First-class cricket is the stepping stone to any individual who wants to be a cricketer. Although the evolution of T20 leagues has slightly disturbed the importance of domestic red-ball games, first-class cricket is still a priority for any cricketer. In this article, we take a look at four Indian bowlers who have collected the most wickets in first-class cricket.
Let alone to the Indian Team, selection to any country’s cricket squad requires the player to have performed consistently in first-class cricket. Here is where a player hones his craft and develops the soft skills to be at his best while playing the game. More often than not, players who do this do well at the highest level. Especially for the bowlers, for whom patience is a very important attribute, a consistent run in the domestic circuit hardens their perspective towards the game. Here, we discuss the most successful first-class cricket bowlers in India.
4. BS Chandrasekhar
Balls Bowled-53817; Wickets – 1063; Average – 24.03
One of the best leg-spinners that the game has seen, BS Chandrasekhar is also one of the members of this list of Indians to have collected the most wickets in first-class cricket. In the 53817 deliveries that he bowled, the player collected 1063 wickets.
The Mysore-born player also had a good run in the Indian Team. In 58 Test matches, he could collect 242 wickets at an average of 29.7. There were 584 maidens spread across his international Test career. He also played one ODI game for Team India in which he collected three wickets.
3. Anil Kumble
Balls Bowled-66931; Wickets – 1136; Average – 25.83
Anil Kumble is the most successful Indian bowler at the international level. The leg-spinner has collected more than 900 International wickets in his career. Naturally, he is also present in this list of Indian bowlers who have taken the most wickets in first-class cricket.
Apart from Team India, Anil Kumble has played plenty of first-class cricket. He was part of the famous Karnataka team that dominated the Indian domestic scene for a while. The leggie also was part of the County Championship for quite a few seasons. All this have contributed to him procuring plenty of wickets over his career. Currently, Anil Kumble is involved in a few coaching and administrative assignments.
2. S Venkataraghavan
Balls Bowled-83728; Wickets – 1390; Average – 24.14
It was tough for S Venkataraghavan in his international career. He had to compete with the legendary EAS Prasanna for a spot in Team India. However, none of it affected the Madras-born player, as he improved his bowling and became one of the finest spinners for the Indian Team.
Over his career, the right-arm off-break bowler scalped 1390 wickets at an average of 24.14. He took 341 games to achieve this feat. Apart from his bowling act, the player was also a decent batsman in the tail.
1. Bishan Singh Bedi
Balls Bowled-90315; Wickets – 1560; Average – 21.68
Bishan Singh Bedi is one of the most successful spinners in Indian Cricket. Back then, when this man used to arrive with the ball, it was inevitable that a wicket used to fall. He mastered the art of left-arm orthodox bowling and is still the template for the ideal bowler of this category.
Having picked up 1560 wickets in his first-class career, BS Bedi is the player with the most first-class wickets in India. Over his long career, the Amritsar-born cricketer managed to pick up 106 five-wicket-hauls and 20 ten-wicket-hauls, a stat that is just a dream for players of this era.
