Most wickets in BBL

The Big Bash League, the premier limited-overs franchise cricket competition in Australia, kicks off the nation’s summer season each year with a schedule that runs from December till late January or early February. The T20 competition has featured a number of elite bowlers since its inception in 2011, with some of them breaking into the list of all-time wicket-takers.

On that note, let us look at the top three wicket-takers in the history of the tournament:

3. Kane Richardson | 129 wickets | 102 matches

Richardson, who played for Adelaide Strikers for the first six seasons, led his team to two semi-final appearances – in 2014–15 and 2015–16. Richardson has served as the Melbourne Renegades’ primary pacer since the 2017–18 season, helping the team win their lone trophy, in 2018–19. With 24 wickets from 14 games at an economy of 7.75, he finished the season as the league’s leading wicket-taker that season. His overall tally stands at 129 wickets in 102 games.

2. Andrew Tye | 142 wickets | 99 matches

After spending a year with Sydney Thunder in 2013–14, Andrew Tye moved to the Perth Scorchers for the 2014–15 season. With 14 wickets in 10 games at an economy of 6.85, Tye immediately made an impact and led his side to their second straight championship. Since then, Tye has played for the Perth Scorchers and has taken 10 or more wickets every season with the only exception of 2019–20, when an elbow ailment prevented him from playing. Tye, a death bowling expert, has helped his team win three BBL championships and one runners-up tag, while he is also the first bowler for the Perth Scorchers to scalp 100 wickets.

1. Sean Abbott | 150 wickets | 107 matches

The Sydney Sixers pacer, who has participated in every BBL season since the time of the league’s inception in 2011, is the tournament’s all-time leading wicket-taker. Abbott, who spent the first two seasons of his career playing for Sydney Thunder, shifted to Sydney Sixers in the 2013/14 edition. His best individual performance was in the 2016/17 season when he grabbed 20 wickets in 10 games and helped the Sixers finish as runners-up. His side won back-to-back championships in the 2019–20 and 2020–21 seasons when he claimed 14 and seven wickets, respectively. Overall, he has 150 wickets in 107 games in the tournament history.