Top 10 bowlers with most wickets in a single season of Ranji Trophy ft. Auqib Nabi

Auqib Nabi joins an elite club of bowlers with 60 or more wickets in a single season of Ranji Trophy.

The Ranji Trophy, which is India’s premier red-ball tournament, is the stepping stone to the Indian Cricket Team. The first-ever edition was played in 1934–35, and has been played once every year since then. Every Indian star who has dominated the world of cricket has featured in this prestigious tournament.

That is why the competition level in this tournament is very high. With top cricket teams, featuring some of the best batters competing, it becomes difficult for bowlers to perform consistently.

But there have been some champion bowlers who have made a massive impact every season. Having bowlers who can take wickets under pressure is always a luxury. In this article, we will discuss such elite bowlers. Below, we will talk about the top wicket-takers in the last ten Ranji seasons (2015-2026).

Most wickets in a single season of Ranji Trophy from 2015-2026

2015-2016- Shahbaz Nadeem (51 wickets)

Shahbaz Nadeem is one of the most prolific performers in Ranji Trophy history. He has been a key figure for Jharkhand in this tournament. During the 2015-16 edition, he was at his phenomenal best, finishing the season at the top.

Jharkhand made it to the quarterfinals of the tournament, and Nadeem finished with 51 wickets in just nine games. He also took four fifers and three four-wicket hauls.

2016-2017- Shahbaz Nadeem (56 wickets)

There are not many bowlers who have finished consecutive seasons with the most wickets. However, Jharkhand’s spinner Shahbaz Nadeem did it in 2016-2017. After finishing the previous season at the top with 51 wickets, he did it again.

During the 2016-17 edition, he finished with 56 wickets in ten games with four five-wicket hauls. His performance helped Jharkhand to reach the semifinals of that season. He even took six wickets in the semifinal against Gujarat but his team lost the game by 123 runs.

2017-18 – Jalaj Saxena (44 wickets)

Jalaj Saxena is one of the celebrated names at the domestic level for India. He has represented Kerala and Maharastra at the domestic level. He finished as the leading wicket-taker for 2017-18 while playing for Kerala.

He had an incredible season, and he was one major reason that Kerala made it to the quarterfinals. Jalaj finished the season with 44 wickets in 7 games, with three fifers. With the bat, he scored 522 runs at 52.20 and made a massive impact all-round.

2018-19 – Ashutosh Aman (68 wickets)

The previous record for most wickets in a single season of the Ranji Trophy was held by Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman, who had a stellar season with the ball. The slow left-arm orthodox made the ball talk and troubled every batter with his variations.

Though Bihar couldn’t make it to the knockouts, Aman finished the season with 68 wickets in just 8 games, including a record nine five-wicket hauls. He bowled in 14 innings and took four or more wickets in 12 of those.

2019-20 – Jaydev Unadkat (67 wickets)

Jaydev Unadkat made history during the Ranji Trophy 2019-20. He became the first captain to lead Saurashtra to the title. After losing the final in the previous edition, Saurashtra went on to lift the trophy as they beat Bengal in the final, and it was Undakat who led from the front.

The left-arm pacer finished the season with most wickets. He took 67 wickets in ten games, with seven five-wicket hauls, and won the trophy for his team.

2021-22 – Shams Mulani (45 wickets)

Mumbai have been the most successful team in the Ranji Trophy with 42 titles, and they were very close to winning another one during the 2021-22 season. They lost the final to Madhya Pradesh, but Shams Mulani was the standout performer for them.

The spin all-rounder played a crucial role in Mumbai’s journey to the final. He finished the season with the most wickets, taking 45 wickets in just six games, including six five-wicket hauls. With the bat also, he scored 321 runs at 40.12, with five half-centuries.

2022-23 – Jalaj Saxena (50 wickets)

After finishing the 2017-18 edition as top wicket-taker, Kerala’s Jalaj Saxena did it again during the 2022-23 edition. Kerala were lucky to miss the knockout round by just two points, finishing their group in third place, but Jalaj was superb in the entire season. He ended with 50 wickets in seven games, with six five-wicket hauls and a best figure of 8/36.

2023-24 – Sai Kishore (53 wickets)

The two-time champion, Tamil Nadu, had a great run in 2023-24 as they reached the semifinal of the tournament. They were several good contributions within the team, but R. Sai Kishore was a standout performer.

The tall spinner went on to finish the season with most wickets. He took 53 wickets in nine matches, with three five-wicket hauls and six four-wicket hauls. His best figure of 6/99 came in the semifinal against Mumbai, but unfortunately, it ended in a losing cause.

2024-25 – Harsh Dubey (69 wickets)

Vidarbha recorded their third title win during the 2024-25 edition. They beat Kerala in the final to lift the title. Harsh Dubey played a major role in the title win for his team. He was unstoppable with the ball and registered the record for most wickets in a single season of the Ranji Trophy.

He took a total of 69 wickets in 10 games, including 7 five-wicket hauls at a strike rate of 38.17. Harsh won the Player of the Series award for his all-round display. He also scored 476 runs with five half-centuries.

2025-26 – Auqib Nabi (60 wickets)

The J&K speedster, Auqib Nabi, has become the talk of the town for his recent exploits at the domestic level. After finishing the 2024-26 season as the second-highest wicket-taker (44), his graph just went upwards. Nabi became one of the few bowlers with 60 or more wickets in a single edition of the Ranji Trophy.

He has been excellent for Jammu and Kashmir in the ongoing season and has played a key role in the first-ever Ranji Title for this team. Nabi has 60 wickets in ten games so far with seven five-wicket hauls, which includes 5/54 in the first innings of the final against Karnataka.

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