Most Wickets in ICC World Test Championship Final
Kagiso Rabada holds the record for the most wickets in a single World Test Championship final, with nine wickets for South Africa against Australia at Lord’s in 2025, while Pat Cummins has taken the most wickets across WTC finals, with 11 wickets in the 2023 and 2025 finals combined. The three WTC finals played so far, in 2021, 2023 and 2025, have all been decided by bowling performances in helpful early-summer English conditions. This is the complete verified record of wicket-taking in World Test Championship finals.
Most Wickets in a Single WTC Final
The table below lists the leading wicket-takers in each individual WTC final. Match totals count wickets across both innings of the final. Where a bowler’s second-innings figures could not be verified from a scorecard, only the verified figures are shown.
| Bowler | Team | Final | Match Wickets | Best Innings Figures | Match Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 2025, Lord’s | 9 | 5 for 51 | South Africa won by 5 wickets |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand | 2021, Southampton | 7 | 5 for 31 | New Zealand won by 8 wickets |
| Pat Cummins | Australia | 2025, Lord’s | 7 | 6 for 28 | South Africa won by 5 wickets |
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 2023, The Oval | 5 | 4 for 41 | Australia won by 209 runs |
| Scott Boland | Australia | 2023, The Oval | 5 | 3 for 46 | Australia won by 209 runs |
| Mohammed Siraj | India | 2023, The Oval | 5 | 4 for 108 | Australia won by 209 runs |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 2025, Lord’s | 5 | 3 for 66 | South Africa won by 5 wickets |
| Pat Cummins | Australia | 2023, The Oval | 4 | 3 for 83 | Australia won by 209 runs |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 2023, The Oval | 4 | 2 for 71 | Australia won by 209 runs |
| Mohammed Shami | India | 2023, The Oval | 4 | 2 for 39 | Australia won by 209 runs |
| Mohammed Shami | India | 2021, Southampton | 4 | 4 for 76 | New Zealand won by 8 wickets |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 2023, The Oval | 4 | 3 for 58 | Australia won by 209 runs |
Most Wickets Across All WTC Finals
Because only three finals have been played, the career leaderboard is short, but it already has a clear leader. Pat Cummins played in the 2023 and 2025 finals and took 11 wickets in total: four against India at The Oval in 2023 and seven against South Africa at Lord’s in 2025. Mohammed Shami is next with eight wickets across two finals, four in each of the 2021 and 2023 finals. Mitchell Starc took nine wickets across his two finals, four in 2023 and five in 2025.
| Bowler | Team | Finals Played | Total WTC Final Wickets | Best Single Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | Australia | 2023, 2025 | 11 | 7 wickets in 2025 |
| Mitchell Starc | Australia | 2023, 2025 | 9 | 5 wickets in 2025 |
| Kagiso Rabada | South Africa | 2025 | 9 | 9 wickets in 2025 |
| Mohammed Shami | India | 2021, 2023 | 8 | 4 wickets in 2021 and 2023 |
| Kyle Jamieson | New Zealand | 2021 | 7 | 7 wickets in 2021 |
| Nathan Lyon | Australia | 2023 | 5 | 5 wickets in 2023 |
| Scott Boland | Australia | 2023 | 5 | 5 wickets in 2023 |
| Mohammed Siraj | India | 2023 | 5 | 5 wickets in 2023 |
Best Single-Innings Bowling in a WTC Final
The best single-innings figures in a WTC final belong to Pat Cummins, whose 6 for 28 against South Africa at Lord’s in 2025 is the only six-wicket haul in a WTC final so far. It was also the best bowling by a captain at Lord’s and took Cummins past 300 Test wickets. The next best figures are Kyle Jamieson’s 5 for 31 for New Zealand against India at Southampton in 2021 and Kagiso Rabada’s 5 for 51 for South Africa against Australia at Lord’s in 2025.
| Bowler | Figures | Opponent | Venue | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pat Cummins | 6 for 28 | South Africa | Lord’s | 2025 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 5 for 31 | India | Southampton | 2021 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 5 for 51 | Australia | Lord’s | 2025 |
| Nathan Lyon | 4 for 41 | India | The Oval | 2023 |
| Tim Southee | 4 for 48 | India | Southampton | 2021 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 4 for 59 | Australia | Lord’s | 2025 |
| Mohammed Shami | 4 for 76 | New Zealand | Southampton | 2021 |
2021 Final: Jamieson Sets the Standard at Southampton
The inaugural World Test Championship final was played at the Rose Bowl in Southampton from 18 to 23 June 2021, with a reserve day used after rain wiped out the first and fourth days. New Zealand won the toss and bowled India out for 217 in the first innings, with Kyle Jamieson taking 5 for 31 in 22 overs, including the wickets of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. Ajinkya Rahane top-scored for India with 49. New Zealand replied with 249, Devon Conway making 54, while Mohammed Shami took 4 for 76.
India’s second innings ended on 170, with Rishabh Pant top-scoring on 41 and Tim Southee taking 4 for 48. New Zealand chased 140 for 2, with captain Kane Williamson unbeaten on 52, to win by eight wickets. Jamieson finished with seven wickets in the match and was named Player of the Match. The 2021 final established the template for WTC finals: a low-scoring game in English conditions, decided by whichever bowling attack adapted fastest to seam and swing.
2023 Final: Australia’s Shared Bowling Load at The Oval
The 2023 final at The Oval from 7 to 11 June 2023 was the only WTC final so far won by a large margin. Australia batted first and made 469, built on Travis Head’s 163 and Steve Smith’s 121, with Mohammed Siraj taking 4 for 108. India replied with 296, Ajinkya Rahane making 89 and Shardul Thakur 51, while Cummins took 3 for 83 and Scott Boland took 2 for 59. Australia then declared at 270 for 8, Alex Carey unbeaten on 66, and set India 444 to win.
India were bowled out for 234 in the fourth innings, losing by 209 runs. Nathan Lyon took 4 for 41 in the second innings, Boland took 3 for 46, Starc took 2 for 77 and Cummins took 1 for 55. Across the whole match, Lyon and Boland took five wickets each, Siraj took five, and Cummins, Starc, Shami and Ravindra Jadeja took four each. No single bowler dominated, which is what made Australia’s 2023 attack so hard to play: pressure came from both ends, and the wickets were shared. The win made Australia the first men’s team to hold every major ICC trophy at the same time.
2025 Final: Rabada’s Nine Wickets Win It for South Africa
The 2025 final at Lord’s from 11 to 14 June 2025 produced the greatest single bowling performance in WTC final history. South Africa won the toss and bowled Australia out for 212 in the first innings, with Rabada taking 5 for 51, including the wickets of Usman Khawaja, Cameron Green, Beau Webster, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc. Marco Jansen took 3 for 49 in support. Australia then hit back through Cummins, whose 6 for 28 bowled South Africa out for 138, giving Australia a 74-run first-innings lead.
Australia’s second innings reached 207, with Starc unbeaten on 58 and Rabada taking 4 for 59 to finish with nine wickets in the match, conceding 110 runs in 33.4 overs. South Africa chased 282 to win, with Aiden Markram scoring 136 and captain Temba Bavuma making 66, winning by five wickets with Markram named Player of the Match. Starc took 3 for 66 in the fourth innings, Hazlewood took one wicket, and Cummins took the wicket of Bavuma. The win ended South Africa’s 27-year wait for an ICC senior men’s title, their first since the 1998 KnockOut Trophy.
What WTC Finals Reward in Bowlers
Three patterns run through all three finals. First, pace has dominated: the top of every wicket list is filled by fast bowlers, with Nathan Lyon’s five wickets in 2023 the best return by a spinner in a final. Second, two of the three finals ended in successful fourth-innings chases, New Zealand’s 140 in 2021 and South Africa’s 282 in 2025, while the third was won by Australia defending a target of 444. Third, the margins show how much a single spell can matter: Jamieson’s 5 for 31, Lyon and Boland’s combined control in 2023, and Rabada’s nine wickets in 2025 each changed the course of a final.
For readers tracking the batting side of these finals, the most runs WTC final record and the most WTC final centuries list cover the run-scorers, while the most WTC final fifties list covers the supporting innings. Bowling, though, has been the decisive skill in every WTC final played so far.
FAQs
Who has taken the most wickets in a single WTC final?
Kagiso Rabada, with nine wickets for South Africa against Australia at Lord’s in 2025: 5 for 51 in the first innings and 4 for 59 in the third innings.
Who has taken the most wickets across all WTC finals?
Pat Cummins, with 11 wickets across the 2023 and 2025 finals: four against India at The Oval and seven against South Africa at Lord’s.
What are the best bowling figures in a WTC final innings?
Pat Cummins’ 6 for 28 against South Africa at Lord’s in 2025. It is the only six-wicket haul in a WTC final innings so far.
Who won the first WTC final?
New Zealand beat India by eight wickets in the 2021 final at Southampton. Kyle Jamieson was Player of the Match for his seven wickets.
Who won the 2023 WTC final?
Australia beat India by 209 runs at The Oval in 2023. Travis Head was Player of the Match for his 163 in the first innings.
Who won the 2025 WTC final?
South Africa beat Australia by five wickets at Lord’s in 2025, chasing 282. Aiden Markram was Player of the Match for his 136.
Rivcky John
A prominent figure in sports journalism for the last two decades. Cricket Analyst & Writing News, Features, Match Previews/Reviews/Reports, And Opinion Pieces on Cricket. You can connect with him on Facebook also.