Sri Lanka's legendary spinner Muthiah Muralidaran (now retired) has the most wickets in Asia Cup history, with 30 wickets in 24 matches. Among the current players, India's Ravindra Jadeja tops the list with 25 wickets.
The 2023 Asia Cup will be played in the ODI format in preparation for the 2023 Cricket World Cup. It will be hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The aim of every bowler is to end with the most wickets in the tournament. So, who is the best bowler in Asia Cup history?
Most Wickets in Asia Cup 2023 ODI
Matheesha Pathirana is the highest wicket-taker of the 2023 Asia Cup so far. He has 11 wickets in 5 matches with the best of 4/32 against Bangladesh.
| Player | Wickets | Matches | Best Figures | Bowling Average | Eco. Rate |
| Matheesha Pathirana (SL) | 11 | 6 | 4/32 vs Ban | 24.54 | 6.61 |
| Mohammad Siraj (IND) | 10 | 5 | 5/25 vs Pak | 12.20 | 4.63 |
| Dunith Wellalage (SL) | 10 | 6 | 5/40 vs Ind | 17.20 | 4.30 |
| Shaheen Afridi (PAK) | 10 | 5 | 4/35 vs Ind | 23.50 | 5.73 |
| Kuldeep Yadav (IND) | 9 | 5 | 5/25 vs Pak | 11.33 | 3.70 |
Top 10 Bowlers with the Most Wickets in Asia Cup (ODI)
Here is the list of all-time top 10 most wicket-takers in the history of the 50-overs Asia Cup.
| Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Best Figures | Bowling Average | Eco. Rate |
| Muthiah Muralidaran | Sri Lanka | 24 | 30 | 5/31 vs Ban (2008) | 28.83 | 3.75 |
| Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 14 | 29 | 5/34 vs Pak (2010) | 20.55 | 4.65 |
| Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | 8 | 26 | 6/13 vs Ind (2008) | 10.42 | 3.98 |
| Saeed Ajmal | Pakistan | 12 | 25 | 3/26 vs SL (2014) | 19.39 | 4.21 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 20 | 25 | 4/29 vs Ban (2018) | 26.28 | 4.34 |
| Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 19 | 23 | 3/30 vs Ban (2004) | 27.78 | 4.19 |
| Irfan Pathan | India | 12 | 22 | 4/32 vs SL (2012) | 27.50 | 5.54 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | Sri Lanka | 25 | 22 | 4/49 vs Pak (1997) | 30.31 | 4.48 |
| Abdur Razzak | Bangladesh | 18 | 22 | 3/17 vs HK (2004) | 36.18 | 4.67 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 18 | 22 | 4/42 vs Afg (2018) | 36.95 | 4.74 |
Also read: Asia Cup 2023 Match Schedule, Date, Venues, Teams
1) Muthiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka): 30 wickets
Muthiah Muralidaran is considered to be one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket. He has picked up 30 wickets in 24 Asia Cup matches at an economy of 3.75 and an average of 28.83. He was part of Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup titles wins in 1997, 2004 and 2008.
2) Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka): 29 wickets
Lasith Malinga is second on the list of best bowlers in Asia Cup history. He has been one of Sri Lanka's greatest pacers, especially in white-ball cricket. Malinga played in 5 editions from 2004 to 2018 and took 29 wickets at an economy of 4.65 and an average of 20.55. He finished as the highest wicket-taker in the 2010 and 2014 editions and won the Asia Cup in 2004 and 2014.
3) Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka): 26 wickets
Former Sri Lanka mystery spinner Ajantha Mendis is third on the list of most wickets in the Asia Cup. Mendis took 26 wickets in just 8 matches from 2008 to 2014 at an economy of 3.98 and an average of 10.42. He was the highest wicket-taker at the 2008 edition and helped Sri Lanka to the Asia Cup titles in 2008 and 2014.
Also read: Asia Cup Winners and Runner-up List from 1984 to 2023
4) Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan): 25 wickets
Shoaib Malik is the only non-Sri Lankan bowler in the top 5 bowlers with the most wickets in Asia Cup history. Ajmal took 25 wickets in 12 matches between 2008 and 2014 at an average of 19.25 and an economy rate of 4.21. He was part of Pakistan’s Asia Cup-winning team in 2012.
5) Ravindra Jadeja (India): 25 wickets
India's star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja completes the top 5 list of the bowlers with most wickets in the Asia Cup. He played in the 2010 to 2023 editions of the Asia Cup and took 25 wickets at an average of 26.28 and an economy rate of 4.34.
Most Wickets in Asia Cup T20
Here are the top 5 most wicket-takers in the history of the 20-overs Asia Cup.
| Player | Team | Matches | Wickets | Best Figures | Bowling Average | Eco. Rate |
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | India | 5 | 11 | 5/4 vs Afg (2022) | 10.45 | 6.05 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 6 | 9 | 3/21 vs Pak (2022) | 18.88 | 7.39 |
| Mohammad Nawaz | Pakistan | 6 | 8 | 3/5 vs HK (2022) | 13.75 | 5.89 |
| Shadab Khan | Pakistan | 5 | 8 | 4/8 vs HK (2022) | 14.12 | 6.05 |
| Haris Rauf | Pakistan | 6 | 8 | 3/29 vs SL (2022) | 19.12 | 7.65 |
Also read: Most Runs in Asia Cup
FAQs
Who has taken the most wickets in Asia Cup 2023?
Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana has taken the most wickets Asia Cup 2023 (11 in 5 matches at an average of 22.63).
Who has taken the most wickets in Asia Cup T20?
India's Bhuvneshwar Kumar has taken the most wickets in the Asia Cup (T20 format). He has 13 wickets in 2 T20I editions ( 2016 and 2022) of the Asia Cup.
Who is the highest wicket-taker in the Asia Cup by an Indian Player?
Ravindra Jadeja has taken the most wickets in the Asia Cup by an Indian Player. He has taken 25 wickets in 19 matches at an average of 26.28.
Who has the record for most wickets in a single Asia Cup?
Ajantha Mendis (in 2008) holds the record for taking the most wickets (17) in a single edition of the Asia Cup. Mendis' remarkable bowling effort won the title for Sri Lanka in the 2008 edition.
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