Indian Premier League: Which captain tops wicket tally?
What's the story
Pat Cummins led Sunrisers Hyderabad to the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) playoffs as the Orange Army beat hosts Chennai Super Kings. Cummins dismissed three batters in SRH's five-wicket win at MA Chidambaram Stadium. In the process, the Aussie bowler completed 40 wickets as captain in the IPL. Have a look at the captains who have taken the most IPL wickets.
#1
Shane Warne: 57 wickets
The late Shane Warne tops this list by a distance. Warne, who helped Rajasthan Royals win the inaugural IPL title (2008), made his presence felt in the first four seasons. Notably, Warne led in every IPL game he played. Across 55 matches, the legendary wrist-spinner took 57 wickets at an average of 25.38. No other bowler has 50-plus wickets in this regard.
#2
Pat Cummins: 42 wickets
Cummins is the latest entrant in the top two. With his first against CSK, the Aussie speedster completed 40 wickets as captain in the IPL. Cummins, who led SRH to the IPL 2024 final, has taken 42 wickets from 36 games while leading at an average of 28.83. His bowling strike rate is under 20. Overall, Cummins has 87 wickets in the IPL.
#3
Hardik Pandya: 40 wickets
India's Hardik Pandya remains the only other captain to have taken 40-plus wickets as captain in the IPL. Leading in 68 matches, Hardik has picked up 40 wickets at an average of 35.62. His tally includes a fifer. Overall, the Indian all-rounder owns 82 wickets from 160 IPL games at an average of 33.39. He also has 2,895 runs to his name.