The new cycle of the WTC 2023-25 kicked off in style with the iconic rivalry between England and Australia being played out in the oldest test series in the history of cricket: Ashes 2023.
There were some magnificent innings played in the marquee series. Furthermore, there were some displays of outstanding balling as well. Be it Mark Wood’s 5-wicket haul in his maiden Test innings or Stuart Broad’s fifer in his final Test innings, they all have set the template for the highest wicket-takers in WTC 2023-25 session.
On that note, read further to update your knowledge about the ICC World Test Championship 2023–2025.
ICC World Test Championship 2023–2025: Overview
The 2023–2025 ICC World Test Championship is an ongoing tournament of Test Cricket which is the third edition of the ICC World Test Championship. The Ashes, a match between England and Australia, kicked off the series in June 2023. It is expected to end in June 2025, with the last game being played at Lord’s.
On August 17, 2022, the International Cricket Council (ICC) released the 2023–2027 Future Tours Programme and included the series that would make up the World Test Championship. As in the previous cycles, there was no full round-robin tournament where each team played all eight other teams equally. Instead, each team only played six of the other eight. The boards of the contending teams will choose the precise dates and locations of these series.
List of Highest wicket-takers in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25
| Player | Span | Mat | Inns | Wkts | BBI | Ave | Econ | SR | 4 | 5 |
| MA Starc (AUS) | 2023-2023 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 5/78 | 25.78 | 4.45 | 34.75 | 2 | 1 |
| SCJ Broad (ENG) | 2023-2023 | 5 | 10 | 22 | 4/65 | 28.40 | 3.39 | 50.27 | 1 | – |
| PJ Cummins (AUS) | 2023-2023 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 6/91 | 34.52 | 3.92 | 52.76 | 1 | 1 |
| JR Hazlewood (AUS) | 2023-2023 | 5 | 9 | 20 | 5/126 | 28.45 | 4.05 | 42.10 | – | 1 |
| CR Woakes (ENG) | 2023-2023 | 3 | 6 | 19 | 5/62 | 18.15 | 3.04 | 35.78 | 1 | 1 |
| R Ashwin (IND) | 2023-2023 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 7/71 | 15.00 | 2.50 | 36.00 | – | 2 |
| Taijul Islam (BAN) | 2023-2023 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 6/75 | 20.40 | 3.04 | 40.13 | 1 | 1 |
| MA Wood (ENG) | 2023-2023 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 5/34 | 20.21 | 3.22 | 37.57 | – | 1 |
| AY Patel (NZ) | 2023-2023 | 2 | 4 | 14 | 6/57 | 23.92 | 3.50 | 41.00 | 1 | 1 |
| NM Lyon (AUS) | 2023-2023 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 4/80 | 24.57 | 3.51 | 42.00 | 2 | – |
FAQs
Who has taken the most wickets in the current WTC cycle 2023-25?
Australia’s left-arm speedster Mitchell Starc tops the tally of Highest wicket-takers WTC 2023-25. Playing 9 innings in 5 matches, Starc has picked up as many as 28 wickets which includes 2 four-fers and 1 fifer.
Not only this, 33-year-old Starc also became the highest wicket-taker in the most recent Ashes series played in England.
Trailing the Australian in second place was England seamer Stuart Broad, who took one less wicket than Starc. During the final Test of the series, Broad announced his retirement from professional cricket, finishing his Ashes career as the third-highest all-time wicket-taker in The Men’s Ashes, bettered only by Australia’s Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne.
Read further: What multiple records have been broken in Ashes 2023? Check out Most Runs Scorer, Wickets Taker
Which Indian has taken the most wickets in the WTC cycle 2023-25?
Left out from the WTC Final 2021-23, played between India and Australia, Ravichandran Ashwin began the new WTC cycle with a 12-wicket match haul in the first Test against West Indies in Dominica. With this, Ashwin, 36, currently is the Indian who has taken the most wickets in the WTC cycle 2023-25.
Notably, Ashwin’s bowling prowess was on full display throughout the WTC 2021-23 cycle. He claimed an impressive 61 wickets in just 13 Tests, making him the third-highest wicket-taker in the cycle.
This achievement is even more remarkable considering that he was not included in every match. His contributions were instrumental in India’s journey to the finals, and his absence in certain games was felt deeply.
One such instance was during India’s tour of England in 2021 and the rescheduled Test in 2022. Despite being a seasoned player with a proven track record, Ashwin was left out of the playing XI. The decision was influenced by pitches and overhead conditions in England and India’s decision to use Ravindra Jadeja as an additional batting option.
Also read: WTC 2023-25: Top run scorers in current World Test Championship
Thank you for reading.
