian players to maintain the prestige and competitive level of the Duleep Trophy. 

Kuruvilla wrote in the email, “To uphold its prestige and ensure the highest quality of competition, it’s imperative that all currently available India players are selected for their respective zonal teams. Requesting the Zonal Convenors to ensure that all the current India players who are available to play Duleep trophy should be picked.”

“All players, contracted or otherwise, who make themselves available for selection into Team India, shall participate in domestic matches conducted by BCCI,” 

“In case any player opts not to participate in any domestic cricket tournaments in spite of availability, he/she shall not be considered for selection unless a prior recommendation is obtained to skip the match/tournament from the National coach and the chairman of the selection committee, and prior approval from the BCCI. In case any leave is granted, the same shall be considered on the basis of some valid and cogent reason.” the email said.

Instructions to give priority to domestic cricket

This directive is in line with the BCCI's policy of making participation of international players mandatory in domestic competitions. The board had previously warned players against giving priority to the IPL over first-class cricket and earlier this year reminded all contracted players to remain committed to the domestic calendar.

However, this instruction from BCCI has come after South Zone announced its team. It is still not clear whether the selectors will make any changes in their list or not. Tilak Verma was made the captain of the team.

Also Read: Duleep Trophy: Shardul Thakur to lead the West Zone; no Ajinkya Rahane and Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad

Questions were raised on international players

Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Kuldeep Yadav, Akash Deep, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh and Shreyas Iyer among many other players are expected to participate in the tournament representing their respective regions.

The state associations have previously expressed concern that the automatic inclusion of Indian stars in the regional teams overlooks Ranji players who have performed consistently throughout the season.

Many have argued that matches such as India A tours and Board President's XI would be a more suitable platform for international players, leaving regional tournaments as a rewarding avenue for domestic players.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has extended the contract of Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar. According to the report, he will remain in this position till June 2026. The decision came just two days after India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad announcement. Former fast bowler Agarkar was made the chairman of Team India's selection committee in July 2023.

Also Read: Five things from Asia Cup team announcement press conference

The contract was renewed before IPL 2025

According to the report, Agarkar's contract was renewed ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. During his tenure, the Indian team won titles and also saw changes (in Tests and T20s). The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months ago.

“Under his tenure the Indian team had won titles and had seen transition (of the Tests and T20) too. The BCCI had extended his contract till June 2026 and he had accepted the offer a few months back,” a BCCI official said.

Indian cricket team under Agarkar's tenure

During Ajit Agarkar's tenure, Team India won the T20 World Cup in 2024 and the Champions Trophy earlier this year. Apart from this, Team India also reached the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Where it lost to Australia.

Agarkar has also overseen leadership changes. Shubman Gill became Test captain. Suryakumar Yadav took charge of the T20I side. Meanwhile, senior stars like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma now play only ODIs. Ravichandran Ashwin has retired completely.

S Sharath could lose his place

Agarkar currently works with SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratra and S Sharath. But changes are expected at the BCCI annual meeting in September.

Reports say S Sharath could lose his place. He has served close to four years as selector, the maximum allowed by BCCI rules. Sharath earlier headed the junior selection panel before joining the senior one in 2023. BCCI will soon invite applications to fill the vacancy. Officials are largely happy with the rest of the panel. Only Sharath’s role looks under review for now.

Changes will also be made for women’s and junior panels

The shake-up will not stop with the men’s committee. The BCCI will also invite applications for the women’s and junior selectors. Neetu David, head of the women’s panel, and members Arati Vaidya and Mithu Mukherjee, complete their terms this season. The junior men’s panel, led by Thilak Naidu and others, may also see changes.

Also Read: ICC Women’s World Cup 2025: Indian squad announced, Shefali Verma not in the team

Agarkar's international career

Ajit Agarkar has taken 349 international wickets in his career. He has taken 58 wickets in Tests, 288 in ODIs and 3 wickets in T20 Internationals.

Agarkar was also a part of the Indian team that won the T20 World Cup in 2007. He scored 15 runs and took one wicket in 2 matches of the tournament. India won the title by defeating Pakistan in the final of the tournament held in South Africa.

Agarkar is the fastest Indian batsman to score a half century in ODIs. He scored a half century in 21 balls against Zimbabwe in the year 2000. He has also completed the fastest 50 wickets in ODIs for India. He achieved this feat in 23 matches.

The Buchi Babu 2025 tournament has started by the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association from 18 August to 9 September. In Round 1, TNCA XI and Mumbai are facing off at Gojan College B Ground. On the very first day of this match, India's Out-of-favour middle-order batsman Sarfaraz Khan has attracted everyone's attention by scoring a brilliant century.

Also Read: BCCI Central Contract 2025: Talking points from BCCI's contract announcement

Sarfaraz hit 92-ball century

Sarfaraz Khan scored this century while batting at number 5. When he came to bat, Mumbai had lost three wickets for 98 runs. After this, Sarfaraz Khan handled the team's innings and scored a stormy century. Sarfaraz reached the 100-run mark in just 92 balls. During this, he also hit 9 fours and 3 sixes. 

Not selected for England tour

This innings is special for Sarfaraz Khan in many ways, because recently he was not selected in the Indian Test team for the England tour. Sarfaraz has been in the news for his fitness for some time now. After not being selected in Team India, he worked a lot on his fitness. Sarfaraz Khan surprised everyone by losing about 17 kg in just one and a half months.

This is his first match after losing weight and he has been successful in leaving his mark in this match. Sarfaraz Khan is now eyeing to make his place in the home Test series to be played against West Indies.

Sarfaraz's Test performance for India so far

The last of Sarfaraz’s six Tests came during New Zealand’s tour of India last year. After scoring a brilliant 150 in the first Test against the Kiwis in Bengaluru, Sarfaraz just managed 21 runs in the subsequent four innings as India was blanked 0-3 at home. In 11 Test innings so far, Sarfaraz has scored 371 runs at a middling average of 37.10.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

Though Sarfaraz was picked in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, he didn’t play a single game in the five-match affair.

However, with Karun Nair and Sai Sudharsan failing to make a statement with the willow during the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series in England, Sarfaraz has a golden opportunity to be in the scheme of things again ahead of a packed home season.

The duck - dismissal without scoring a single run, is a humiliation that haunts all cricketers, but it’s become an almost expected feature for the names that appear here. Some were genuine bowling greats, with match-winning spells and legendary careers with the ball. But when it came to contributing runs, they routinely exited without troubling the scorers.

In this article, we will take a look at most ducks by an Indian in Tests.

Also Read: Most International Wickets for India (Pacers)

Most Ducks by an Indian in Tests

1. Ishant Sharma | 34

Ishant Sharma tops our list by securing 34 ducks with no runs, and his name appears among the Indian players who have scored the most ducks in Test cricket. Ishant Sharma was known for his lion-hearted spells and his remarkable longevity as a fast bowler. With the bat, however, his long limbs and hesitant stroke play made for awkward viewing.

Ishant's tally of 34 ducks in just 142 innings shows just how frequently he was dismissed for zero. In the 102 matches that Sharma has played for India, he has managed to score a total of just 751 runs at an average close to 7.5.

2. Zaheer Khan | 29

Zaheer Khan was one of India’s most dependable fast bowlers in the 2000s and early 2010s, especially overseas. A left-arm swing bowler capable of troubling the best batsmen, his contributions with the ball were immense.

During his career that lasted from 2000 to 2014, Zaheer Khan, however played a total of 1231 runs at an average of 11.95 and was dismissed on 29 occasions without scoring any runs.

3. Jasprit Bumrah | 28

Jasprit Bumrah might be the spearhead of India’s bowling attack, but his form with the bat is not so well. In the previous ENG vs IND Test series, Bumrah recorded his sixth duck in seven innings. Since the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne in December 2024, Bumrah’s scores read: 0, 0, 22, 0, 0, 0, 0.

Bumrah played a total of 341 runs at an average of 6.55 and was dismissed on 28 occasions without scoring any runs.

4. Bhagwath Chandrasekhar | 23

Bhagwath Chandrasekhar was ranked as the worst batsman in the history of Test cricket. He registered 23 ducks from 80 innings, averaging one duck every four innings.

But if one were to form a eleven of No 11s who have played Test cricket, Chandrasekhar would be the No 11 in this team as well. Chandra played 58 Tests and took 242 wickets, an outstanding match-winning bowler for India. But in these 58 Tests he scored only 167 runs. That meant he took more wickets than he scored runs. His Test batting average was 4.07.

Also Read: Most Test wickets by pacers in away tests

Bishan Singh Bedi | 20

Bishen Singh Bedi is 5th on the list with 20 ducks during his illustrous test career that saw many twists and turns. Not known much as a batsman, he was a tailender who didn’t know much about batting. But however he ranks as one of India’s best spinners who bowled with a big heart and known for his deceiving flighted balls.

During his career that lasted from 1964 to 1979, Bedi played a total of only 167 runs at an average of 4.07 and was dismissed on 20 occasions without scoring any runs.

India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has returned to the nets for the first time since undergoing surgery on his lower right abdomen. Asia Cup 2025 is going to start from 9th September. All the teams have started their preparations. This time the tournament will be played in T20 format. In such a situation, it is very important for Indian T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav to be fit. The Indian skipper is now working hard to be fully fit in time for the tournament, which will also act as a key preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

If he recovers in time, SKY will not only lead the side but also have a chance to break multiple T20I records in Asia Cup 2025. Let's have a look.

Also Read: Shreyas Iyer's best knocks in Tests

Records Suryakumar Yadav can break in Asia Cup 2025

3,000 T20I Runs with 160+ Strike Rate

The 34-year-old is on the verge of becoming the first player in T20I history to score 3,000 runs while maintaining a strike rate above 160. He is currently 402 runs short of the milestone. No batter in history has got to 3,000 T20I runs with a strike rate above 150.

Most Centuries in T20Is

Surya also needs one more century to equal the joint record of five T20I hundreds held by Rohit Sharma and Glenn Maxwell. Batting in the top order will give him a golden opportunity to at least equal, if not surpass, their record. Given his IPL 2025 form, breaking it outright isn’t out of the question.

Players with 150 T20I Sixes

Sky just needs four more sixes to join the elite club of players with 150 T20I sixes, with 146 sixes to his name. Only Rohit (205), Martin Guptill (173), Muhammad Waseem (168), and Jos Buttler (160) have cleared the rope more often. This one could be ticked off within a match or two.

Surya is focused on recovery and fitness

To speed up his recovery, Suryakumar withdrew from the Duleep Trophy 2025 and has been concentrating on strength-building, mobility work, and match fitness at the NCA. His training is aimed at ensuring he can handle the demands of back-to-back matches in the Asia Cup.

Also Read: ENG vs IND: Every record Shubman Gill broke in test series

Surya's performance in IPL 2025

Surya was last seen playing for Mumbai Indians in IPL 2025. He batted brilliantly this season and won the Most Valuable Player award by scoring 717 runs for Mumbai Indians.

Rohit Sharma retired from the T20 format after the T20 World Cup 2024. After this, Surya is captaining the Indian T20I team. Surya has shown excellent captaincy. He has won 17 matches for India in 22 matches. 

The Indian team will start its campaign in Asia Cup 2025 from September 10, where it will face UAE. Apart from this, the big match between India and Pakistan will be played on September 14.