The Asia Cup stands as a cricket tournament encompassing men’s One Day International (50 overs) and Twenty20 International (20 overs) formats. It exclusively involves countries from the Asian continent, making it cricket’s sole continental championship. Inaugurated in 1984, the tournament coincided with the establishment of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) a year earlier. Initially biennial, the event transitioned to a quadrennial cycle. From 2016 onward, the ICC unveiled a rotational pattern between ODI and T20I formats for the Asia Cup, with decisions influenced by forthcoming ICC events. This article delves into the standout bowlers’ performances, acknowledging their crucial role in the success of their respective teams. The focus will be on the individuals who have achieved the highest wicket counts in the Asia Cup.
The latest edition of the Asia Cup has unveiled its schedule, with the Pakistan team set to face Nepal in the opening match of the competition. As customary, the six participating teams are split into two groups, and the teams occupying the top two positions on the Asia Cup points table will secure berths in the Super Fours stage.
Top Wicket-Takers in the Asia Cup (ODI):
1) Muttiah Muralidharan (Sri Lanka): 30 wickets
Renowned as one of cricket’s finest bowlers, Muttiah Muralidharan clinched 30 wickets across 24 Asia Cup matches. His exceptional stats showcase an economy rate of 3.75 and an average of 28.83. Notably, he contributed to Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup victories in 1997, 2004, and 2008.
2) Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka): 29 wickets
Securing the second spot is Lasith Malinga, a stalwart among Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers, particularly in limited-overs cricket. Malinga’s impressive record encompasses 29 wickets achieved across 5 editions spanning from 2004 to 2018. His figures boast an economy rate of 4.65 and an average of 20.55. Malinga led the wicket charts in the 2010 and 2014 editions and contributed to Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup triumphs in 2004 and 2014.
3) Ajantha Mendis (Sri Lanka): 26 wickets
Ajantha Mendis, the enigmatic spin maestro, holds the third position. His remarkable 26 wickets were taken in just 8 matches from 2008 to 2014. Mendis boasts an economy rate of 3.98 and an astonishing average of 10.42. He emerged as the top wicket-taker in the 2008 edition and played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s Asia Cup successes in 2008 and 2014.
4) Saeed Ajmal (Pakistan): 25 wickets
Breaking the Sri Lankan dominance, Saeed Ajmal stands as the sole non-Sri Lankan bowler in the top 5. His tally of 25 wickets was accrued in 12 matches between 2008 and 2014. Ajmal’s performance showcases an average of 19.25 and an economy rate of 4.21. He contributed to Pakistan’s Asia Cup victory in 2012.
5) Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka): 23 wickets
Completing the top 5 is Chaminda Vaas, another formidable Sri Lankan paceman. His contributions span the 1995 to 2008 editions of the Asia Cup, amassing a total of 23 wickets. Vaas maintains an average of 27.78 and an economy rate of 4.19.
Also read: Asia Cup Most Runs: Highest Run Scorer in Asia Cup History
Top 10 Bowlers With Most Wickets in ODIs
Ravi Shastri held the distinction of being the foremost wicket-taker in the inaugural Asia Cup edition, securing four wickets. Notably, Lasith Malinga claimed the title of leading wicket-taker in 2010 and also shared the honors in 2014. This feat uniquely positions him as the sole bowler to make the list twice. Ajantha Mendis, meanwhile, demonstrated his prowess by amassing 17 wickets in the 2008 edition, marking the highest wicket tally in any single competition. Presented below is the compilation of the top 10 all-time highest wicket-takers in the annals 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 |
| 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 |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 14 | 19 | 4/29 vs Ban (2018) | 26.57 | 4.34 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 13 | 19 | 4/42 vs Afg (2018) | 32.72 | 4.87 |
Top 5 Wicket-takers in Asia Cup T20Is
Bhuvneshwar Kumar of India has emerged as the leading wicket-taker in the Asia Cup’s T20 format. Across two editions of T20I Asia Cup (2016 and 2022), Kumar accumulated an impressive 13 wickets. Below, you’ll find the names of the top 5 bowlers who have excelled in the history of the 20-overs Asia Cup in terms of wicket-taking.
| 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 |
Asia Cup Highest Wicket-takers in Each Edition
| Edition | Player | Team | Year | Wickets |
| 1st | Ravi Shastri | India | 1984 | 4 |
| 2nd | Abdul Qadir | Pakistan | 1986 | 9 |
| 3rd | Arshad Ayub | India | 1988 | 9 |
| 4th | Kapil Dev | India | 1990-91 | 9 |
| 5th | Anil Kumble | India | 1995 | 7 |
| 6th | Venkatesh Prasad | India | 1997 | 7 |
| 7th | Abdul Razzaq | Pakistan | 2000 | 8 |
| 8th | Irfan Pathan | India | 2004 | 14 |
| 9th | Ajantha Mendis | Sri Lanka | 2008 | 17 |
| 10th | Lasith Malinga | Sri Lanka | 2010 | 9 |
| 11th | Umar Gul | Pakistan | 2012 | 9 |
| 12th | Lasith Malinga, Saeed Ajmal | Sri Lanka, Pakistan | 2014 | 11 |
| 13th | Al-Amin Hossain | Bangladesh | 2016 | 11 |
| 14th | Rashid Khan, Mustafizur Rahman, Kuldeep Yadav | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India | 2018 | 10 |
| 15th | Bhuvneshwar Kumar | India | 2022 | 11 |
