Fazalhaq Farooqi is the leading wicket taker in the history of the International League T20 with 64 wickets in 40 matches, and the ILT20 most wickets list gives fans a clear picture of the bowlers who have shaped the league across the first four seasons. The left arm fast bowler from Afghanistan has taken more wickets than any other bowler in the tournament, and his name sits at the top of a list packed with big names from every team in the league. This guide covers the full top ten, the key numbers behind each bowler and the stars who can move up the list when the new season starts. Suggested read: The ILT20 all-time most runs list led by Alex Hales.
The first four seasons of the ILT20 ran from 2023 to 2026, and four different teams lifted the title. Gulf Giants won the first season in 2023, MI Emirates won in 2024, Dubai Capitals won in 2025, and Desert Vipers won the fourth season in January 2026 with a 46 run win over MI Emirates in the final. The new season, the fifth season of the league, starts on 21 November 2026 with Desert Vipers against MI Emirates in Dubai, and the wickets list will keep changing as the new season unfolds.
The title race in the fourth season was covered in ILT20 2025 Top Contenders for Final and Key Players Shaping the UAE Tournament, and the wickets race ran alongside it as the bowlers chased the top of the list. The numbers in this guide come from the all time records of ESPNcricinfo, and every figure has been checked against that source. Use this guide to see who leads the list, who comes next and who can pass Fazalhaq Farooqi in the new season.
ILT20 Most Wickets Overview
The ILT20 most wickets list is the all time bowling record of the International League T20, and it covers every season from the first ball in 2023 to the final in January 2026. The list counts only the wickets taken in ILT20 matches, and it ranks the bowlers by total wickets across all four seasons. Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the list with 64 wickets, and Waqar Salamkheil sits second with 41 wickets. The gap between first and second is 23 wickets, so the top of the list will not change fast in the new season.
All six teams share the top ten between them in a way that shows how wide the wickets have spread. Desert Vipers has three bowlers in the top ten, and that group includes Wanindu Hasaranga in fourth place, David Payne in eighth place and Mohammad Amir in ninth place. MI Emirates has two bowlers in the top ten, with Fazalhaq Farooqi in first place and Trent Boult in tenth place. Abu Dhabi Knight Riders has two bowlers in the top ten too, with Jason Holder in third place and Sunil Narine in seventh place, while Gulf Giants has one bowler in the top ten and Sikandar Raza has played for Dubai Capitals and Sharjah Warriorz. Suggested read: The complete ILT20 2026 squads list of all six teams.
The list also shows how the league rewards bowlers who stay with the tournament. Sikandar Raza has played 43 matches, and Sunil Narine has played 41 matches, and those two bowlers have played more ILT20 matches than any other bowler in the top ten. Fazalhaq Farooqi has played 40 matches, Waqar Salamkheil has played 32 matches and Jason Holder has played 29 matches, and each of them has built a big total by playing season after season. The new season gives every bowler in the top ten a fresh chance to add wickets, and it gives the chasers below them a chance to join the list.
ILT20 Most Wickets All Time Top 10 List
The table below gives the full top ten for the ILT20 most wickets list, with the rank, the bowler, the team, the matches played, the wickets taken and the best bowling figures for each bowler. The figures come from the all time records of ESPNcricinfo, and they cover the first four seasons of the league. Read the list from top to bottom to see how far each bowler sits from the lead.
| Rank | Bowler | Team | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | MI Emirates | 40 | 64 | 5/16 |
| 2 | Waqar Salamkheil | Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates | 32 | 41 | 4/29 |
| 3 | Jason Holder | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals | 29 | 40 | 4/23 |
| 4 | Wanindu Hasaranga | Desert Vipers | 26 | 39 | 3/10 |
| 5 | Chris Jordan | Gulf Giants | 24 | 35 | 3/12 |
| 6 | Sikandar Raza | Dubai Capitals, Sharjah Warriorz | 43 | 33 | 3/21 |
| 7 | Sunil Narine | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 41 | 29 | 3/12 |
| 8 | David Payne | Desert Vipers | 17 | 27 | 4/29 |
| 9 | Mohammad Amir | Desert Vipers | 20 | 26 | 4/24 |
| 10 | Trent Boult | MI Emirates | 22 | 25 | 3/14 |
Who Has Taken the Most Wickets in ILT20?
Fazalhaq Farooqi has taken the most wickets in ILT20 history with 64 wickets in 40 matches for MI Emirates. The left arm fast bowler has played in every season of the league since 2023, and his total sits 23 wickets ahead of the next bowler on the list. His best figures of five wickets for 16 runs are still the best bowling figures in the history of the tournament. He has taken four wickets in an innings four times and five wickets once, and no other bowler in the top ten has taken a five wicket haul.
Waqar Salamkheil sits second on the list with 41 wickets in 32 matches for Dubai Capitals and MI Emirates. The left arm wrist spinner from Afghanistan has taken his wickets at an average of 20.60 runs per wicket, and his best figures are four wickets for 29 runs. Waqar has played for two teams in the league, and he will play for Sharjah Warriorz in the new season. Jason Holder sits third on the list with 40 wickets in 29 matches for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals, and his best figures are four wickets for 23 runs. Holder has taken his wickets at an average of 20.57 runs per wicket, and he will play for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the new season.
Wanindu Hasaranga sits fourth on the list with 39 wickets in 26 matches for Desert Vipers, and his average of 16.20 runs per wicket is the best average in the top ten. The leg spinner from Sri Lanka has the best figures of three wickets for 10 runs, and his economy rate of 6.38 runs per over is one of the best in the list. Chris Jordan sits fifth on the list with 35 wickets in 24 matches for Gulf Giants, and his strike rate of 14.05 balls per wicket is the best strike rate in the top ten. Jordan has taken his wickets at an average of 18.60 runs per wicket, and his best figures are three wickets for 12 runs.
- Fazalhaq Farooqi leads with 64 wickets in 40 matches
- Waqar Salamkheil is second with 41 wickets in 32 matches
- Jason Holder has 40 wickets in 29 matches
- Wanindu Hasaranga has 39 wickets in 26 matches
- Chris Jordan has 35 wickets in 24 matches
Fazalhaq Farooqi ILT20 Wickets Record
Fazalhaq Farooqi has built his record on four seasons of steady wickets for MI Emirates, and his numbers tell the story of a bowler who rarely goes wicketless. He has taken 64 wickets in 40 matches, and he has bowled 901 balls in the league with one maiden over and 1,166 runs conceded. His average of 18.21 runs per wicket and his economy rate of 7.76 runs per over show a bowler who takes wickets without giving away too many runs, and his strike rate of 14.07 balls per wicket means he takes a wicket about once in every two overs. Farooqi has taken four wickets in an innings four times, and his five wicket haul of five wickets for 16 runs stands alone as the best bowling figures in the history of the league.
The left arm fast bowler from Afghanistan has been a key part of the MI Emirates attack since the first season, and he was part of the MI Emirates side that won the title in 2024. He remains a key part of the MI Emirates squad for the new season, so his total will keep growing when the fifth season starts on 21 November 2026. No other bowler in the history of the league has come close to his total, and the gap of 23 wickets to second place gives him a clear lead that will take years to catch.
ILT20 Leading Wicket Takers by Team
Desert Vipers lead the team totals in the top ten with 92 wickets from three bowlers. Wanindu Hasaranga has taken 39 wickets, David Payne has taken 27 wickets and Mohammad Amir has taken 26 wickets, and the three bowlers give the defending champions a strong bowling group. All three bowlers took every one of those wickets for Desert Vipers, so the total of 92 wickets is a true team total. Hasaranga and Payne will both play for Desert Vipers in the new season, so the Vipers can add to that total when the fifth season starts. Mohammad Amir played his ILT20 matches for Desert Vipers in 2024 and 2025, and he does not appear in the Desert Vipers squad for the new season.
MI Emirates sit second in the team totals with 89 wickets from two bowlers. Fazalhaq Farooqi has taken 64 wickets and Trent Boult has taken 25 wickets, and both bowlers took every one of those wickets for MI Emirates, so the total of 89 wickets is a true team total. Boult played his ILT20 matches for MI Emirates in 2023 and 2024, and he does not appear in the MI Emirates squad for the new season, so Farooqi will carry the MI Emirates total on his own in the fifth season. Farooqi will play for MI Emirates again in the new season, and he can move past 70 wickets with a strong start.
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders have two bowlers in the top ten, and both of them will play for the Knight Riders in the new season. Jason Holder has taken 40 wickets across his time with Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals, and Sunil Narine has taken 29 wickets, all of them for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders. Holder and Narine give the Knight Riders a pair of experienced bowlers who can add wickets in every match. Dubai Capitals have three bowlers in the top ten who have played for the team, while Gulf Giants have one bowler in the top ten in Chris Jordan with 35 wickets, and Sharjah Warriorz have one bowler in the top ten in Sikandar Raza with 33 wickets.
| Team | Bowlers in Top 10 | Total Wickets |
|---|---|---|
| Desert Vipers | 3 | 92 |
| MI Emirates | 2 | 89 |
| Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 2 | 69 |
| Gulf Giants | 1 | 35 |
| Sharjah Warriorz | 1 | 33 |
ILT20 Bowling Records and Best Figures
The best bowling figures in ILT20 history belong to Fazalhaq Farooqi, who took five wickets for 16 runs, and only three five wicket hauls have been taken in the history of the league. David Wiese took five wickets for 20 runs and Naveen-ul-Haq took five wickets for 38 runs, and those three spells are the only five wicket hauls in four seasons of the tournament. Farooqi is the only bowler in the top ten with a five wicket haul, and his four four wicket hauls give him five hauls of four wickets or more in the league.
The best average in the top ten belongs to Wanindu Hasaranga at 16.20 runs per wicket, and Aayan Afzal Khan has the best average among bowlers with 20 wickets or more at 15.33 runs per wicket with 24 wickets in 35 matches. Adam Zampa has the best average in the whole list at 14.66 runs per wicket with 15 wickets in 9 matches, and Haider Ali has the best economy rate in league history at 6.24 runs per over with 19 wickets. Sunil Narine has the best economy rate in the top ten at 6.28 runs per over, and his 29 wickets have come at a cost of only 987 runs in 41 matches.
The best strike rate in the top ten belongs to Chris Jordan at 14.05 balls per wicket, and Mustafizur Rahman has the best strike rate among bowlers with 15 wickets or more at 11.53 balls per wicket. David Payne has taken 27 wickets in 17 matches since joining the league in the fourth season, at a strike rate of 14.88 balls per wicket, and Khuzaima Tanveer has taken 24 wickets in 18 matches with two four wicket hauls. Aayan Afzal Khan and Khuzaima Tanveer are tied as the top UAE wicket takers in the history of the league with 24 wickets each, and both of them will play in the new season.
How Many Wickets Has Fazalhaq Farooqi Taken in ILT20?
Fazalhaq Farooqi has taken 64 wickets in ILT20, and that total makes him the leading wicket taker in the history of the league. He has taken those wickets in 40 matches for MI Emirates, and he has played in every season of the tournament since 2023. His best bowling figures are five wickets for 16 runs, and his average of 18.21 runs per wicket shows a bowler who takes wickets at a steady rate. Farooqi will play for MI Emirates again in the new season, so his total of 64 wickets will keep growing when the fifth season starts on 21 November 2026.
Who Can Pass Fazalhaq Farooqi in the New Season?
No bowler can pass Fazalhaq Farooqi in the new season, because the gap at the top of the list is too wide for one season to close. Waqar Salamkheil sits second with 41 wickets, and he needs 24 more wickets to pass Farooqi, while Jason Holder sits third with 40 wickets and needs 25 more wickets. A bowler takes about 15 wickets in a strong season, so Waqar and Holder would need a record season to close the gap, and Farooqi will add wickets of his own for MI Emirates. The real race in the new season sits below the top spot, where Waqar can pass 50 wickets and Holder can move into second place with a strong start.
Conclusion
Fazalhaq Farooqi leads the ILT20 most wickets list with 64 wickets, and his record shows what four seasons of steady bowling can build. Waqar Salamkheil and Jason Holder sit next on the list, and both of them will play in the new season with a chance to move up. Desert Vipers and MI Emirates hold the strongest bowling totals in the top ten, and the new season will give every bowler a fresh chance to add wickets. The fifth season starts on 21 November 2026, and the wickets list will keep changing as the new season unfolds, so watch the bowlers in this guide and see who climbs the list.
FAQ
Fazalhaq Farooqi has taken the most wickets in ILT20 with 64 wickets in 40 matches for MI Emirates, and he leads Waqar Salamkheil by 23 wickets.
Fazalhaq Farooqi has taken 64 wickets in 40 matches for MI Emirates, and his best bowling figures are five wickets for 16 runs.
The best bowling figures in ILT20 are five wickets for 16 runs by Fazalhaq Farooqi, and only three five wicket hauls have been taken in the history of the league.
Only three five wicket hauls have been taken in ILT20, by Fazalhaq Farooqi with five wickets for 16 runs, David Wiese with five wickets for 20 runs and Naveen-ul-Haq with five wickets for 38 runs.
Aayan Afzal Khan and Khuzaima Tanveer are tied as the top UAE wicket takers in ILT20 with 24 wickets each, and both of them will play in the new season.
No bowler can pass Fazalhaq Farooqi in the new season, because Waqar Salamkheil needs 24 more wickets and Jason Holder needs 25 more wickets, and a bowler takes about 15 wickets in a strong season.
