Top 5 Players With Most Wickets in ICC Champions Trophy

The most competitive ICC ODI tournament is now less than a week away. In the eight editions of the Champions Trophy, there was a Tom & Jerry kind of race between bat and ball. Batters dominated this tournament, but over the years, many bowlers have left a significant mark on this tournament, especially through their wicket-taking abilities. Let’s look at the top five highest wicket-takers of this highly regarded competitive tournament.

Kyle Mills

Right-arm medium-fast pacer from New Zealand, Kyle Mills, is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with a total of 28 wickets to his name. The Kiwi bowler not only took wickets with an average of 17.25 but was also economical in this tournament. Mills bowled 112 overs in the tournament with an economy of just over 4.

Key Stats

Matches	Wickets	Best	Opponent
15	28	4/38	Australia

Lasith Malinga

Lasith Malinga, known for his unorthodox action and toe-crushing yorkers, is ranked second among the highest wicket-takers in the event. The Yorker King took 25 wickets in 16 matches he played for the island nation in this tournament. Malinga’s best performance came in this tournament when his team was defending just 138 runs against the Kiwis in Cardiff. Malinga took four wickets while conceding just 34 runs in 10 overs. Sri Lanka lost that match, but Malinga certainly won many hearts that day.

Key Stats

Matches	Wickets	Best	Opponent
16	25	4/34	New Zealand

Muttiah Muralitharan

Next on the list is the spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan. Murali, who has taken over 500 wickets in ODI cricket for Sri Lanka, is featured in this list at number three with 24 wickets. Murali might be a man with a big heart, but he is a miser when it comes to conceding runs. With an economy of just 3.60, the spin wizard kept things tight in the Champions Trophy. His best performance came against the Netherlands on his home turf when Sri Lanka bowled out the Dutch side for just 86 runs. Murali took four wickets in that match while conceding just 15 runs.

Key Stats

Matches	Wickets	Best	Opponent
17	24	4/15	Netherlands

Brett Lee

Any statistical list feels incomplete without featuring Australians, and this list was no different—until Brett Lee showed up at number four with 22 wickets to his name. Interestingly, the right-arm pacer never got a four or five-wicket haul in the Champions Trophy, yet he is on the list. This speaks volumes about his consistency in this event. Binga took 22 wickets in the Champions Trophy while maintaining an average just below 27 and an economy of 4.70.

Key Stats

Matches	Wickets	Best	Opponent
16	22	3/38	Sri Lanka

Glenn McGrath

Next on the list is Glenn McGrath, one of the greatest fast bowlers to have ever played the game of cricket—someone even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar regarded as the most difficult bowler to face. In 12 matches, McGrath took 21 wickets while conceding runs at an economy of just 4 rpo. When it comes to bowling maiden overs, McGrath is the second-highest in the Champions Trophy, having bowled a total of 12 maiden overs.

Key Stats

Matches	Wickets	Best	Opponent
12	21	5/37	New Zealand