Explore the top Indian bowlers who secured the most wickets in a single calendar year in Test matches.
Most Test Wickets by an Indian Player in a Calendar Year
| Player | Year | Inns | Wkts | BBI | Avg | Econ | 5W/10W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapil Dev | 1983 | 25 | 75 | 9/83 | 23.18 | 3 | 5/1 |
| Kapil Dev | 1979 | 29 | 74 | 6/63 | 22.95 | 2.86 | 5/0 |
| Anil Kumble | 2004 | 23 | 74 | 8/141 | 24.83 | 2.99 | 6/2 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2016 | 23 | 72 | 7/59 | 23.9 | 2.94 | 8/3 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | 2024 | 26 | 71 | 6/45 | 14.92 | 2.96 | 5/0 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 2002 | 24 | 63 | 7/48 | 23.22 | 2.46 | 5/0 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 2008 | 23 | 63 | 6/102 | 31.53 | 2.81 | 2/1 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2015 | 17 | 62 | 7/66 | 17.2 | 2.83 | 7/2 |
| Harbhajan Singh | 2001 | 22 | 60 | 8/84 | 25.95 | 2.72 | 6/2 |
| Anil Kumble | 2006 | 23 | 57 | 6/78 | 33.5 | 3.01 | 2/0 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2017 | 21 | 56 | 6/41 | 27.58 | 2.78 | 2/0 |
| Anil Kumble | 1999 | 19 | 54 | 10/74 | 27.05 | 2.51 | 4/2 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | 2017 | 20 | 54 | 6/63 | 23.05 | 2.44 | 3/0 |
| Ravichandran Ashwin | 2021 | 18 | 54 | 6/61 | 16.64 | 2.32 | 3/0 |
| BS Chandrasekhar | 1976 | 17 | 52 | 6/94 | 28.03 | 2.78 | 3/0 |
Key Insights on Leading Indian Wicket Takers in Test Cricket
Highest Single-Year Wicket Tally Records
Kapil Dev has the most Test wickets for India in a calendar year, taking a whopping 75 Test wickets for the country in the year 1983. He played 18 matches in that year at an average of 23.18, with the help of 5 five-wicket hauls.
The legendary all-rounder also holds the joint second position, having taken 74 wickets in 17 Tests at an average of 22.95 in the year 1979.
Anil Kumble matched this figure of 74 wickets in 2004, where he took the same number of wickets in 12 Tests at an average of 24.83 with eight five-wicket hauls.
Jasprit Bumrah took 71 wickets in 2024 in just 13 matches, with the help of 5 five-wicket hauls.
Indian Bowlers with Multiple 50-Wicket Seasons
Vinoo Mankad was the first Indian bowler to capture 50 or more wickets in a calendar year. In 1952, the all-rounder took 51 wickets in 9 Tests at an average of 21.68 with 5 five-wicket hauls and two 10-fers.
Ravichandran Ashwin holds the record of having registered 50 or more Test wickets on most occasions in Test cricket for India. The champion off-spinner had taken more than 50 wickets on four different calendar years (2016, 2015, 2017, and 2021).
Kumble took 50+ wickets in three different years (2004, 2006, and 1999), but left stranded on 49 wickets in two years (2002 & 2007).
Harbhajan Singh had taken 50 or more Test wickets in three different years. He took 63 wickets apiece in 2002 & 2008, and 60 scalps in 2001.
The other bowlers to have taken 50 or more wickets at least once in a calendar year are Ravindra Jadeja (54 wickets in 2017), Bhagwat Chandrasekhar (52 wickets in 1976), and Zaheer Khan (51 wickets in 2002).
Deep Dive: Ravichandran Ashwin Year-wise Test Bowling Performances
Best Bowling Average and Haul
Jasprit Bumrah‘s average of 14.92 is the best among the bowlers who have taken 50 or more Test wickets for India in a calendar year.
His strike rate of 30.1 is also the best for any Indian bowler with a minimum of 50 Test wickets.
Ashwin holds the record for taking the most five-wicket hauls for India in a calendar year, taking 8 such hauls in 2016.
He surpassed his own tally of 7 in the year 2015. The spinner also has the most 10-wicket hauls (3) in a year (2016).
Ashwin is one of the two Indian bowlers to take multiple 10-fers (two or more) in a calendar year twice.
The other is Anil Kumble, who achieved it across three years (1999, 2004 & 2005).
Related Read: Most 5-fors and 10-fors for India in Overall Test Cricket
