Fazalhaq Farooqi is the leading wicket-taker in ILT20 history, with 64 wickets in 40 matches for MI Emirates across four seasons. The Afghanistan left-armer holds a clear lead over the chasing pack, but the gap between second and fourth place is an extremely small margin, and Season 5, due to start in November 2026, could shuffle the order again.
This list looks at how the standings have been built, who is closing the gap, and what the underlying numbers actually tell you about each bowler.
- Check it also: Most Runs in ILT20
Top 10 Wicket-Takers in ILT20 History
These figures cover all four completed ILT20 seasons (2023 through 2025–26) and are accurate as of the end of Season 4.
| Rank | Player | Teams | Matches | Wickets | Best Bowling | Average | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fazalhaq Farooqi | MI Emirates | 40 | 64 | 5/16 | 18.21 | 7.76 |
| 2 | Waqar Salamkheil | Dubai Capitals, MI Emirates | 32 | 41 | 4/29 | 20.60 | 7.67 |
| 3 | Jason Holder | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Dubai Capitals | 29 | 40 | 4/23 | 20.57 | 7.97 |
| 4 | Wanindu Hasaranga | Desert Vipers | 26 | 39 | 3/10 | 16.20 | 6.38 |
| 5 | Chris Jordan | Gulf Giants | 24 | 35 | 3/12 | 18.60 | 7.93 |
| 6 | Sikandar Raza | Dubai Capitals, Sharjah Warriorz | 43 | 33 | 3/21 | 28.51 | 6.91 |
| 7 | Sunil Narine | Abu Dhabi Knight Riders | 41 | 29 | 3/12 | 34.03 | 6.28 |
| 8 | David Payne | Desert Vipers | 17 | 27 | 4/29 | 20.11 | 8.10 |
| 9 | Mohammad Amir | Desert Vipers | 20 | 26 | 4/24 | 22.19 | 8.01 |
| 10 | Trent Boult | MI Emirates | 22 | 25 | 3/14 | 24.56 | 7.58 |
A lower average and economy generally reflect better bowling. Wickets alone don’t tell the full story, which is why the table above is worth reading as a set, not a single column.
Why Farooqi Leads By Such a Distance
Farooqi’s total isn’t just a product of longevity. He has played all four ILT20 seasons for the same franchise, MI Emirates, which has kept him in a settled role: new-ball wickets with the swinging ball, backed up by death-over responsibility. His strike rate of 14.07 means he takes a wicket roughly every 14 balls, a genuinely fast rate for a format where bowlers often exist purely to contain scoring.
His 5/16 against Dubai Capitals in January 2025 remains the best innings figures in the competition’s history. It’s also the only five-wicket haul recorded since the tournament’s first season, when David Wiese and Naveen-ul-Haq each managed one. That scarcity says something about how batter-friendly ILT20 pitches generally are; taking five wickets in an innings in this league is harder than it might look on paper.
It helps to place Farooqi’s ILT20 numbers next to his global T20 form over the same period. He has been one of the most prolific pace bowlers anywhere in franchise cricket since 2023, not just in the UAE, which is why MI Emirates has consistently built its bowling attack around him rather than rotating him.
The Chasing Pack: Salamkheil, Holder and Hasaranga
Waqar Salamkheil moved from outside the top group into second place largely because of a strong Season 4, where he took 18 wickets in 11 matches, the joint-highest tally of that season. His leg-spin has made him a middle-overs specialist, and his economy of 7.67 is respectable given how much responsibility he’s carried through the powerplay and death overs at various points for both his franchises.
Jason Holder sits third with 40 wickets from just 29 matches, a strong return for a fast-bowling all-rounder who is rarely used purely as a stock bowler. His timing matters here too: Holder had an outstanding 2025 calendar year across T20 leagues generally, and his ILT20 form for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and Dubai Capitals was part of that run.
Wanindu Hasaranga has the best bowling average in the top ten (16.20) despite having played the fewest matches among the top four. He missed Season 4 entirely, ruled out of the Desert Vipers squad because of domestic commitments in Sri Lanka, with Noor Ahmad brought in as his replacement.
That absence is the reason his numbers have stayed frozen since late 2025 while Farooqi and Salamkheil moved further ahead. If Hasaranga returns for Season 5, he has both the record and the match-up profile (his leg-spin has troubled several top-order batters in this league) to climb back toward the top three quickly.
Reading the Numbers Properly: Average, Economy and Strike Rate
It’s tempting to rank bowlers purely by wickets, but the format punishes bowlers differently depending on their role.
- Bowling average (runs conceded per wicket) rewards bowlers who take wickets cheaply. Hasaranga’s 16.20 is the best in the top ten.
- Economy rate (runs conceded per over) rewards control. Sunil Narine’s 6.28 is the tightest, which fits his reputation as someone who prioritises containment over strike power.
- Strike rate (balls per wicket) rewards bowlers who take wickets quickly. Chris Jordan’s 14.05 balls per wicket is the best of the group, even though his overall tally of 35 wickets sits below the top four.
A bowler like Sikandar Raza illustrates why context matters. He has played more ILT20 matches (43) than anyone else in the top ten, largely because he’s a genuine all-rounder picked primarily for his batting and captaincy. His bowling average of 28.51 is the highest among the leading wicket-takers, but his role has never been to lead an attack; it’s to offer control and an extra option in the middle overs.
How the List Has Changed Across Four Seasons
ILT20’s wicket charts have shifted meaningfully from one season to the next, which is part of why year-on-year context matters more here than in longer-established leagues.
- Season 1 (2023): David Wiese and Naveen-ul-Haq each recorded the tournament’s first five-wicket hauls, setting an early bar that has barely been matched since.
- Season 2 (2023–24): Farooqi and Waqar Salamkheil finished level as the season’s joint-top wicket-takers with 17 wickets apiece, the first sign that MI Emirates’ pace-spin combination would be central to the competition.
- Season 3 (2024–25): Farooqi’s 5/16 broke the tournament’s best-figures record and pushed his career tally past 50, well clear of the field at that stage.
- Season 4 (2025–26): Salamkheil’s 18 wickets were the standout return of the season, narrowing the gap to Farooqi even as the Afghan pacer extended his overall lead. Desert Vipers won the title that season with Hasaranga absent, leaning instead on David Payne and Mohammad Amir, both of whom sit inside the all-time top ten despite playing comparatively few matches.
That last point is worth underlining: Payne (27 wickets in 17 matches) and Amir (26 in 20) have both taken wickets at a faster rate per match than several bowlers above them on the list. Their overall totals are lower simply because Desert Vipers haven’t needed them for as many matches, not because they’ve been less effective when selected.
Records Within the Records
- Most career wickets: Fazalhaq Farooqi, 64
- Best bowling figures in an innings: Fazalhaq Farooqi, 5/16
- Best bowling average (top 10): Wanindu Hasaranga, 16.20
- Best economy rate (top 10): Sunil Narine, 6.28
- Best strike rate (top 10): Chris Jordan, 14.05
- Most four-wicket hauls: Fazalhaq Farooqi, 4
- Most matches by a top-ten wicket-taker: Sikandar Raza, 43
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has taken the most wickets in ILT20 history?
Fazalhaq Farooqi, with 64 wickets in 40 matches for MI Emirates across the first four seasons of the competition.
What is the best bowling figures in an ILT20 innings?
Fazalhaq Farooqi’s 5/16 against Dubai Capitals in January 2025, the only five-wicket haul in the league since its first two seasons produced one each from David Wiese and Naveen-ul-Haq.
Which bowler has the best economy rate among the top wicket-takers?
Sunil Narine, at 6.28 runs per over, the tightest economy among the top ten all-time wicket-takers.
Final Word
Fazalhaq Farooqi’s position at the top of the ILT20 wicket charts reflects genuine consistency rather than a single big season. What makes the list worth revisiting each year, though, is how much movement happens just below him.
Waqar Salamkheil’s rise, Jason Holder’s efficiency in fewer matches, and Hasaranga’s frozen tally because of an unavailable season all show that the order can shift quickly in a league this young. With Season 5 approaching in November 2026, the next few months of team announcements and squad availability will matter as much as the cricket itself in deciding whether Farooqi’s lead grows or the chasing pack finally closes in.
